Leadership & Management in the Children, Young People and Families/Carers' Workforce

Skilled and effective leaders and managers are essential to provide the vision and direction for the delivery of flexible, responsive services to meet the changing needs of children and young people.

There are a range of initiatives, in place and emerging, designed to increase the skills of leaders and managers at all levels across the Children's Workforce.

The Children's Workforce Development Council (CWDC) is developing a strategy for leadership and management for all Children's Trusts partners. This will have Championing Children, the Common Core and the National Professional Development Framework at its heart. The key policy driver is the 2020 Children and Young People's Workforce Strategy.  Go to: www.everychildmatters.gov.uk/deliveringservices/childrenandyoungpeoplesworkforce

Leading Integrated Services

Since 2006 CWDC has been responsible for embedding the Championing Children Framework (CCF). The framework establishes a shared set of skills, knowledge and behaviours for those who lead and manage integrated children's services. 

The seven aspects of management and leadership in the CCF are mapped to the Common Core and to the Leadership and Management Standards and draw from the Leadership and Management National Occupation Standards (NOS).

Use of the CCF is not mandatory but provides a helpful planning tool for teams, individuals and organisations to use. The CCF is mapped to the professional and occupational standards. Go to: www.everychildmatters.gov.uk/deliveringservices/championingchildren

The National Professional Development Framework (NPDF)

The primary focus of this framework is Directors of Children's Services, their leadership teams and partner agency leadership teams which make up Children's Trusts. However its vision for leadership can be applied to leaders and managers at all levels. 

The framework describes the knowledge, skills and behaviours relevant to all leaders and managers of children's services. It provides the basis for professional development and is designed so that pathways to progression can be easily identified. For more information on the NPDF, go to:  www.teachernet.gov.uk/publications

Where next? As part of the 2020 Children and Young People's Workforce Strategy, a pilot Leadership Programme for Directors of Children's Services, led by the National College for School Leadership (NCSL), is to be rolled out in 2009.

Middle Managers

A key part of leading the integrated workforce is the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) of middle managers. As part of a range of measures to build middle managers' skills in integrated working, CWDC together with NCSL and Training and Development Agency (TDA) are developing a multi-agency development programme aimed specifically at this group.

For more information on the research, outcomes and recommendations,
go to: www.cwdcouncil.org.uk/integrated-working/leadership-development-in-the-childrens-workforce

Children's Centre Leaders

The National Standards for Children's Centre leaders apply to all Children's Centre leaders, whether they are called managers, co-ordinators or directors and whether they are directly responsible for one or more centres. The standards are informed by current legislation, policy and guidance, including ‘Championing Children'. They are distinct from, but complementary to, those for Early Years Professionals.

The National Professional Qualification in Integrated Centre Leadership (NPQICL), a Government funded programme, which has been in place since 2005, is the recognised qualification for leaders in Children's Centres. The NPQICL uses the standards to assess the leadership capacity of participants. Go to:  www.ncsl.org.uk for more information about this qualification.

Children's Social Care Leaders

For regulated services there is an expectation that managers hold a relevant management qualification.  For some there are qualifications specific to their role, as for residential child care managers.

Managers in Residential Childcare

It is expected that those new to a management role in residential childcare will be suitably qualified. The requirements for the ‘Registered Person' are contained within the NMS for Residential Children's Homes. Go to: www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications

The management qualification for managers in residential childcare is the level 4 NVQ in Leadership and Management for Care Services (LMCS).  This is a recent introduction based on a new set of Leadership and Management of Care Services NOS and an assessment strategy developed by Skills for Care and Development.

The LMCS replaces the NVQ for Managers in Residential Childcare Award (MRCCA), which ended in August 2008.  For those managers that have completed a relevant management qualification or are still completing the MRCCA, there is no expectation that they do the LMCS.

The level 4 NVQ in LMCS is aimed at managers, deputies and assistants who hold managerial responsibilities within care services, for both adults and children. These roles are likely to include some responsibility for managing activities, people and other resources, information and quality. For more information on the NOS in LMCS, go to: www.cwdcouncil.org.uk/nos/leadership-and-management

For information on providers of the level 4 NVQ in LMCS and the National Database of Accredited Qualifications (NDAQ) go to: www.accreditedqualifications.org.uk/index.aspx

The awarding bodies also provide information on how to access these qualifications.

Social Work

For qualified social workers the Post Qualifying (PQ) framework is in place with leadership and management specialism's located at the higher specialist (post graduate/diploma) and advanced (masters) levels.  These are for all types of managers.

For more information on these go to: www.gscc.org.uk

Management and leadership in playwork

Currently Playwork Supervisors and Managers can work toward a level 4 NVQ in Playwork.  This award has been designed by SkillsActive to build on the level 3 Playwork NVQ and includes units drawn from the management NOS and CCLD. 

The Generic Management Standards

The Management Standards Centre (MSC) has responsibility for the generic leadership and management NOS. The NOS underpin management qualifications including NVQs at levels 3 and 4.
For more information, go to: www.management-standards.org

Management of Volunteers

For anyone who manages volunteers in the VCS, the National Occupational Standards (NOS) for the Management of Volunteers will apply. A Qualifications framework for National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs) has been developed at three levels for managers of volunteers. 
Go to: www.ukworkforcehub.org.uk/mvnos08

The Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM) is also a good source of information about leadership and management qualifications. For more information, go to: www.i-l-m.com