The never-ending journey

When we first start out in our careers, training is a given. It’s something both we and our employers think we need to do to be able to fulfil our roles effectively. It gives us the skills and knowledge we need and helps us feel confident and motivated as we set off building our careers.

As we plan to move up the career ladder we look out for more opportunities for learning and development – ways to build our skills and take on new responsibilities, to support us in taking the next step up.

When you think of this journey it can seem that when you reach a certain level in your career the need for ongoing training becomes less essential. But that’s not the case. After all, there’s always something new to learn.

A manager’s learning journey should never end. No matter what level you reach in your career, and whether or not you’re hoping to take the next step up in seniority, it’s important to refresh and build on your knowledge continually.

We’re living in a world that moves and changes very fast, and that’s especially true in social care. The past few years living with the Covid-19 pandemic have shown us just how fast things can change, and our social care managers and workers at all levels did a great job in learning new information and ways of working to adapt to these new circumstances. The new skills which were enhanced during this period (adaptability, resilience and information analysis, to name a few) will stand us all in good stead in many new situations moving forward.

Digital technology is such an important part of our society and is becoming ever-more ingrained in social care processes. It’s important that social care managers keep up to speed with digital ways of working to continue to deliver best practice and innovative solutions to provide the best levels of care to the people they support. It’s also key that managers encourage these same skills in their team, and are able to lead

“When you think of this journey it can seem that when you reach a certain level in your career the need for ongoing training becomes less essential.” by example in utilising digital tools and being able to explain digital processes and benefits to their team.

This is one of the most crucial reasons why it’s so important that managers continue their own learning journey through their own careers. By keeping your own skills and knowledge updated and demonstrating enthusiasm for learning and development, you can encourage your team to do the same for their own personal development.

We all know how busy it is working in social care and finding time for training can be a challenge. But if senior team members can prioritise setting aside time for their continuing professional development, then other team members will feel more confident and comfortable to do the same.

And of course, leading a team is something which itself requires continued attention to ensure you’re working in the best way. There are always new approaches being developed to best communicate with, inspire and lead your team, and to be an effective manager it’s important to prioritise these people skills.

Just like on day one of your very first job, continuing professional development throughout your career helps to keep you motivated, confident and excited about your role which in turn makes for a well-lead and effective team.

Find out more about continuing professional development for managers with our #KeepLearning spotlight.

We’ve also created a guide which brings together the support we offer to develop the leadership skills of your workforce at different levels. This includes structured learning in the form of learning programmes and qualifications, practical support such as tools and resources, and making connections through networking and relationship building. You can find the guide, ‘Supporting the development of leadership skills’, in the resources/ documents section of our website.