Unlocking Leadership Potential in Care Homes: The Untapped Opportunity

11/11/2024

We have been on-site with a client this week who operates a number of care homes in the UK and we’re thrilled to be welcoming another next week, having also worked with elderly and infant care companies previously. Unsurprisingly, care, and the people working in care have occupied much of our thinking and conversation recently.

We have been thinking a lot about the sector, what we see coming up regularly, and how we approach working with people in the sector to help deliver leadership transformation. We never fail to be bowled over by the amazing stories of compassion we hear, and the dedication that happens day-in, day-out in the sector, but also the life stories of the people that choose to become involved in care are as brilliant and fascinating as they are plentiful.

Throughout our conversations with carers and care organisations, we’re regularly presented with similar challenges.

Chief of these is how to give people promoted to management and leadership roles the proper support to do their job – not from a practical perspective, but from a leadership perspective. (It’s worth noting that this is not something peculiar to the care sector.) In the world of UK private care—and by that we mean any business in which human beings care for other human beings—a familiar, frustrating conundrum repeatedly presents itself to owners, CEOs, and HR managers.

You’ve recruited managers and deputy managers who are seasoned in the care sector, and often will have been working for your organisation already. These people have demonstrated competence and likely excellence at various levels of the organisation, and yet you find yourself grappling with persistent high turnover, declining team morale and in many cases – safeguarding issues.

What’s going on?

And more to the point, what can you do about it?

The Leadership Development Gap

Despite their qualifications and promotions, upbeat demeanors and commitment to the cause, most leaders in care home management have never actually held leadership roles before. Over the last three years, we’ve worked with care clients in different parts of the market, and the challenges present similarly.

This gap between managerial competence and leadership effectiveness is profound. Many care managers are promoted based on their technical skills and expertise in frontline, person-centred care, with an implied hope that the essential leadership skills will manifest over time and through experience.

The problem with that is that the unpreparedness can often manifest in really unhelpful ways, namely through operational, regulatory, and recruitment problems challenges galore, all of which can eventually lead to a reduced occupancy in one way or another.

We haven’t met a care professional who doesn’t care deeply, though frequently they are under-or unprepared for the unique challenges that leadership brings.

The Complex Transition from Caregiver to Leader

Frontline nurses and carers are typically driven by an innate passion and a vocation to care or they are not – and are simply in the sector working at the minimum wage or not far off because that’s where they could find employment due to such acute resourcing challenges.

We have found care organisations to often feature these two quite distinctive communities on the front line. This requires a sophisticated and experienced leadership approach to manage. The transition from caregiver to manager and ultimately to leader within the care sector can be particularly challenging as it can involve letting go of frontline caring duties and having to shift focus towards creating conditions that enable others to provide their best care.

This transition can be both daunting and complex but it is crucial for the development of effective leadership within care homes.

As one home manager recently shared during a group exploration session:

“I’ve realised that being a manager is about maintaining the day-to-day, whereas being a leader is about fostering growth, development, and progression of our care homes.”

This distinction highlights the need for targeted support and training that helps new professionals navigate their new roles effectively. Where this is not place (and this is what we are seeing, again and again), the culture in care homes is dominated by micromanagement and a lack of autonomy and accountability.

It’s absolutely crippling for a sector which is under-resourced already and desperately needs employees using their initiative and working off their own steam.

Cultural and Emotional Differences

The demographic makeup of care home managers and deputy managers frequently includes people who are operating in a second or third language. It is also really common for care leaders to have experienced trauma or hardship, in fact it’s often their own pain that has driven them to care for others. Statistically, many of them will be naturally introverted too.

A tribe of 10 home managers and deputy managers we worked with recently from the same care organisation were 70 per cent The Supporter personality profile (MBTI: ISFJ). These factors don’t hinder their ability to lead or perform brilliantly at caring, quite the opposite in fact, but only with the right support and development in their leadership roles.

Leadership in the care sector extends beyond compliance and operational efficiency. It involves creating an environment where both staff and residents feel genuinely supported. Investing in leadership development not only enhances managerial effectiveness but also naturally boosts staff retention, reduces workplace conflict, and ultimately uplifts the entire care experience.

Care is not an easy sector to work in – even less so to lead in – and the most senior leaders in care environments need to be highly emotionally intelligent, that is –  personally and interpersonally effective.

The Vast Potential for Leadership Development

The care sector is so rich with potential leaders who have extensive field experience and often bear the kintsugi of their dedication to care. This depth of experience is a goldmine for developing robust leadership. By fostering a leadership mindset and the associated behaviours through properly structured and care-tailored development experiences, these leaders are poised to achieve remarkable improvements in care quality and operational efficiency.

Within any organisation, siloes happen.

The difference with care groups is that it is so easy for each of the homes within a group to function in silos. This, inevitably, over time leads to feelings of isolation and disconnection between the leaders, which in turn leads to complete misalignment with the organisations’ broader goals.

It’s staggering how isolated care leaders can feel within the same organisation, even when the homes they lead are geographically so close.

Our results over the last three years suggest that bringing people from an organisation together in groups has an overwhelmingly positive effect on all of the pitfalls and common problems we have discussed.

The power of the tribe

Creating networks or ‘tribes’ (as we call them) of leaders who regularly share best practices and support one another, dramatically improve their sense of belonging and effectiveness. Such initiatives not only enhance individual performance but also help to develop a cohesive, common culture across multiple care settings where the best ideas not only win but almost always exist already with the decades of care experience within the organisation’s leadership community.

“Some of our managers have been here twenty years, though”

We hear you – and isn’t that amazing?

One of the many brilliant aspects of working with people in care is how long so many people have been either in the sector or more often, at a particular home – for multiple decades in many cases.

When it’s told to us, though, it usually means “that all sounds great, but it’ll never work with so and so – they’re quite set in their ways.” It’s completely normal for everyone to be set in their ways to a degree, but often it just means that there’s never been a different conversation and so things carry on. What we have consistently found is that no matter the age of our care teams and leaders, everyone is open to a conversation, and if you’re asking different questions, you get different answers.

“Generally we’re in a good position, we just can’t get them to…”

…buy into the values
…go the extra mile
…understand the need to fill beds
…think outside of their role and/or home

Whatever the answer is, it’s something else that we hear a lot in discovery calls. The “we can’t get them to…”

It’s nearly always coming from the right place and it’s that final piece of the jigsaw that will just make all the difference. The thing is, nearly ten times out of ten, it’s down to one thing. An organisation is as good as the sum of its parts and this includes The Board and SLTs as much as it includes bank carers and cleaners.

The red thread running through high-performing care organisations is a consistent role-modelling of the right behaviours – whatever those are, agreed within – they are embedded from top to bottom of any hierarchy (and in most cases where it’s really effective, the hierarchy is often less visible anyway).

The Real ROI of Leadership Development in the Care Sector

Investing in leadership development within the care sector might not immediately present the direct, quantifiable returns that CEOs and CFOs crave, however, the impact of leadership development investment goes far beyond the visible balance sheets, influencing long-term sustainability and success of care organisations in profound ways.

Reduced Turnover Costs

High turnover is a significant financial drain in the care sector, encompassing recruitment fees, training costs for new hires, and lost productivity during transition periods. Effective leadership development leads to higher job satisfaction and engagement among employees, which directly reduces turnover rates.

Leaders who are well-trained and supported are better equipped to create a positive work environment that attracts and retains top talent. This not only stabilises the workforce but also preserves the knowledge and expertise within an organisation, reducing continual costs of rehiring and retraining.

Enhanced Team Performance

Strong leaders improve the performance of their teams – always. This results in better care outcomes, increased efficiency, and higher resident and family satisfaction. Improved service quality directly correlates with higher occupancy rates and can significantly enhance the reputation of the care home, leading to increased referrals and reduced marketing expenditures.

Cultural Alignment and Employee Engagement

Effective leadership fosters a culture of professionalism, empathy, and dedication. When leaders are aligned with organisational values and effectively communicate these values to their teams, it results in increased employee engagement and loyalty. Engaged employees are more productive, take fewer sick days, and are more committed to the organisation’s goals, driving down costs related to absenteeism and suboptimal performance.

Risk Management

Strong leadership reduces the risk of non-compliance with CQC regulations. Well-developed leaders are better prepared to manage risks proactively.  They will ensure adherence to industry regulations, and they will implement best practices in care delivery. This proactive risk management is invaluable in maintaining the integrity and financial stability of care companies.

Long-term Organisational Resilience and Adaptation

Leadership development builds a pipeline of capable leaders who can adapt to and manage future challenges effectively. This resilience becomes crucial as care homes navigate the complex and ever-evolving landscape of regulations and residents’ needs. By investing in the continuous development of leaders, care homes enhance their ability to innovate and remain competitive in a notoriously challenging sector.

Succession Planning

Investing in leadership development helps in identifying and nurturing potential leaders early, which is crucial for smooth transitions and continuity in leadership. Effective succession planning ensures that the organisation is never at a loss for competent leadership.

Discover More About Lead Happy Experiences

If you or your company are facing leadership challenges within your organisation and are curious about effective, long-term solutions, reach out to us at Lead Happy. Let’s explore how our experiences and tailored sessions can transform your care organisation, and your people.  You can read more about our story here.

We specialise in personalised development that meets both the individual needs of leaders and the strategic requirements of organisations. We work with many sectors, including tech, construction, education, and retail, and care is one in which we have made a great difference to some amazing teams in the last few years.

“I have been really impressed with the work you have done with the leadership group but what has really surprised me is how helpful it has been for me personally, as the CEO of this business.”
Anil Dhanani, CEO, Peverel Court Care

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