Samantha Crawley, winner in last year’s Social Care Leadership Awards, is Chief Executive for residential care group Bracebridge Care. Here Samantha explains how her approach to leadership is anchored in empowering individuals to enact meaningful change.
In the world of social care, leadership is not merely a title; it is a guiding force that shapes the quality of care, drives innovation, and cultivates a culture of compassion and excellence. As the present and future of social care evolves amidst the challenges of a changing climate of funding, government and regulation, the need for effective leadership has never been more important. Within my own role and organisation, my belief is that leadership is not just about directing others, but about empowering people to create and lead meaningful change whilst upholding the values of the organisation which begin and end with ‘people first’.
Effective leadership in social care is paramount. It requires a deep understanding of oneself. Without self-knowledge (especially knowledge of our areas of development) we could so easily fail to recognise when a different approach is needed or where learning is vital.
Dr Brene Brown talks of leaders with a ‘strong back, soft front and wild hearts’- this is true of the exceptional leaders across the social care sector. Ensuring leaders are equipped to support the complex needs of individuals, as well as the ability to navigate dynamic environments and respond to emerging challenges with agility and compassion.
As a leader in social care, I recognise the importance of fostering a culture of inclusivity, collaboration, and continuous learning. By championing these values, we can create environments where both the people who live and who work in our homes, or organisations feel supported, valued, and empowered to thrive.
My approach to leadership in social care is rooted in transparency, empathy, and servant leadership. I believe in leading by example, actively listening to the voices of the people we support and who we work alongside and fostering a sense of shared purpose and accountability. By empowering my team to take ownership of their work and providing them with the support and resources they need to succeed, we endeavour to create a culture of trust and collaboration where innovation can flourish.
Cascading our values throughout our services is a cornerstone of effective leadership. This involves clear communication of our organisation’s mission, vision, and core values, as well as ongoing training and development opportunities to ensure that all team members are equipped with the knowledge, skills, and mindset needed to deliver high-quality care. Additionally, we encourage open dialogue and feedback mechanisms to foster a culture of continuous improvement and accountability. We do this by the usual feedback surveys but also by hosting monthly Lessons Learned Labs where all team members are invited to discuss and learn about recent safeguarding, complaints, and compliments. We share openly discuss the findings of our investigations and what we share with the regulator. Doing this means that we remain wholly transparent and that the team are confident that there are no secrets when it comes to learning from any mistakes or issues raised.
Creating a leadership team who truly care and know too, that they are cared for is really something we are proud to achieve. We are truly different in our approach, and it’s taken our leaders time to trust how we work- avoiding ‘blame’ and focussing on the learning being offered is key to our approach.
Social Care Leadership is not for the faint hearted, it can be exceptionally difficult to navigate the varying needs of the people who work with us, as well as the people we support. There are times when we will question everything and there are times when we dance all the way home. It is by our open and transparent approach in growing leaders of tomorrow through exemplary succession planning and focus on developing the people now – that we will be able to look back and say – As leaders. We did that!
bracebridgecare.org
