Building confidence, communication, and stronger leadership in Essex
Two more inspiring Essex cohorts – C41 and C42 – recently completed a Professional Support and Development Programme (PSDP.)
27 care leaders from care homes and domiciliary care services completed the two programmes, including Care Managers, Team Leaders and Quality and Compliance professionals.
Funded by Essex County Council, the programmes supported care leaders to reflect on the challenges they face in their roles, and explore practical tools and strategies.
Challenges included:
- Workplace Communication and culture: Navigating challenging relationships, conflict, differing expectations and staff feeling undervalued.
- An overwhelming workload and lack of support: Pressure to meet deadlines, a poor work-life balance, and frustration with the wider system.
Our PSDP programmes consisted of 3 themed workshops, group exercises with discussion and Action Learning sessions.
Grounded in research, these are designed to support care leaders to strengthen their leadership and communication skills and discover healthier ways of managing the pressures of their demanding roles.
Impact of the PSDP Programmes
100% of surveyed participants reported:
- Improvements in their quality of management and leadership
- A better understanding of how to improve care culture.
95% felt that their course improved their communication and leadership skills.
Key Outcomes:
- Leaders learnt to communicate more effectively, which improved their relationships with their staff teams. Leaders recognised the importance of giving staff sufficient time, actively listening their views, respecting their perspective. Asking open questions, pausing before reacting, and giving time for alternative solutions to challenges led to a workforce that felt heard and empowered.
“Listening is a skill, it can be developed, it doesn’t just happen – that’s what I realised.”
“There were many staff members that I couldn’t manage at the beginning. I managed to bring them closer and understand how I can work with them much better.”
- Care Leaders also felt that their confidence had increased. Participants described developing a better understanding of their leadership style, feeling more confident in navigating challenges and trusting their judgement.
“My confidence has grown because I know that I’m not the only one who feels this way… I realise I’m doing a good job.”
“I have grown in confidence, I’ve become a more effective leader and it’s also encouraged me to be a more reflective practitioner. The course has really been a big help to me.”
- Care Leaders also shared that they developed healthier boundaries and a better work-life balance. Many participants entered the programme feeling very overwhelmed by their workload, struggling to switch-off and carrying a strong sense of responsibility for others, meaning they struggled with delegating and trusting staff with their work.
“I’m feeling better about work after the Action Learning last time. I dropped my perfectionism, took two days off and slept. Created boundaries for myself between work and home.”
“I’m now able to delegate more. I’m able to reach targets better, because I’m thinking of the things that we’ve learnt throughout the course. I’ve got it in the back of my mind all the time.”
Congratulations to our C41 and C42 Essex cohorts! By growing their leadership, confidence and communication skills, this is positively impacting on staff teams, care service cultures, and quality of life for people receiving care and support.