Practice Leadership ‘On Purpose’ — Extending the Reach of Practice Frameworks

Abstract

Much of the practice leadership literature is focused on people and their roles — the who and what of leading, thus neglecting the organisational environment and wider socio-economic and political influences. Taking an ethnographic and sociological approach, we argue for a reimagining of practice leadership as a series of verbs to explore the why and the how of great leadership. Moreover, humane social work practice driven by leaders is best supported by leadership frameworks that support, guide and reinforce the ethical and professional value base of social work. Housed within the West Midlands Social Work Teaching Partnership, and drawing on the sociological imagination, we offer a rationale for a shared organisational and professional leadership vision, congruent with social work values, presented as a leadership framework. This paper offers a leadership framework that brings together, in a logical design, the roles, ethos and responsibilities for every level of the organisation, to strengthen social work practice that is operating within a harsh neo-liberalist backdrop. It offers a methodology to enact the Chief Social Workers’ knowledge and skills statements while connecting these to the professional principles of social justice and human rights. Challenges and opportunities in developing and trialling our approach to practice leadership are discussed.