Foreword by Debbie Sorkin. Preface. Introduction. Stories of Leading Good Care. 1. Context and integration. 2. Care, the core task. 3. Beneath the surface.: The permanent underside of care. 4. Boundary: where your service interacts with its environment (outside it) and the uses of boundaries in leading care. 5. Manager as leader. 6. Changing places: turning barriers to leadership into enablers and supporters of leadership. 7. Stepping up to leadership: And leading your social care service with courage, vision and integrity. Appendix 1. Action learning. Appendix 2. Humpty Dumpty's social care words and phrases. Books and other resources. Index.
To lead good care, social care managers must have professional and personal authority: a clear understanding of the core task and the emotional challenges of care, and the imagination to create an organisation or team dedicated to meeting people's needs. This guide gives managers the understanding of systems of care and will inspire them to take the lead. Using the stories of four managers leading four different care services, John Burton explains the key issues and shows how, by focusing on the core task and taking the authority to lead, managers can transform social care. Furthermore, they will find their own work life-enhancing and immensely satisfying.