Local authority (LA) social work teams work in a highly pressured environment, balancing the rights and needs of young people and families with the demands of a service that has faced decreased funding and reductions in resources.
Grit Breakthrough Solutions work with LA teams, using intensive group workshops and individual coaching, to challenge assumptions, attitudes and expectations, to address risk-averse mindsets which held them back from using intuition and keeping relationships at the heart of their work.
Nottingham Institute of Education, at Nottingham Trent University (NTU), was commissioned to evaluate the effectiveness of this training, and I led a small team which interviewed participants about their work, six months after their training and again up to a year later. Our report was published in full on the NTU website earlier this month.
This in turn has led to a qualitative improvement in the work done by LA social work teams and associated agencies.
We interviewed 30 participants in Grit training from three LAs, including front-line workers and senior and middle leaders. We found that most had been hesitant about the training initially but felt that its tough and uncompromising approach brought about real changes in their work and relationships.
Participants felt calmer under pressure, had new approaches to problems, and felt more able to handle difficult conversations. They also reported that they understood themselves better and carried a self-awareness and confidence into the workplace which empowered them to be better advocates for their clients, and also for themselves
Changes were not limited to those on the front line: a key element of Grit training is its focus on understanding relationships and community, leading to some of the leaders feeling they'd achieved a better knowledge of how others viewed them, and of the effects their own behaviour had – with their team members stating that they have since felt more valued.
Our report describes how a ripple effect of more honesty and openness in relationships brought about improvements to the wider team, beyond those that took part in the Grit training. This supports one of the main aims of Grit, which is to transform the culture of the LA workforce.
Some of the participants described a renewed emphasis on relationships, in what had been a target-driven culture. Others spoke of increased self-confidence, and the ability to challenge old ways of working, or to apply for promotion. Being better able to advocate on behalf of clients was one of the ways in which participants felt the front-line work had improved.
Training for LA teams often revolves around procedures and regulations. Grit training represents a complementary approach, which encourages people to see that they need to invest time in themselves if they are to work effectively as both individuals and teams. This divergence from a more utilitarian training philosophy could be seen as risky for the LA and was a surprise to most participants, but our evidence demonstrates its lasting effect.
Our participants were able to describe changes to their practices and behaviours that had persisted more than 12 months after the initial training. One talked about their Grit ‘family' which continues to check in on each other on a regular basis.
On receipt of our report, Grit's director of development, Jon Down, said, ‘Amidst the staff recruitment and retention crisis in children's services, and local authorities more generally, it shows how our work can regenerate a collaborative "can-do" culture, build resilience, bring more effective team working, impact job satisfaction and, most importantly, get better outcomes for the children and families they support.'
Traditional training encourages people to do different things; Grit training encourages people to do things differently.
Chris Rolph is assistant professor of education policy and practice at Nottingham Trent University, and director of Nottingham Institute of Education
