LEADING PRACTICE IN LIFE WITHOUT BARRIERSImplementing Our Practice Framework and Building A Culture Of Learning and ReflectionNot for Profit People Conference November 2016 – Mary McKinnon

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF COUNTRY

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We would like to begin by acknowledging the Traditional Custodians of the land we’re meeting on today, and acknowledge our gratitude that we share this land today, our sorrow for some of the costs of that sharing, and our hope and belief that we can move to a place of equity, justice, and partnership together.

WHO WE ARE

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Life Without Barriers is a not for profit organisation committed to providing community-based programs to assist children, young people, adults, older people and families to live the best life possible. We are a values-based organisation committed to achieve positive outcomes for all clients.

WHO WE ARE

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OUR PURPOSE - TO PARTNER WITH PEOPLE TO CHANGE LIVES FOR THE BETTERWHO WE ARE

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• 300+ communities across Australia• 4,000+ staff• Supported by 2,500+ volunteers

• Work with 15,000+ individuals each year• Social-purpose organisation• Values-based

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WHAT IS LEADING PRACTICE?

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LWB PILLARS OF PRACTICE

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OUR LEADING PRACTICE GOALS

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Build leadershipskills at the frontline, in

relationship with staff and clients

Strengthen quality

supervision

Improve client outcomes

Strengthen relationship

based practice

A culture of learning and continuous

improvement

Improve staff retention

WHY FOCUS ON FRONTLINE LEADERS?

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There are over 400 frontline leaders across Life Without BarriersThese leaders work with teams to support clients in a variety of

service types and settings including family support and out of home care; disability services, mental health, youth justice, support for refugees and asylum seekers home and community care

Teams work in metropolitan, regional, rural and remote locations across Australia

‘Frontline supervisors influence virtually everything we do. They affect how policies are followed and what practices are encouraged.’

‘They set the tone and expectations in the workplace to the extent that they are our keepers of culture.’(Family and Children’s Resource Program, North Carolina, 2008)

The challenge of implementing practice and culture change through professional development.

WHAT ARE WE DOING?

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A national progressive rollout – Perth, Northern NSW, Victoria and beyond

Training is great but…. It should be experiential and allow for skills practice

Recognition that learning is an ongoing process (not an event)

Integrated with existing workplace functions especially supervision and group based activities

Coaching for success

Practice, practice, practice

Fixsen et al (2005), Gray and Gibbons (2002), McArthur and Thomson (2014), University of California Training Academy (2013).

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WHAT DOES LEADING PRACTICE LOOK LIKE?HOW ARE WE DOING IT? Relationships, reflection and learning

• Experiential learning, dispersed leadership ideas and multi functional supervision

• Strong role for frontline leaders in governance and implementation

• Workshops co facilitated internally by LWB leaders

• External expertise to provide individual coaching

• Local implementation supported nationally• Integrated with our national supervision policy

guideline

Uses processes, techniques and information that

mirror supervision and

leadership

Builds on participants’ experiences,

existing knowledge and skills.

Facilitator, not trainer/teacher/

expert

Not topic driven - primarily

discussion-based

Model processes, techniques and

skills

Guide discussion about participants’

experience

Scenarios, activities and practice tools

WORKSHOP APPROACH

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• A ‘bridge’ from the workshop to the workplace• Combination of information only and action oriented resources• Covers topics such as:

– Organisation and social context– Practical guides for reflective practice– Relationship based practice– Emotions and leadership– Supervision skills and techniques– Beginning, continuing and ending supervisory relationships

• New tools being progressively introduced• Scenarios, videos, journal articles - internally and externally

produced • Available in hard copy, digitally on USB and on the LWB intranet

RESOURCES AND TOOLS

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• The learning cycle in introduced in the workshop - participants are encouraged to spend more time in reflection and analysis in order to learn.

• Practice leaders have access to up to six coaching session

• Coaching participation is voluntary but strongly encouraged and supported.

COACHING APPROACH

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Experience – what

happened?

Reflection – what was

it like?

Analysing/ theorising – why and what does it mean?

Action/ planning – what next?

• A unique opportunity for a frontline leader to set and be supported to work towards learning goals

• Uses the reflective learning cycle combined with the RE-GROW approach.

Coaching is a collaborative, solution focussed, and strengths based process between coach and coachee, focussing on enhancing practice and ultimately client outcomes.

Successful coaching requires:• Coach and coachee willingness to develop a relationship

• Time limited, goal focused approach

• Direct, sensitive and often challenging conversations

• Clear understanding of roles;

– Coach plays the role of facilitator of change

– Coachee’s responsibility to enact change

• An understanding that either the coach or coachee may elect to terminate the coaching arrangement at any time

COACHING

- THE BASICS

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CIRCLESOF CONCERNINFLUENCE& CONTROL

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EVALUATION

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WHAT FRONTLINELEADERS TELL US

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Hear what Tham and Raewyn have to say about Leading Practice at https://youtu.be/Ufxs3z4JLLM

Tham FuyanaCase ManagerChildren and Family

Raewyn LaingCommunity Support Worker

Planning and Implementation• Support by senior staff is essential• Enthusiastic, motived and supported local people make a real difference in implementation success and

impact on culture• Local focus on embedding learning after workshops and coaching can support real change

Workshops• Facilitators need time together and support to prepare for workshops• ‘Early adopters’ on first workshops in each location• The workshop approach is different than many people’s experience of training – so participants need to

know what to expect before attending• Where possible ensure a mix of skills, experience and support areas in each workshop

Coaching• Procurement of local external coaches can be challenging and take up to three months• It takes time to explain and understand the coaching process and benefits • Coaches should attend a workshop lunch session to familiarise • Coaching can be individual or small group• Coaching uptake takes time to build - word of mouth is helpful, as is support from managers and peers

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WHAT WE ARE LEARNING

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InputsInternal and

external expertise

ResourcesOrg structure

Activities

WorkshopsPractice tools

Coaching

ParticipationFrontline leaders

Facilitators / Local and

national teams

Outcomes

LeadershipSupervisionTeamwork

A learning culture that improves

leadership and practice quality at the

frontline

DEVELOPING A PROGRAM LOGIC HELPED US IDENTIFY THE SHORT, MEDIUM AND LONG TERM OUTCOMES TO MEASURE

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MEASURING THE SHORT TERM OUTCOMES USING A SURVEY APPROACHEVALUATION

INITIAL FINDINGS

About the workshop“For the first time since becoming an acting Care Coordinator I actually feel like a leader

and I can do good things for my clients and staff.“

About the resources and tools“I use the Circles of Control a fair bit in my assessments and with staff during

consultations. I also use the leadership paradigm to remind staff when they have taken a leadership role and successfully reached a positive outcome. I use the reflective cycle

when debriefing staff and the sources of power tool”

About coaching“I have used the coaching that I received via the Leading Practice which has given me

ideas to try in Team Meetings. These ideas/activities proved to be a success”

WHAT FRONTLINELEADERS TELL US

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“I just want to thank LWB for the opportunity to participate in the leading practice training and coaching sessions. I will continuously refer to the program to improve my management skills and create a positive workplace culture“

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National rollout around Australia including in remote areas – current locations are:

• Sydney and Southern NSW• Hunter and Central Coast NSW• Western NSW• South Australia

• Reflect and learn as we implement and make changes

• Continue to develop and review practice resources and tools as the sector changes and grows

• Continue the evaluation to measure medium and long term outcomes and report on our findings

NEXTSTEPS

REFERENCES

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Family and Children’s Resource Program (2008). “Supervision and the Future of Child Welfare”, Children’s services Practice Notes, 13 (2)

Fixsen, D, Naoom, S, Blasé, K, Friedman, R and Wallace, F (2005). Implementation Research: a synthesis of the literature, Louis de la Parte, Florida Mental Health Institute, Tampa.

Grant, A (2011). “Is it time to REGROW the GROW model? Issues related to teaching coaching session structures. The Coaching Psychologist, Volume 7, Number 2.

Gray, M., & Gibbons, J. (2002). Experience based learning and its relevance to social work practice. Australian Social Work, 55(4), 279-291.

Life Without Barriers (2015). Pillars of Practice Framework, Available at lwb.org.au.

McArthur, M and Thomson, B (2014). “Getting more bang for your buck: what works best in professional development in the child, youth and family workforce”, Developing Practice, 39 (July).

University of California Training Academy (2013). The Coaching Toolkit for child welfare practice, in partnership with Case Family Programs, University of California, Davis.

THANK YOU&

QUESTIONS

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