Exemplary Leadership: social work leadership in mental health services and education in Aotearoa/New Zealand

David McNabbHead of Department – Social PracticeUnitec, AucklandAotearoa/New Zealanddmcnabb@unitec.ac.nz

NEW ZEALAND ON WORLD MAP

Conclusion

• Social work leaders in mental health and education settings share similar challenges of being a minority group and working under generic management.

• Both sets of social work leaders demonstrate leadership qualities to survive and even thrive.

Historical context• Public sector managerialism in the

1980’s diminished professional and clinical quality.

• Professional Leader roles in state mental health services developed in the 1990’s – no line management responsibilities.

• Social work leader roles in education but from 2000’s a minority of them are managers of their programmes.

Governance• Clinical Governance

– health managers and SW professional leaders collaborate – Professional Supervisor roles essential

• Academic Governance – academic managers and SW education leaders collaborate – professional leadership mandated by SW Regulator

Leadership Alliances• SW DHB (health) Council

and Allied Health groups

• Council for SW Educators

• SW Sector Group – profession, regulator, education, employers: health & child welfare

Workforce• Growing the SW leadership workforce –

governance, training, resourcing, ageing, equity, retention.

Leadership• Research

- The Leadership Challenge – Kouzes & Posner, 2007

– SW leadership

• Credibility – key leadership attribute – link to SW values

Exemplary Leadership- Kouzes & Posner

• Challenge the process – using alliances, being strategic

• Inspire a shared vision – whole SW sector

• Enable others to act – grow SW academy

• Model the way – teaching, research, profession

• Encourage the heart – collegiality, supervision