The successful development of new managers and deputies will depend largely on your support and direction.
Talent alone will not be enough for them to succeed. Your future managers will need to be nurtured, supported and developed. They will need both the commitment of the organisation and the dedicated time of existing managers.
Supporting a member of your team in their career progression can help you to retain talented staff and create a pipeline of future managers and leaders.
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Download our checklist to help you to support new managers and deputies.
How supervision supports development
Supervision is a process that involves a manager meeting regularly and interacting with staff to review their work and provide support.
Good supervision helps workers to:
- build effective professional relationships
- develop good practice in the performance of their work
- exercise judgement and make good decisions
- improve the quality of work and daily success in treating and caring for others.
If you’re responsible for supporting the development journey of a new manager or deputy then you can use also supervision to:
- talk about what they’re learning or the ideas they have for the service, based on something that they’ve done
- discuss opportunities they need to help them to try new things or develop particular skills
- ask what additional support, advice or guidance they need from you.
We recommend regular monthly supervisions as a minimum for the development of your new managers and deputies.
- You should have supervisions in a confidential space where you cannot be overheard.
- Make sure you have enough time to talk about everything. Keep a written record of what you discussed or any actions that come out of the supervision.
- If the new manager / deputy uses a learning log (recommended), then refer to this as part of the supervision.
Further information is available in our Effective Supervision guide.
Supervisions provided a really good way to sit down with my manager to reflect on what I was achieving and discuss what else I would like to do to get me into additional roles.
Leanne Batten-Smith, Deputy Manager
Rose Court, HC-One
This webinar introduces new managers to the support and resources available from Skills for Care and where you can find this information on the website.
Discover how Skills for Care can support you with recruiting and developing your staff and explain the support available to help you effectively lead your organisation, develop best practice and keep up-to-date with guidance as well as how to further your own development and different ways to connect with peer support and expertise.
What other providers do
As a new deputy manager, I was supported by the team around me, which included really inspiring people who had come from various health and social care professions. Their expertise helped me to understand how social services worked, what a CCG was looking for and what the regulations are. All the things that lead to having a good inspection. I was learning bit by bit.
Marissa Brown, Registered Manager
Cascade Cohen House
I’ve been very fortunate to get lots of support from my manager. It has been essential to my development. My advice is to remember that you’re a role model and that to become a successful manager, anyone aspiring to the role needs support and the opportunity to work with others.
Lucy Doughty, Company Manager
Wirral Independent Living and Learning
We wanted a manager who could work alongside me and stand-in in my absence at a senior managerial level. I understand the importance of equipping people properly with the skills to carry out their role effectively.
My advice to other employers is to help future managers build confidence and gain a really good insight into the manager/registered manager’s role and responsibilities.
Dave Large, Chief Executive
Wirral Independent Living and Learning