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CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION

Development of Leading to Deliver Programme

The Need for Leading to Deliver

1.1 Since the then Scottish Executive launched its twelve-point Action Plan for the Social Services Workforce in 2002 ², the Scottish administration has actively sought to address key social services workforce challenges, including leadership and management capabilities in the sector ³.

1.2 The development of the Leading to Deliver programme was prompted by the publication of research by the Scottish Leadership Foundation ( SLF) in 2003 ⁴ exploring the issue of leadership and management development in social work services.

1.3 This research identified a number of leadership challenges facing social work leaders, which were also supported by the findings of a later study ⁵. These challenges included:

• leading with confidence in professional skills and values;
• leading multi-professional and multi-organisational teams, with a clear focus on achieving successful outcomes for users and carers;
• developing greater understanding, skill and experience in planning, commissioning and managing services with a multiplicity of providers;
• leading for continuous improvement and learning both within the profession and across professions;
• taking the lead in collaborative ventures such as community planning and community participation at locality level.

1.4 Underpinning all of this was a need for robust management skills in areas such as planning, commissioning, budgeting, financial management, human resource management and change management.

1.5 The 2005 Scottish Leadership Foundation report 'Leadership and Management Development in Social Services Organisations: Short Life Study' ⁶ also noted that there has been a historic lack of funding for training and development in this area. This research found that there was a strong desire for tailored leadership development for social work services' managers. Within local authorities, social services' managers were also very keen to see accredited programmes developed for all levels of management and leadership.

1.6 In addition, the lack of an explicit competency and capability model for leaders and managers within the sector meant that social work services' managers and leaders did not necessarily have the same confidence in what is expected of them as other professional groups in sectors such as health and education ⁷.

The Leading to Deliver Programme

1.7 Building on the recommendations of the 2003 SLF study, the Leading to Deliver programme launched in October of that year. A major leadership development programme for first line and middle managers in social services, Leading to Deliver was designed to build leadership skills and confidence, help manage change, promote working across boundaries, and create strengths in strategic planning, implementation and performance management.

1.8 The programme is designed to provide participants from statutory and voluntary organisations within the social services sector with the appropriate knowledge and skills to deliver effective leadership within the current context of change ⁸. Its focus on first line and middle managers reflects the SLF research finding that such individuals were likely to have little or no leadership or management development prior to taking up management posts ⁹.

1.9 The format and content of the programme was developed by The Taylor Clarke Partnership ( TCP) in partnership with The Robert Gordon University ( RGU) in Aberdeen who provided academic accreditation and guidance for the programme at postgraduate level.

1.10 When it was first launched in 2003, the programme was structured around the following modules:

• Changing to Lead
  - Raising and exploring participants' self-awareness and understanding of leadership responsibility and capability;

• Leading and Influencing Change
  - Understanding change management and participants' contribution and influence as leaders of change;

• Leading Change in Service Delivery
  - Understanding and applying strategic management principles for the design and delivery of person-centred services;

• Leading Delivery Through Effective Relationships
  - Leading teams in collaborative, multi-disciplinary settings;

• Practice Analysis
  - Critical reflection on participants' learning and development with reference to a key piece of practice. This involved focused reflection on the contribution of the programme to individual and organisational development.

1.11 Since the programme was launched there have been 5 cohorts with 100 participants in each.

Changing Lives: The 21st Century Social Work Review

1.12 The 21st Century Social Work Review was commissioned in 2004 " to take a fundamental look at all aspects of social work in order to strengthen its contribution to the delivery of integrated services"¹⁰.

1.13 Interestingly, the Association of Directors of Social Work's ( ADSW) response to the 21st Century Social Work Review consultation interpreted high unmet demand for the Leading to Deliver programme as a possible result of significant management training need within the sector. ¹¹

1.14 The Review highlighted three key themes for the development of social work in Scotland, as follows:

• personalised service;
• building workforce capacity;
• capacity for sustainable change.

1.15 Within this context of sustainable change, the implementation plan aimed to ensure, as one of its five strands, that "leaders and managers have the courage, vision and skills to develop social work services for the future". There was a clear focus on leadership in the Review:

"The review needs to address ways to develop a stronger improvement culture embedded into staff at all levels, supported by professional management and more positive leadership. Overall there is a need for stronger leadership of the profession…"¹².

1.16 The report of the Review, Changing Lives, also noted that "a multi-agency approach, driven by committed and imaginative leadership across the public, voluntary and private sectors will be needed to fully implement the recommendations".

1.17 A key recommendation was the delivery of a new leadership and management framework, which would put emphasis on operational management and development of professional and practice, political, strategic, academic and citizen leadership.

Changing Lives and Leading to Deliver

1.18 The Social Work Review identified major changes "requiring a real and lasting commitment to transform services at all levels and in all parts of the system" ¹³. It also emphasised that "achieving that will require, among other things, clear and effective leadership at all levels"¹⁴. A focus on leadership was therefore viewed as crucial in delivering the recommendations of the Changing Lives report.

1.19 The evaluation of the first cohort of Leading to Deliver also drew clear links between this programme and the Changing Lives agenda, noting that a key element of the Social Work Review's remit was to examine leadership and management of the profession. The evaluation report argues that "the teaching and learning philosophy of the [Leading to Deliver] programme, implemented through the programme's innovative and unique design, skilled Taylor Clarke facilitators, and complementary assessment, has no doubt contributed to the Programme's success in developing strong leadership"¹⁵.

1.20 According to the evaluation of Cohort 1, the success of Leading to Deliver in meeting the needs of the Changing Lives agenda "can be further strengthened through the development of areas of programme content to provide improved focus on particular business and management knowledge and skills, and development of aspects of the Programme's design to build upon the Leading to Deliver network"¹⁶.

1.21 An emphasis in cohort five is also to link the whole programme to the Changing Lives implementation.

Changes to the LtD Programme

1.22 The Leadership and Management Change Programme agreed to fund a fifth cohort of Leading to Deliver in 2007-08. This programme's broad aim was to deliver a fundamental change in the leadership culture of organisations making them more focused on service delivery and client satisfaction.

1.23 The programme for the fifth cohort of Leading to Deliver was revised to align it with Changing Lives, in particular to ensure participants' detailed knowledge of Changing Lives, to increase their understanding of their role in its implementation, and to better meet the needs of middle and strategic managers.

1.24 Three significant changes were made:

• the programme was targeted at more senior, strategic managers to ensure that participants could have real impact in their organisations;
• line managers and senior managers had to make a commitment to support the participants and as part of this a line-managers' workshop was run, ahead of the first module;
• each participant was required to outline and complete a change project that clearly reinforced the Changing Lives agenda and was supported by their line manager.

1.25 It is likely that further adjustments will be made to the programme as the Social Work Services Leadership Framework is developed. It was therefore regarded as essential that Leading to Deliver is evaluated independently and objectively to ensure that any future development is consistent with the emergent framework, and informed by its current achievement.

Unique Selling Points

1.26 There are a number of features of the Leading to Deliver programme which set it apart from other leadership and management programmes available.

Sector Specific

1.27 An important aspect of the programme is that it is sector specific: the evaluation of Cohort 1 acknowledged this as "an innovative development in recognition of the unique skills of social services' leaders and managers"¹⁷.

1.28 Although some larger local authorities also make use of some other sector specific activity (particularly around provision of the Registered Managers Award and the Managing Care in Scotland Open University K303) ¹⁸, for the voluntary and independent sector, other programmes available are largely organisation specific. Only Leading to Deliver offers staff in these organisations the opportunity to train and develop with colleagues from other organisations across the sector: this broader perspective "enables managers to explore new ways of thinking that are not possible when training and development is confined to a single organisation"¹⁹.

Accredited

1.29 Successful candidates on the Leading to Deliver Programme graduate with a Postgraduate Certificate Social Services Leadership, which has been recognised as a Manager's Qualification by the Scottish Social Services Council and as such can be used for the purposes of Registration.

1.30 As noted in the 2005 SLF study, for the majority of local authorities, the only accredited programmes that offer opportunities for staff to work across organisational boundaries are Leading to Deliver and the Scottish Local Authorities Management Centre ( SLAMC) postgraduate certificate in the management of health and social care.

Residential

1.31 An important element of Leading to Deliver which sets it apart from other courses is the fact that it is delivered using a three-day residential course for each module. The resulting development of social ties within small groups, and the use of trained facilitators and coaches, among other factors, has contributed to the programme's ability to effect positive behavioural change ²⁰.

1.32 The evaluation of Cohort 1 argued that Leading to Deliver should be maintained as a sector specific, residential, accredited programme, as all three elements have provided tangible benefits, such as ²¹:

• shared learning and development;
• cross-fertilisation of ideas;
• opportunities to discuss learning applied in different contexts;
• validation of participants' unique skills and capabilities;
• contribution to CPD;
• strengthening of the learning experience through reflection and further reading;
• transference of skills into the workplace;
• simulating sector priorities such as working across boundaries;
• developing a strong practice-learning network.

The Leading to Deliver Learning Network and Knowledge Exchange Forum

1.33 The Leading to Deliver Network is a ' hugely valuable' outcome of the programme, providing " a sector specific network that are enthused about their own development and have improved leadership capabilities"²².

1.34 In addition, locally held development forums, initiated and developed and facilitated by SLF, represented a structured means of maintaining contact between participants. An online Knowledge Exchange forum has also been set up to help sustain the LtD network and engage others within the sector. The sharing of good practice and learning through the network was viewed in the evaluation of Cohort 1 as something with great potential.

1.35 The Scottish Government and some graduates of LtD are currently developing a pilot Social Services Leadership Community. It aims to be a community of connected, open-minded and motivated leaders who share ideas, knowledge and experiences, and who seek to be the best they can be at delivering social services in a way that meets the needs of service users. It is hoped that all LtD graduates will be involved.

Objectives of the Evaluation and Structure of the Report

Main Objectives

1.36 The Scottish Government (Children Young People and Social Care Directorate) and the Leadership and Management Change Programme (a multi-disciplinary group tasked to take forward the leadership recommendations of Changing Lives) commissioned York Consulting LLP to undertake an evaluation of Leading to Deliver in order to inform decisions about the programme's future.

1.37 It was decided not only to evaluate the programme's 5th cohort, but also to include samples from previous cohorts so that it would be possible to identify issues around sustaining the impact of participants' learning in the workplace.

1.38 The specific objectives of the evaluation as specified in the brief were to:

• Identify recommendations for the future development and delivery of the programme in terms of structure, content, funding options, application and selection criteria/processes and support for participants;
• Identify ways in which both impact and reach of the programme can be improved;
• Assess the value for money of the programme and the implications for future funding options.

Structure of the Report

1.39 The report consists of seven chapters as follows:

• Chapter One - Introduction;
• Chapter Two - Perception of LtD Overall;
• Chapter Three - Line Management Involvement & Support;
• Chapter Four - Impact & Reach of LtD;
• Chapter Five - Degree to which LtD meets Objectives;
• Chapter Six - Programme's Sustainability;
• Chapter Seven - Conclusions & Recommendations.

1.40 Chapter One as well as providing an outline of the background to the Leading to Deliver programme and the main objectives of the evaluation it also gives an overview of the methodology adopted in the programme of research conducted. More specifically, it outlines details of target audiences participating in the research, sample sizes, fieldwork dates and topic areas covered in both the quantitative and qualitative research phases.

1.41 Chapter Two provides an overview of the main findings of the research undertaken with line managers and participants, i.e. the reasons for sending employees on the Programme; looking at their perception of LtD: more specifically, their satisfaction with the programme; their perception of programme content & delivery ( i.e. residential aspect; modules; delivery; e-learning; mentoring system; accreditation and the organisation of the programme); their views on the value for money aspects, and finally highlights any potential areas for improvement.

1.42 Chapter Three continues to provide an overview of findings focusing specifically on line manager involvement, e.g. perception of line managers' workshop and the level of support from line managers.

1.43 Chapter Four provides an overview of respondents' perception of the impact and reach of LtD, i.e. specifically the performance management issues relating to the programme, i.e. perceived benefits of participating on the programme; impact on working practices since participating on LtD; barriers to using skills and knowledge developed in the workplace; and finally the perceived benefits to service users as a result of employees attending the programme.

1.44 Chapter Five provides respondents' views on the degree to which they feel that LtD meets its objectives. In particular, this chapter looks at the degree to which LtD links with wider developments in the sector, i.e. its relevance to Social Services and the Changing Lives' recommendations.

1.45 Chapter Six focus on the programme's sustainability in the future. Firstly, however, it illustrates how LtD compares to other Leadership Programmes. More specifically, it looks at the perceived benefits of continuing the roll out of LtD in the future; suggestions on potential future design options, as well as key issues for consideration for the future in going forward.

1.46 Chapter Seven summarises the conclusions and makes some recommendations in going forward.

Research Components of the Evaluation

1.47 This section describes in detail the research conducted as part of the evaluation and sets out the methodology adopted. The main components undertaken in this programme of research encompasses three key areas as follows:

• Scoping Exercise - It was felt that there was merit in piloting face-to-face interviews to inform the quantitative ( i.e. online) survey development, i.e. for both participants and line managers. In particular, it was suggested that the scoping exercise should look at: motivational factors ( i.e. why did participants go on the course); perceptions of different aspects of the course; structure, etc;
• Quantitative Survey - An online survey was conducted with both line managers and participants across the five cohorts;
• Qualitative Survey - A combination of face-to-face and telephone depth interviews were conducted, not only with line managers and participants, but with a range of different stakeholder groups.

1.48 A summary of the fieldwork undertaken and the number of interviews conducted across the different stakeholder groups are highlighted in the table below.

Table 1.1: Methodology

1.49 A total of 10 face-to-face depth interviews were undertaken, i.e. 5 with participants and 5 with line managers. These were conducted between 28 January and 14 February 2008.

Participants

1.50 The topic guide was developed by the YCL project team in consultation with the Scottish Government. Topics included in the topic guide designed for participants encompassed:

• Main reasons for applying to take part in the programme?
• Key barriers to taking part in the programme?
• Perception of the programme. i.e. in relation to its relevance to Social Services; its relevance to current employment; the way in which it is designed, and its sustainability in the future?
• Strengths and weaknesses of different aspects of the programme (Delivery; e-learning system; residential aspects; modules; mentoring process)?
• Comparison with any similar training participated in the past and/or is aware of?
• Benefits of having a formal qualification as part of the programme, i.e. importance that the programme is accredited?
• Perception of whether objectives of the programme have been achieved?
• Perception of benefits expected to see in the future, i.e. at a personal level, by employer, and by service users?
• Degree to which barriers exist to using learning within the workplace?
• Perception of support participants are provided with from their line managers?
• Perception of how learning will be used in the future?
• Perception of whether benefits gained outweigh the costs?
• Areas in which the programme could be improved?

Line Managers

1.51 The topic guide was developed by the YCL project team in consultation with the Scottish Government. Topics included in the topic guide designed for line managers was similar to that asked in the participants' survey. In addition, it also included:

• Main reasons for placing employee/s on the programme?
• Perception of the organisers and the organisation of the programme?
• Perception of what staff have actually gained by participating in the LtD programme?
• Level of support participants are provided with from their line managers?
• Key benefits as a result of employees participating in the programme?
• Degree to which the level of funding made available to employers is an important factor in deciding whether to place employees onto the programme?
• Methods in which training could be made more cost effective?

Quantitative Survey

Participants

1.52 The survey was conducted online and emails were sent to each participant on 6 ^th March 2008 with a unique link to the survey. Of the 500 employees originally participating in the survey, slightly less than 400 were sent emails. This was due to the fact that employees had moved to other organisations and took into consideration the number of ' bounce backs' 'undeliverable' messages received when contacting all employees on the database provided by the Scottish Government at the beginning of the evaluation to inform them that the evaluation was being undertaken. Reminder emails were sent on: 17 ^th March and 25 ^th March. The deadline was extended by a week and the survey closed on Monday 31 ^st March with an overall response rate of 51%.

Table 1.2: Online Survey Response Rate

1.53 As table 1.2 illustrates the findings from this phase of the evaluation is based on 196 responses from current and past participants across the 5 cohorts. A breakdown of the profile of respondents is enclosed in Appendix 1 in the topline ( i.e. marked up questionnaire).

1.54 Data are unweighted and the percentages for each category are given. Where percentages do not add up to 100% this may be due to rounding or the inclusion of multiple responses in the question answers.

1.55 The questionnaire was developed by the YCL project team in consultation with the Scottish Government. Topics included in the questionnaire designed for participants encompassed:

• Awareness of LtD;
• Degree to which participants felt informed;
• Reasons for participation;
• Major issues prior to attending;
• Rating of LtD;
• Importance & benefits of accreditation;
• Satisfaction with delivery;
• Satisfaction with design;
• Rating of modules;
• Satisfaction with residential element;
• Usage of e-learning aspect;
• Perception of alternative design options;
• Use and usefulness of mentoring system;
• Perceived impact of training and performance management;
• Impact on working practices;
• Areas for improvement.

1.56 Topline findings are provided in the appendices, while a full set of computer tables with a detailed breakdown of sub group analysis are provided in a separate document which are available on request.

1.57 The findings from this phase of the evaluation include not only the aggregated results, but where appropriate, some indication of differences of opinion among various sub groups where they are statistically significant. In particular, the sub group analysis included in this report are of gender, age, cohort, level of seniority, size and type of organisation.

Line Managers

1.58 The survey was conducted online and emails were sent to each line manager on 25 ^th March 2008 with a unique link to the survey. Reminder emails were sent on: 7 ^th April, 15 ^th April and 17 ^th April. The deadline was extended until Friday 9 ^th May and closed with a response rate of 35%.

Table 1.3: Online Survey Response Rate

1.59 The findings from this phase of the evaluation are based on 43 responses from line managers of current and past participants across the 5 cohorts. A breakdown of the profile of respondents is enclosed in Appendix 2 in the topline ( i.e. marked up questionnaire).

1.60 The questionnaire was developed by the YCL project team in consultation with the Scottish Government. Topics included in the questionnaire designed for line managers encompassed:

• Awareness of LTD;
• Attendance at line managers' workshop;
• Degree to which workshop was regarded informative;
• Reasons for sending employees on LtD;
• Major issues considered prior to applying;
• Rating of LtD;
• Benefits of LtD being accredited;
• Perception of participants' satisfaction with different aspects of the programme;
• Perception of mentoring system;
• Perceived impact of training and performance management;
• Importance of retaining specific aspects of LtD;
• Contribution to funding for future programmes.

1.61 Topline findings are provided in the appendices, while a full set of computer tables with a detailed breakdown of sub group analysis are provided in a separate document which can be made available on request.

1.62 The findings from this phase of the evaluation includes only the aggregated results as the sample size is too small to enable detailed analysis of various sub groups.

Qualitative Survey

Participants

1.63 A total of 33 depth interviews were undertaken between 12 ^th February and 13 ^th March 2008. These were conducted mainly face-to-face although some were also undertaken by telephone. An outline of the sample profile is provided in Appendix 4.

1.64 The topic guide was developed by the YCL project team in consultation with the Scottish Government. Topics included in the topic guide designed for participants were based on the aide memoire used for the scoping interviews. A few additional questions were incorporated into the original topic guide which encompassed:

• Ways in which the programme could potentially be redesigned in the future, i.e. to improve reach and impact;
• Perception of alternative design options which might be more effective in the future development of the programme to maximise a wider reach?

1.65 A full copy of the topic guide is provided in Appendix 5.

Line Managers

1.66 A total of 33 depth interviews were undertaken between 12 ^th February and 13 ^th March 2008. These were conducted mainly face-to-face although some were also undertaken by telephone. An outline of the sample profile is provided in Appendix 4.

1.67 The topic guide was developed by the YCL project team in consultation with the Scottish Government. As with the participants' survey, topics included in the topic guide designed for participants were based on the aide memoire used for the scoping interviews. The same additional questions incorporated into the participants' research were also asked of line managers.

1.68 A full copy of the topic guide is provided in Appendix 5.

Stakeholders

1.69 A total of 25 depth interviews were undertaken either face-to-face or by telephone between 17 ^th March and 14 ^th April 2008. An outline of the sample profile is provided in Appendix 4.

1.70 The topic guide was developed by the YCL project team in consultation with the Scottish Government. The topic guides designed for each of the different stakeholder groups consisted of a 'core' section asked of all respondents and a series of 'special' versioned questions relevant to each group. The range of topics incorporated into the core of each aide memoire included the main themes covered in interviews with participants and line managers. In addition, 'special' topics included:

• Leadership challenges in day-to-day working lives of senior managers;
• Ways in which the programme has developed over the past 5 years;
• Degree to which the programme is establishing foundations for how leadership and management should be practised in the future across all social service organisations;
• Perceived impact that the programme is having on industry in terms of its reach;
• Perceived benefits expected to see in the future in the continuing roll out of the programme;
• Sustainability of this type of programme/other similar types of programmes in the foreseeable future;
• Degree to which organisations in Social Services are willing to invest in leadership development;
• Perceived impact the 'Leadership and Management Change Group' should have on the LtD programme, now; and in the future;
• Perceived impact the 'Leadership Community' should have on the LtD programme, now; and in the future.

Presentation and Interpretation of the data

Quantitative Data

1.71 All survey results are subject to sampling variability which means that observed differences between sub-groups may not always be statistically significant i.e. they may have occurred by chance. A guide to statistical reliability is therefore provided in Appendix 3.

1.72 Data are unweighted and the percentages for each category are given. Where percentages do not sum to 100%, this may be due to computer rounding, the exclusion of "don't know" categories or multiple answers. Where "*" appears, this represents a percentage greater than zero but less than 0.5%.

Qualitative Data

1.73 Two of the key strengths of qualitative research are that it allows issues to be explored in detail and enables researchers to test the strength of people's opinions and the underlying rationale for people's attitudes and behaviours.

1.74 However, it needs to be remembered that qualitative research does not allow conclusions to be drawn about either the extent to which something is happening among the wider public (although one might surmise that particular opinions appear to be widespread) or percentages of people that have certain attitudes or opinions. Qualitative research is designed to be illustrative rather than providing statistically representative data.

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