Key takeaways from our new compassionate leadership videos

Our wellbeing work includes a focus on the importance of compassionate leadership and culture to make a difference to workforce health and wellbeing and create a safe and supportive working environment.

Our wellbeing work includes a focus on the importance of compassionate leadership and culture to make a difference to workforce health and wellbeing and create a safe and supportive working environment.

We know that social care staff are facing increased levels of pressure and the challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic are still an everyday reality for the sector. That’s why we’re providing support and resources to support social care employers in supporting and managing the wellbeing of their team, and themselves.

We’ve been gathering stories across the sector and recently published our new compassionate leadership video series, where we’ve spoken with leaders across the sector to find out how they practice compassionate leadership within the workplace.

Here are some of the key takeaways from the employers we spoke to on how to provide compassionate leadership to your teams.

1. Compassion should be at the heart of everything you do

Providing compassionate leadership should translate across all your day-to-day processes and interactions with staff showing that you care about them as people and displaying kindness, compassion and understanding. It’s about taking a person-centred approach and treating your staff as individuals, with consideration and empathy for the specific challenges they may be facing outside of work, alongside the demanding nature of their roles.

2. Treat colleagues with the same values you stand for as an organisation

As a social care organisation, you likely have core values which guide you in how you provide care to the people you support. Compassionate leadership is about living and leading by these values in how you interact with your staff and colleagues, as well as the people who you provide care and support to.

3. Implement practical measures of support

Compassionate leadership isn’t just about the culture you create for staff but can also relate to practical support too – particularly during the challenges of the pandemic. Across the organisations we spoke to, this practical support included providing 100% of pay to staff who were on furlough and providing grocery bags to staff to ensure they had what they needed and to reduce time spent in busy supermarkets during the pandemic.

4. Take care of your managers

Managers are facing intense pressures and we recognise that the crisis is far from over. One of the employers we spoke to said that managers can’t be expected to do it all and need additional support wherever possible. Groups such as Skills for Care's Registered Manager Networks can act as a great support network for managers, and allow them to connect with others who are facing similar pressures for peer support, advice and information. Encourage managers to reach out for support when they need it, find out what’s available locally and nationally and signpost to additional services, support and connections.

5. Encourage communications and listen to staff

Providing effective communications and truly listening to staff is a vital part of compassionate leadership. The employers we spoke to told us that making sure staff know that they’re listened to is a top priority. Communication is also important in making sure managers and staff know they’re not alone. Activities such as a weekly newsletter can help to keep all staff updated with what’s happening across the organisation, and it’s also important that staff know that if they need someone to speak to, there’s a manager or other supportive colleague just a phone call away. Mental health awareness and support are also really important and employers told us about how they’d been able to use their mental health first aid training to support their teams.

6. Make sure staff feel valued

Making sure staff feel valued is crucial. This can be done through reward schemes, award celebrations or social events. It can also be done by saying thank you for a job well done, giving staff the opportunity to have their voice heard, and treating everyone with respect and empathy. We regularly hear that small acts of kindness go along way.

Watch our three compassionate leadership videos on our Wellbeing sector stories webpage.

Further resources to support with wellbeing

Wellbeing resource finder

Resilience guides

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