 I've recently changed roles, from overseeing a number of established children's homes in the West Midlands to establishing an entirely new service in the South and South West, comprising several children's homes and supported accommodation provisions. Even at this stage in my career, when many of my colleagues are focussing on settling into steady roles, never let it be said that I'm one to shy away from a challenge.
Eventually, once the homes are established, the role will be similar to my previous one. A heavy emphasis on line management and supervision of home managers, and quality assurance (as well as the usual problem-solving). Safeguarding underpins everything of course, but that's not the focus of this article. Currently though, my time is taken up with business development and project management. I've always relied heavily on SMART targets to organise the longer and medium term goals in my workload, whether it's related to ongoing management or specific projects. The framework is something I still rely on. Partly this is out of habit, partly because of familiarity (for myself and colleagues), and partly because, well, it works. But it's not perfect. I've come into a situation in which some strands of work have been started, some haven't, some are ongoing, some have changed (or are changing, or are about to change), some are to be terminated, and different people have had different parts to play in all of this. Exactly the sort of thing I enjoy unpicking and organising. The point is, SMART targets on their own weren't enough to start managing this situation. I not only needed to figure out and then define what needed to be done and by when; it was also important to establish by whom. This is where the RACI matrix was useful. A deceptively simple tool, the matrix establishes who is responsible for completing the task (who does the task), who is accountable (sometimes the same person, sometimes a team/project/line manager), who needs to be consulted (perhaps someone who needs to sign off a wider project, other teams who may be impacted by the task, or an external specialist - funnily enough, often referred to as 'consultants'), and who needs to be informed. This may mean updating the rest of the SMT on progress, giving finance the heads up that they can expect an invoice, or updating external agencies on progress. The solution was to work the RACI framework into the SMART outcomes to give a complete overview of each element of the project. Combining the two gives a more rounded view of the project and clarifies responsibilities. But thinking about allocating responsibilities in this way (really considering who will be responsible and accountable, and who just needs to be informed rather than relying on established line-management silos) gave me a whole new insight into role allocation. For someone relatively new to a smaller company in which everybody pitches in rather than hiding behind job descriptions, it forced me to ask who was the best person to hold or oversee a project element. This is a different question than asking which department, team or role should do so, since I had to learn what skills and interests existed within the team. For those acquainted with the work of Kahneman and Tversky, this is the ‘thinking slow’ approach. A second benefit is that approaching delegation and role discussion in this way allows us to conduct an informal skills and roles analysis. Powerful questions have included:
With the SMART targets and RACI allocations established, the result is a workable, clear plan which all participants can utilise in whichever time/task management method they see fit. I am an inveterate note-taker, a reliance which brings with it its own set of problems (one being as many variations on “Where did I write that?” as can be imagined). To this end, I have to sing the praises of my ReMarkable 2 device. I've been using it for several months at this point, having purchased their RemMarkable 2 via their refurbishment scheme. At first I thought it would be a novelty or an indulgence, but the ability to take notes, manipulate writing in the page, and convert it to text that can be used in a Word doc has been such a time saver in many cases. I know others who use iPads to similar effect (this is not a sponsored message in any way; use whatever suits you best). All plans should be regarded as live documents. I dip in to it weekly as I check progress, but we have monthly formal updates on the plan's progress. Here is where I adapt another method. Kanban boards are a great visual tool for tracking progress at a glance. Rather than repeat work, go through the hassle of using another program/app or go to the effort (and waste) of printing the different elements, I use a simple colour-coding system to grade each element: white for those not started; red for those running late; amber for those in progress and on schedule; green for those where the work has been completed; and purple for those where the work has been validated and all RACI elements have been met. Using SharePoint or a similar service means the document can be truly collaborative, with contributors updating the document as they make progress. I've used it outside of my day job, too. As many of you are aware I maintain a sideline as an author. I've recently begun collaborating with a fellow author to set up our own small press, currently focused exclusively on our own material. Working together to set up the website, decide on design features and update details relating to publishing routes and plan social media all whilst our distribution platform Smash words merged with Draft2Digital needed a lot of planning and coordination, all of which needed managing remotely. Some people have said that in lieu of the kanban-esque stage a GANTT chart may be of more use as it also shows dependencies. Whilst I'm not adverse to using them I'm yet to find easy-to-use software for this process - if you know of any, please let me know. So that's my process, for now at least. One thing that never ceases to astonish me is how frequently otherwise intelligent people find a process they like and refuse to acknowledge feedback that it might no longer be optimal. All processes and procedures give us feedback and it's up to us to acknowledge, listen, respond and iterate. So whilst this process meets all my current needs, a different project may introduce new bumps in the road to navigate. Rather than sticking doggedly to this process, it will evolve in light of changing needs. Is this process of use to you? What problems do you see for your use case? Please let me know.
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 During conversations with friends and colleagues I often get asked about my reading. Questions such as why I enjoy the practice, how I benefit from it, and how I find 'the next book' are commonplace, but I'm also frequently asked for general reading tips; this is especially true of my non-fiction reading. So, here are my four main tips for non-fiction reading for personal and professional growth.
Firstly, read what challenges you. This could be a text that challenges your perceptions and understanding of a particular topic; a text that is intellectually challenging; or a text that presents a different perspective on something that is otherwise familiar. The importance of this is difficult to overstate. Reading can present us with new ideas that have a sudden and profound effect on our thinking. Equally, it can develop our understanding and broaden our world much more slowly, as a cumulative effect of continually exposing ourselves to new (to us) ideas. Additionally, the long-term health and cognition benefits of keeping mentally active are well-documented, and ensuring we remain mentally stimulated in this way contributes to this. My second tip relates somewhat to my previous point about the cumulative benefits of a reading habit: reread what you think you know. Reading is a surprisingly interactive process. On the one hand, you have the message the author wanted to convey. On the other, you have the reader's interpretation of the author's message. A rich text has the potential to be interpreted in the context of the reader's knowledge, life experience, own perspectives, professional understanding, and previous learning. All of these things are affected by our circumstances and wider reading, which can in turn influence how we reinterpret a previously encountered text in a positive feedback/learning loop. Age and perspective play a significant role in what we glean from any piece of reading. Most of the above can be applied to a lot of fiction as well as to good non-fiction, but I don't think it can be said of my next tip: read actionable books. That is, books that provide or equip you with new skills, thought processes, and perspectives that you are able to apply to your home or work life and that can be reflected upon (as per Kolb's learning cycle). Do some self-analysis to really understand those areas you feel you need to work on (the Johari window is a useful starting tool for this). Then do a little research on suitable books - using Chat GPT or Gemini to describe exactly what you are looking for and what you want to learn can be really useful here. Don't be led into reading only what's popular, just because it's popular. When time is limited and you are reading for a defined purpose, it's worth ensuring that what you're reading is helping you reach your goals. Just because a book is trending or is considered a classic doesn't mean it's relevant to your current learning goals. My final tip is simply to say that, no matter what others may tell you, the format doesn't matter. There is still a lot of snobbery around books and audiobooks, with some people stuck on the idea that the latter somehow "doesn't count" as reading. Whether you're reading at home, listening on the commute, taking in a précis such as the very informative 'Introducing...' series, or working through a parable such as the "One Minute Manager" series, what matters is that you're learning and developing skills that can improve your life. Footnote: There is a caveat to this final point. I have occasionally used YouTube as a shortcut to get the feel and/or gist of a book before committing to a purchase. Many books in the management and personal development spheres are painfully thin on content, and it makes sense to research before parting with cash. There are some very good videos out there (I recently watched an English Lit video that gave me a new perspective on The Iliad), but be careful of book summary videos; what you are experiencing is someone else's summary and perspective; by all means, use these videos as a means of challenging your viewpoint, not as 'the answer.' Similarly, AI tools can be useful in summarising and processing information. But the tool is only as effective as how you choose to use it. There will be hidden biases in how the models process data, and as the end user, it is up to you to be alert and responsive to these. I personally use AI in several ways: to organize my ideas, as a line-editor/proof-reader, and to summarise non-fiction documents. For example, whilst listening to audiobooks, I always think about the ideas contained therein and how they apply to my situation. When home, I will use AI to produce a general summary of the key ideas in the book, then apply my thoughts to the points made in the book, helping me reflect on and internalise my learning. This will sometimes be the basis of my written reviews. To further enhance my learning, one thing I have got into the habit of doing is to describe my role, thoughts, and situation and feed the first draft of the review into the AI, then ask it for further ideas around how I can apply the book to my life/career. Although I don’t apply this second stage to my published book reviews, it can provide some interesting new ideas.  Beyond the Manual: Unleashing AI as Your Co-Pilot in Children's Residential Care LeadershipIn the demanding, ever-evolving landscape of children's residential care, senior leaders are often stretched thin. We are expected to be experts in safeguarding, legislation, human resources, finance, therapeutic interventions, and community relations – all while keeping the needs of vulnerable young people at the absolute forefront. The sheer volume of information, communication, and decision-making can be overwhelming.
For me, staying ahead and truly leading with impact means embracing the right tools. I have found Google Gemini and NotebookLM to be invaluable productivity partners, transforming how I approach everything from legislative compliance to staff development. Whilst there are other such tools available (ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot are two examples I have previously used), I find that Google's tools are the most productive and user-friendly, and as a long-term Google user I appreciate their integration with my existing ecosystem. This is quite a subjective factor, however, and you may find the alternatives more palatable. Whichever you choose, no AI tools are yet replacements for human judgement or empathy, but powerful co-pilots that can free up your mental bandwidth for what truly matters: the complex, nuanced work of caring for children and supporting your team. If you are already dipping your toes into these waters, or perhaps just considering it, let me share how you, as a senior leader in this vital sector, can leverage these AI tools to streamline operations, enhance decision-making, and cultivate a more informed and resilient environment. 1. Mastering the Legislative Labyrinth: Your AI Compliance CompassStaying abreast of legislative changes, regulatory updates, and evolving national standards (be it CIW, Ofsted, or others) is not just a duty; it is a fundamental pillar of safe and lawful practice in residential childcare. Yet, the volume and complexity can feel like a full-time job in itself.
 In children's residential care, we often talk about the "big stresses": managing a crisis, navigating complex safeguarding concerns, supporting a child through intense emotional dysregulation, or dealing with a challenging Ofsted inspection. These are the moments that understandably push you to your limits, requiring immense strength and resilience. But beneath these headline challenges, there's a constant, almost invisible current that silently erodes energy, chips away at patience, and, cumulatively, leads to burnout. These are the micro-stresses: the endless flurry of emails, the constant interruptions, the minor administrative hurdles, the subtle interpersonal tensions, the forgotten form, the slightly ambiguous instruction, the child asking "why?" for the tenth time in a row. Individually, they seem insignificant. Together, they are an insidious drain on your most precious resource: your capacity to care. I’ve witnessed countless dedicated staff and managers, deeply committed to their roles, eventually succumb not to a single catastrophic event, but to the relentless, cumulative weight of these tiny, unnoticed demands. This silent strain affects not only their wellbeing but also their ability to provide consistent, calm, and trauma-informed care. If you’re a manager feeling constantly 'on,' a staff member grappling with persistent fatigue, or a provider looking to genuinely support your team's long-term sustainability, this post is for you. It's about acknowledging the hidden burden of micro-stresses and mastering practical strategies to combat their corrosive effect, safeguarding your most valuable asset: your people. The Invisible Weight: Micro-Stresses in a Children's Home ContextWhy are micro-stresses particularly dangerous and prevalent in the demanding environment of children's homes?
Think of it like tiny leaks in a boat. Individually, they're nothing. But left unchecked, they will eventually sink the vessel. Mastering micro-stresses is about systematically patching these leaks, protecting your team's energy reserves. Here’s how I advise building resilience against the silent strain: 1. Offload: Reducing the Burden (for Individuals and Teams)
I'd always advise empowering staff to 'offload' these burdens. This might involve setting up a system for more effective delegation of small administrative tasks, or training managers to actively help staff set boundaries around their time. We'd also explore ways to automate repetitive data entry within their care management system, significantly reducing energy drains. In these situations, I always advise fostering a culture of active 'recharging.' This could mean implementing mandatory short 'mindfulness breaks' during shifts, ensuring protected meal times, or providing resources for peer debriefing after any particularly stressful period, including those involving physical intervention. It's about acknowledging that recovery from the constant small hits is as vital as recovering from the big ones, ensuring your staff have the sustained energy and resilience to provide outstanding, compassionate care every single day. The Small Battles That Win the War Against BurnoutMicro-stresses are the silent architects of burnout, often overlooked because of their individual insignificance. But in the demanding, emotionally charged environment of children's residential care, their cumulative impact is profound. By consciously acknowledging these subtle drains, empowering staff to offload and reframe them, building in intentional recharge opportunities, and implementing systemic changes to reduce their presence, you won't just alleviate stress. You'll build a more resilient, energised, and sustainable workforce, safeguarding their wellbeing and, in turn, ensuring the highest quality of care for the vulnerable children who depend on them.  Ever found yourself in a leadership role, excited about driving change, only to discover you’re not quite sure who’s in charge? Or, perhaps more accurately, who else is in charge? It’s a common scenario, especially in today’s fluid organisational structures, where the allure of "dual leadership" often descends into a bewildering "duel" of authority.
You’re brought in, perhaps as a consultant or a strategic hire, with a broad mandate to "improve things." Sounds great, right? You’re keen to roll up your sleeves, implement new ideas, and make a real difference. Then you discover there’s an existing operational leader who already has significant tenure, deep relationships, and a long-standing claim to the very territory you’ve been asked to cultivate. Suddenly, the vision of collaborative leadership fades, replaced by friction, confusion, and the lingering question: who makes the final decision? This isn't just about bruised egos; it’s about organisational paralysis. When accountability is a blurry concept and responsibility shifts like sand, the company suffers. Decisions get delayed, teams become confused, and potential improvements remain just that – potential. I recently coached a colleague, let’s call him Colin, who found himself in precisely this predicament. His experience is a powerful guide for anyone navigating the treacherous waters of shared authority. If you’re nodding along, this post is for you. Colin's Conundrum: A Classic Case Study. Colin was drafted into an established children's home company. His brief from the owner (who was also the company director) was simple: "improve the company's performance." A noble goal, but incredibly vague. Colin interpreted this to mean stronger management of the home managers, boosting occupancy rates, and driving a more positive culture. All vital areas, to be sure. The catch? The existing Operations Director, a seasoned veteran of several years, already had direct responsibility for those very areas. Colin, on the other hand, was on a temporary assignment, just three months in. Both reported directly to the owner, but there was no formal agreement on who decided what. The stage was set, not for a partnership, but for a clash. Can you see the problem? It’s not just about two individuals. It’s about a fundamental lack of clarity from the very top. Without a clear directive, Colin's efforts were bound to be perceived not as collaborative, but as encroaching. The Tell-Tale Signs You're in a 'Duel' How do you know you're heading for, or already in, a "duel" rather than genuinely "dual" leadership? Look for these common red flags:
Diagnosing the Root Cause: It's Rarely Personal While the conflict feels personal, the root cause of these dual-leadership clashes often lies not with the individuals, but with the organisational structure and, critically, the senior leadership's failure to provide clarity. Think about it from the incumbent's perspective. The Ops Director in Colin’s scenario has been there for years. They’ve built relationships, established processes, and contributed to the company’s stability. Then, a new person arrives, with a vague mandate to "improve" what they've already been doing. This can feel like a direct challenge to their competence, their value, and their very professional identity. Their resistance isn't necessarily malice; it's often a natural protective response to a perceived threat. And your role? As the incoming leader, it's easy to assume the broad mandate gives you carte blanche. But without explicitly defined boundaries, you might be unintentionally stepping on established toes. The owner, in Colin’s case, created this ambiguity. They likely had good intentions – they wanted things to improve. But by not clearly articulating how that improvement would be achieved, who would be responsible for what specific aspects, and how the two leaders would collaborate, they set both Colin and the Ops Director up for conflict. Your Toolkit for Clarity: Strategic Coaching Questions The path out of the "duel" and into effective "dual leadership" requires proactive, strategic communication, particularly with the senior leader who put you in this position. Your goal is not to win a power struggle, but to establish a clear framework that allows both leaders to succeed, ultimately benefiting the company. Here are the questions to ask yourself, and then to strategically pose to others: Step 1: Prepare for the Crucial Conversation with Senior Leadership (The Owner/CEO) This is the most critical conversation. You need to go in prepared to seek clarity and propose solutions, not just express frustration.
Once you've sought clarity from the owner (ideally, the owner facilitates a joint meeting), you still need to build a functional relationship with your co-leader.
Dual leadership, when structured correctly, can be incredibly powerful. Imagine leveraging the deep operational knowledge of your Ops Director alongside your fresh, strategic perspective. That’s where innovation and significant growth truly happen. For Colin, the path forward involved:
 The more I speak to people about my career, the more I get asked about professional and personal development. Usually, these conversations focus on professional qualifications – uncertainty over which path to choose, or the frustration of knowing what you want to do but not being able to get there.
My own learning (I rarely distinguish between ‘personal’ and ‘professional’ development, for reasons I’ll clarify later on) has been a mix of informal training and formal qualifications. This is almost always with an academic focus, simply because that’s my preferred learning style. I have a BA Ed (Hons), two level fives in residential childcare (one for each side of the bridge), a level six certificate in management from the CMI, and a level seven in senior leadership also from the CMI. Just as important to me, has been my informal learning gleaned from books, podcasts, YouTube and other sources. If you have any particular sources of informal learning you can share in the comments, I’m always interested. It sounds glib written like that, as if I’ve picked what I’ve wanted to do and waltzed through it. But like many who pursue ongoing development, I’ve had to overcome several obstacles to achieve what I wanted. Barriers to development. Chief among them, particularly early in my career, has been money. I’d always been as interested in the business side of our industry as I have been in the delivery side of care. When I was supporting a young family on a carer’s wage, the Open University seemed an obvious route to better my position – at least until I worked out the cost. I already hold some social care qualifications with them, and was considering some business qualifications to top up to a combined studies degree. My decision to turn away from the OU was also influenced by David Cameron’s cuts to higher education funding. At the same time, I had my eye on what was then the NVQ Level Four in care. Working in England meant I wasn’t able to access the same funding as my Welsh colleagues, which brings me on to my second barrier: poor employers. You’d think all employers would be keen to develop their staff team and benefit from their newfound skills and knowledge. It’s certainly a driving ethos of my approach to management. Sadly, not all employers have this perspective. When I asked one particular employer to support me to access the aforementioned level four qualification, my manager was incredulous. “Why would we train our staff to leave?”, was her response, oblivious to the fact I was prepared to leave to access the training elsewhere. Which I promptly did. The third barrier that has impacted upon my learning has been that of time. Trying to fit meaningful learning around other commitments such as work, family, hobbies, etc can be a real challenge. Especially so if your role involves shift work. Bluntly, it’s tiring; and given the choice between loafing on the sofa in front of the TV or repeatedly reading the same thing because you’re too tired to retain much of it, often the option of lower cognitive load wins out. I’m sure there are more barriers than these; what circumstances do you feel have limited your opportunity to learn? The Blurring Lines of Personal and Professional Growth. So, what to do? The first thing is to figure out why you want to learn. Is it to develop your professional skills? Develop a personal interest? Is it a networking opportunity? Or is it simply a means to an end? I have to confess, by the time I’d found an employer willing to support my progression, the level five qualifications were a drawn-out box-ticking exercise. I had enough experience by that point (and a level six management certificate) that there was little to learn at that level. I simply needed the accreditation to get the job I wanted (registered manager). If the objective is to achieve the role that requires the qualification, then options are limited. You have to do what is prescribed. The best learning offers a mix of professional and personal development, hence my comment above: my level seven has offered some intellectual challenges as well as practical experiences that have been relevant to my role and will remain relevant in the future. Some of the modules have prompted me to analyse my values and perspectives as well as revisit old experiences in a different light. The learning from the course has also been augmented by my reading and listening outside of the course materials. Once you know what you want to learn and why, it’s time to look again at the barriers described above. The Financial Hurdle. There aren’t any easy answers to this problem. I’m certainly not going to suggest you could easily fund an MBA by giving up your morning Costa. But there are different funding models available depending on the course you want to do and where you live. But with the many learning opportunities available, you may not need a formal qualification. For example, if you wish to develop your IT skills there are many tutorials available on YouTube, and even free certified courses available online (see below). If your goals is to upskill, refresh your CV or you are studying for personal enrichment, these options may be worth checking out. Poor employers. I still struggle to understand why an employer would obstruct (or refuse to support) a good employee from developing skills that would be of benefit to the company. However, it still happens, and I hear about it often. If you find yourself in the situation where you need a qualification to progress but your employer is unwilling to support you, perhaps you need to consider whether that employer is worth your time. Leverage your time. This is the one you have the most control over, and the area in which technology can be a saviour. Sometimes, it is a matter of priorities. If I’ve got time to watch an episode of Shogun (or any other programme I need to concentrate on to follow), then I can probably get a bit of study done. Or what about during the commute? I have an Audible account, and over the past twelve months have listened to many books that have made me think about my approaches to management and communication. Some people enjoy podcasts, though I must admit I prefer the longer form of an audiobook. If I’ve got time to watch a second episode of Shogun, then perhaps I could watch an educational video instead. Further Resources. There are many resources available for free (or very cheaply) online. https://alison.com/ offers many free online courses, in areas such as IT, personal development and management. https://www.open.edu/openlearn/free-courses/full-catalogue from the Open University offers free courses over a very broad range of subjects. https://www.reed.co.uk/ Reed offers a range of courses and differing prices. I’m currently completing an Excel course which, although geared towards an older version of Excel, has proven to be very useful in developing my skills, knowledge and understanding of the program - as well as highlighting things I didn’t know I didn’t know. For me, the lines between personal and professional development are more blurred than ever. One thing that has become clear to me is that my personal development feeds into my professional development, and vice-versa. There is a clear feedback loop between the two. For example, my learning on diversity and mental models has prompted me to look at other skills such as organisation and time management in a way different that the traditional models would suggest. As a result I became very interested in the use of AI to develop my organisational skills and to challenge my thinking. This in turn has prompted me to look at how I can use AI more effectively to manage my life outside of work, freeing me up somewhat to engage in more reading and learning. The past 12 months have been an incredibly busy period for me. As well as overseeing services in Wales I have overseen services in England, worked through the second-half of my level 7 senior leadership qualification with the CMI, moved house, and maintained my family responsibilities. Over the next couple of weeks I have both my final level 7 assessment and starting a new job to contend with. All of this has meant a few things have slipped. My attendance at the gym have dropped dramatically, something I wish to address in the next month, and I have found it difficult to keep up with my reading. The long drives up to the Midlands and back have meant I've been able to make the most of my Audible membership, but there is something very different about holding a book in your hands and reading from that. I feel I benefit from it in a different way than I do from listening to an audiobook or watching a YouTube video. Not to say one of those methods of learning is superior to any of the others, it's just a different experience. I've taken advantage of a bit of downtime between jobs to reflect on what I have read and learnt over the past year. There are a number of books I have read or listened too but am yet to write up for the website. These books include “Nudge”, “The Art of War”, “The First 90 days”, “Understanding Cognitive Biases”, “Good to Great”, “Be Useful”, “Radical Candor”, and several others. I have long been passionate about personal and professional development, and have a huge “to read” list scribbled down in one of the many notebooks I carry with me. Purchasing a new Kindle to replace my much neglected, very old iteration that still had a physical keyboard, has been fantastic in helping me keep up my reading habits. I carry it with me most places despite having the app on my phone. The device itself is much more comfortable to use compared to staring at a tiny phone screen. Now my “to read” list also consists of the many samples I've downloaded in anticipation of future purchases. What I have found across the dozens of books I've read and hundreds of hours spent listening to audible, is that I have been too narrow in my focus. The vast majority of the non fiction I have read has been purposely chosen to develop existing skills or to introduce me to new skills. For example, “Thinking Fast and Slow” gave me great insight into the way that I and others come to conclusions and make decisions. Shane Snow’s “Dream Teams” made me think in a whole new way about team building and diversity. Chris Voss and Tahl Raz’s “Never Split the Difference” helped me reflect on my negotiating skills and improve them beyond what they were previously. But despite the diversity of titles I have read and listened to, seeing my library when I turn my kindle on let me to realise one thing. Every single book I have read focuses on one key idea. A book on negotiating. Books on diversity. Books on listening, on communication, on finance, on language, on habits, on economics and so on. Every one of them valuable, every one of them insightful, and usually with actionable measures that I can apply to my job or home life. All of them introducing me to new ideas and new concepts. But not one on developing my own thinking.
As ever, I’m always keen to hear of new books and resources that can introduce me to new ideas or challenge my perceptions. Ebooks are preferred, but I’m open to Audible podcasts and YouTube channels, too. Drop me a comment here or on my LinkedIn and let me know! Another week goes by, and here in Wales we are no closer to any sort of clear plan being put in place to support the Welsh Assembly Government’s ideological target of removing profit from children's social care. I did attend a recent market sounding event in Cardiff, which did little to reassure me that the market will be ready to move to a non-profit model in time to meet the assembly's aims. At least one provider left the event early on, convinced we are seeing the unfolding of a self-made disaster for children's social care in Wales. Like many providers I have been in contact with, he's given serious consideration to leaving the sector. We know that no local authority in Wales is in a position to meet the needs of children who may be in desperate need of somewhere to live once these providers close.
The conversations I have had with local authorities suggest that they too lack an appetite for this change. Some of them have openly stated to me that they do not care if those people looking after their children are making a reasonable profit or not, so long as the quality of care is good. All of the research into this area seems to confirm there is a negligible difference between the cost of care provided by the local authority and care provided by private companies; and there is no difference in the quality of care either. Good practise and poor practise exist regardless of which sector the children's home operates in. What we're seeing is unpopular and ideologically driven change being forced through without adequate planning or funding to ensure the children looked after in the system remain safe. I believe that if the government genuinely wants to remove profit from social care, it should grab the bull by the horns and ensure local authorities have the funding and support to run their own internal services, rather than hoping that a hodgepodge of good intentions and poor planning will somehow magically meet the needs of the most vulnerable children in the country. The care and support of children who are traumatised, have been abused, or have complex learning difficulties, is a difficult and demanding job. Good quality care is expensive - to use a metaphor, you can't expect a Mercedes-Benz for a Kia price. A lot of the rhetoric we're seeing in this “debate” is apparently focused on addressing the profiteering which does exist in a small sector of the Welsh market. However, what I'm seeing is this element of dubious business practise being conflated with the cost of care. The whole sector is being punished for the sins of a few. A good company charging what lay people may see as a high amount for care is not the same as profiteering. We need to root out the profiteering elements in the marketplace, there is no doubt about that. But many people are commenting on what they see as the high cost of care, without any idea of what care should cost. Every children's home needs a staff team; some children may need two or more staff with them at all times to meet their needs. That staff team will need to be trained, inducted, supervised, and some will need to be put through relevant qualifications. Some homes employ waking night staff on top of their day staff. Some homes offer education. Some homes offer specialist psychological and therapeutic input. Somebody adequately skilled and experienced has to oversee and manage the home and care package. And I truly believe that the low status of care in this country means that people do not understand the knowledge, skill, and complexity that goes into good quality residential childcare. None of us would dream of walking into an operating theatre and telling the lead surgeon that we think he charges too much, and asking whether he really needs to cut so deep, and does he really need all these other people around him, and does he think he's wasting too much soap when he cleans his hands, and isn't this all rather expensive? Surely there is a cheaper way to do it? Why then, without any experience in the sector or any knowledge of how difficult and demanding the job can be, and without any knowledge of the support and care many of these young people need, do people feel entitled to jump in and tell us in the sector that we're charging too much for something they're not prepared to do themselves? I'm talking here largely about the way the debate has spilled into social media, but I've met many professionals not directly involved in the running of children's homes who do not appreciate the skills their colleagues bring to work every day; and there exist many more decision makers in government who are clueless about what the job of caring entails and what the sector actually needs. Disclosure: I have been a left-wing voter all my life. Given the choice, I would have all children's social care provided by local authorities, in the local area, by well-paid and trained staff, wherever it is possible to meet children's needs (as I believe privatisation should have no role in the NHS). If we are looking to remove private companies from the care sector, this is the model we should be following - doing it properly, not in some half-arsed attempt to massage the market in the direction the Senedd wants. But even under such a model children will need specialist care that it is simply not cost effective to provide in every region, and so some children will still end up moving further from home than they would like. And (pie-in-the-sky thinking) if this were to be funded and planned and executed properly by the government, we still would not meet the main aim the government wants to achieve - that of reducing cost. Staffing is the most significant cost faced by any care organisation. Good quality staff are difficult to find, difficult to recruit, and difficult to retain. Again, this comes back to the low regard that we have for carers in this country. Such staff should be a lot more expensive than they currently are. We should be rewarding them far more than we currently are. If you think this is wrong, compare the rewards offered to carers and children's homes managers with the packages offered to any other profession in the country. If you need to recruit a teacher, you are not competing with Lidl and Aldi for the same pool of staff. Yet that is the reality faced by those looking to staff care homes. The obsession with driving down costs means that this is unlikely to change anytime soon. Forcing those who make a small profit (many providers have a profit margin of around 6%) out of the marketplace will not be the universal panacea for all the industry's problems many people are proposing it will be. It is not going to reduce costs. It is not going to save the government any money. It is not going to improve the quality of care across the sector; in fact with the unavoidable skills drain caused by many people leaving the sector as companies leave and are not replaced, we are likely to see a dip in the quality of care offered to young people. We may even see increased costs, as the lower number or providers remaining in the sector will mean more competition for a smaller number of beds. It is a worrying time for all concerned. Further reading: https://nation.cymru/feature/owners-of-private-childrens-homes-fear-impact-of-plans-to-eliminate-profit-from-sector-in-wales/ https://www.icha.org.uk/Public/Document/Download/2257?fileName=97ab9545-c790-4945-8710-833deb74ba92.pdf https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/62287a3a8fa8f526dba3430a/Wales_summary.pdf https://www.gov.wales/removing-profit-care-children-looked-after-board-discussion-july-2024-html “Well, we've all got to dream, haven't we?”
July and August have seen two career milestones for me. I’ve now been a director for two years, and I’ve entered the final phase of my Level Seven in Senior Leadership – all my coursework has been submitted and I’m waiting on the final assessment. All of this is a far cry from the sixteen-year-old whose ambition was to get a job in HMV and play guitar as possible. I have, on and off, been working in the residential childcare sector since I graduated as a teacher in 2002. It's not been a straightforward path to where I am now. There have been many ups and downs, many unexpected opportunities and many setbacks. When I think of the ‘ups and downs’ there is one moment that still stands out. An internal transfer at a previous employer meant I had been tasked with supporting a manager to run her home as part of what was, a fractured team who needed a lot more support than they received. As part of that team, I did what I could to support my colleagues; looking at it with more experience and from a management viewpoint, I would've handled the situation differently. Some of the learning promoted by my Level Seven has been very useful in reflecting on what I could have done differently. I would have focused a lot more on supporting the staff team and avoiding my own burnout. But this was not a perspective that the company had when it came to managing their staff. The supervision in question took place the day I arrived at home. My manager’s opening question was, "What are you doing here?”. On occasion I can be very literal. Unfortunately, this was one of those occasions. "There was a reshuffle amongst the staff, and I was told I had to come here.” Her eyes narrowed as if checking whether my response was genuine or sarcastic. "I mean, I've looked at your CV. I've seen your qualifications. I've seen your experience. Why are you here as a senior RSW, when you should be managing a home?” In another error of communication on my part, I took this to be the green shoots of support I'd been looking for since starting work with the company. "Thank you. I joined as a senior, but was told in my interview the company was expanding and I could expect to work towards a management position. My qualifications are the equivalent of the NVQ four, but not everybody recognises them as such. I was also told I'd be supported to gain that qualification. Neither of these things have happened.” "So, what are you looking for?” "I'm looking for the opportunity to train, progress, and find myself challenged. Long-term I'm looking for an operations manager role. Salary wise, I'm going to be earning £40,000 a year by the time I'm 40 years old." This was the goal I had set myself. As it transpired, I not only left the company but left the industry briefly before achieving this goal. This wasn't the answer she wanted. With a troubled staff team and three unsettled young people in the home, she wanted somebody focused entirely on helping her achieve her goals for the home. She didn't want anybody distracted by ambitions of their own. What I learned from this was that how you frame your answers can be as important as the answers themselves. She dropped the pen she had been using to take notes onto the table, shrugged, and said, "well, we've all got to dream, haven't we?” I really should have read the situation better and replied with something like, “this is a busy home and I’m looking forward to helping you manage the staff team, and maybe developing my management skills in the process. Once the home is settled, I’d like to look at how I can build to the next step in my career”. But I didn’t, and that was the end of any hope I had of support from that company. In situations like this, there is something inside me that stands up and wants to prove people wrong. When I said I was going to university to learn to be a teacher, I was told I wasn't organised enough. When I chose to work in children's homes, I was told I wasn't strict enough. When I decided to manage children's homes, I was told I wasn't robust enough. Each time I took on board what I was told, analysed it, and opted to ignore it. Not that discarding all advice you don't want to hear is always a good thing. Sometimes the things we don't want to hear are accurate. Sometimes shortfalls and gaps in knowledge can be overcome through training and perseverance, and it's useful to know what these are to address them. But sometimes, as in these cases, people will evaluate what they know of you from what you have decided to show them of yourself. The first step was to leave the company for a promotion with different employers. Then, the aforementioned step outside of the industry in order to recover from the burnout I had, by that point, been feeling for some time. Then I was able to re-enter the industry. That company was incredibly supportive, their support enabled me to continue to grow, progress, and develop into the director I am today. Career progression in this industry can be very difficult. The myriad influences that can accelerate, slow down, derail, and otherwise interfere with your plans are often nebulous and unpredictable. My advice to those people looking to pursue a career in care regardless of where they are is always the same. Take it step-by-step. Have a goal in mind, but always check in regularly with yourself to ensure this goal hasn't changed. Always be mindful of where you are and the opportunities or otherwise surrounding you. If you are in the wrong place, don't waste time hoping for the company to change; it almost certainly won't. There is always a new employer to explore, and opportunities you may not even be aware of. Don't expect a linear progression. There will always be bumps in the road and diversions you need to follow; always try to manage them proactively, work out what you can learn from each situation, and above all, be useful. This might mean taking on extra responsibilities that align with your career goals but may not necessarily be part of your job description. It doesn't matter. It still goes on your CV. Always be useful and always strive to learn more. The learning never stops. Despite achieving a directorship, I don't feel I’ve ‘arrived’. A few months back I enrolled on a self-paced online Excel course, and am improving my financial literacy through reading around the subject. I’ve been a loyal customer of my bank for several years. At least, until this month. I closed my savings account and transferred the money to my ISA. I transferred my credit card balance to another company to take advantage of a 0% offer. Probably thousands of pounds’ worth of business, gone with just a few clicks.
I doubt anyone noticed. Certainly, nobody cared. Rewind a few decades and I would no doubt have had to visit a physical building and speak to a person behind a counter. That person would probably have asked me if there was anything they could have done to change my mind, and maybe even have called the manager over. They would have asked why I’m moving my account, and they may even have been able to offer an incentive to convince me to stay. The scale of banking makes this sort of customer care impossible. Twenty years ago I started my career in care. One of the motivations for leaving teaching for the care profession was the fact that teaching was starting to feel like a conveyor belt of coaching children to pass SATs, regardless of the actual value of those abstract assessments. As a carer I got to know the young people I was working with in a much more holistic manner. Partly because I was no longer working under the label of ‘teacher’, but mainly because I was working usually on a 1:1 basis. Later, when I found myself as a senior RSW, deputy manager, and then manager, I maintained that close knowledge of the young people and staff. It is an essential part of any caring role. So where does that leave me as a senior manager? Currently I oversee ten beds over five sites across south and mid Wales, with responsibilities that extend far beyond those of a home manager or project manager. This year, if all goes to plan, there will be another site with another two beds as well as work on a multi-million-pound multi-site project in West Wales. All of this will pull me further away from ‘front-line’ work. So how do I ensure the company doesn’t become just another gigantic, faceless corporation leaning more to the ‘industry’ side of the ‘care industry’? Having briefly worked, for one of those companies where you are just a column on the payroll and there are no people to care for, just beds to be filled, I am determined to do all I can to stop even the suggestion that we will head in that direction. This is the sort of thing that really does start with the senior management team’s actions. Not their words – anyone can write a mission statement putting the needs of clients/service users at the heart of the service. This is a lovely marketing tool, but to really care at scale you need substance and integrity. Caring at scale can’t be done by the MD, the CEO, or even the Director of Services. Our job is to create the culture in which care is central, and every decision we make sends a message across the company and beyond about how serious we are in that intent. Do we invest in our staff? Do we ensure the homes we offer are places we’d want to liv in ourselves? Do we regard minimum standards, legislation and guidance as things we want to exceed, or simply meet in order to save the extra expense? Do we hire manager, team leaders, and carers who live these values, or do we look at interviews for people who can manage a spreadsheet and find every last penny of efficiency, no matter the real expense? Do our people understand the cost of everything, or the value? It is easy to get swept up in the profit and loss statements, the cash flow predictions, the spreadsheets, and the language of management and finance. This is especially true when your chosen role takes you away from the day-to-day lives of the people in your care. What’s so important at a senior management level is to remember why we do this, and ensure we employ people who carry our values – but then support them do work in a manner that supports this. |
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