Adult social care leadership programme

Engage with the latest evidence and the importance of reflective, curious and relational supervision. A new leadership programme will support the development of leaders in adult social care.

A new leadership programme will support the development of leaders in adult social care.

Aimed at – Approved Mental Health Professional Leads (AMHP), Principal Occupational Therapists (OTs), Adults Principal Social Workers (PSWs) and Global majority aspirant leaders across these three professional groups – the programme will engage with the latest evidence and the importance of reflective, curious and relational supervision.  

The programme will offer several elements such as individual mentoring sessions, action learning sets, reflective small groups, self-assessment questionnaire and taught sessions. The programme will be delivered online, with a face-to-face conference at the end of the programme.

Commissioned by the Department of Health and Social Care, Research in Practice will deliver the leadership programme. Research in Practice has a national reputation for delivering high-quality professional development programmes such as the Practice Supervisor Development Programme (PSDP) and Supervisor Development Programme.

In a short video, Research in Practice Associate Tricia Pereira explains how the programme will support aspirant leaders and provides information for people who are considering the programme as a Black or Global majority aspirant leader.

How to participate 

We are actively seeking nominations for AMHP Leads, POTs, PSWs and those who are from a Global majority community.

Directors of Adult Services and other equivalent senior leaders can make nominations via survey. We encourage leaders to consider how the programme may be used for leaders and aspirant leaders from the Global majority community.

If you are interested in taking part in the programme, we recommend that you speak with your senior leader and share this information. 

The deadline for nominations is the 21 April

The programme is for

  • Approved Mental Health Professional Leads (AMHP)
  • Principal Occupational Therapists (POT)
  • Principal Social Workers (PSW)
  • Aspirant Leaders from a Global majority community who aspire to be in one of these leadership roles.

Nominees need to meet the following criteria:  

  • Can commit to completing the full programme.
  • Are supported by their organisation to fully engage in all aspects the programme.

Further information and contact

See further information about the adult social care leadership programme below or access frequently asked questions (PDF). 

For further queries, please contact programmes@researchinpractice.org.uk.  

The programme will support participants to: 

  • Engage with up-to-date evidence regarding the importance of reflective, curious and relational supervision.

  • Understand how managers are essential to ensuring learning is put into practice (known as ‘training transfer’).

  • Consider their role in enabling high quality supervision and CPD as a system-wide priority.

  • Explore how middle leaders can actively promote and role model the skills and behaviours required of practice supervisors.

  • Practice using tools and approaches to support ‘training transfer’.

  • Build their confidence using virtual methods to promote a learning culture across the organisation.

  • Create a local peer support network.

A self-assessment questionnaire

A self-assessment questionnaire will help determine the learning areas you would like to focus on, and progress before and after the programme.  

One-to-one mentoring sessions

An experienced mentor will offer one-to-one mentoring sessions before and after learning sessions. Research in Practice is aiming to match mentors to mentees.

Reflective group sessions

These sessions will be spaced throughout the programme to support embedding learning into practice.

Action learning sets

These sessions will be spaced throughout the programme to explore issues of race, disparity and allyship.  

Five online learning sessions

Scheduled in single days over a three-month period, the online learning sessions will combine specialist and mixed professional groups. Each will include:

  • Online learning and presentations delivered by expert facilitators. 

  • Virtual group discussions and networking with other participants. 

  • Guided individual study and reflection on learning.  

  • A sector leader will join each session to offer reflection and learning from their experience as a social care leader.

We will also ask you to complete tasks in preparation for each learning session.  

Programme conference

A face-to-face conference will celebrate your learning journey and provide support to develop and sustain leadership skills. 

The programme is spread over several months and will begin in June and complete in early December. Exact dates will be available once we have assigned participants to their cohort

It is essential that participants are personally willing and supported by their employer to participate in all aspects of the programme. This means having time to focus on the learning activities and ideas introduced on the programme. Core teaching hours are 9.15 – 16.30 and we ask you to reserve the whole day for the online learning sessions with no other work-related activities. 

Directors of Adult Services and other equivalent senior leaders can nominate AMHP, POT, PSW and Global majority aspirant leaders participants via a nomination survey.

If you are interested in taking part in the programme, we recommend that you speak with your senior leader and share this information.

Directors of Adult Services and other equivalent senior leaders can nominate up to four participants. Two in a professional role and two aspiring to these roles. Consideration will be given to representing all professional groups. Please note that you will only receive one allocation for your local area.

There will be three programme cohorts with a total of 60 places and we will build a waiting list for future programmes.