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2.3 Project Outline
The project set out to use creativity and the arts as a tool to increase the skills and
confidence of managers to lead effectively.
The project encouraged managers to think creatively within their role as leaders, to openly
reflect on their practice, to develop new skills and to gain increased confidence to bring
about innovative changes within their care environment, developing fresh ideas and
strategies.
The project spanned 6 months and involved 20 participating care homes. The four lead
artists each worked directly with five managers, carrying out individual ‘diagnostic sessions’
to establish relationships and start a dialogue to feed into the process. Each diagnostic
session examined the managers’ role in the home and considered their leadership practice.
It encouraged them to think about what they were hoping to gain from participating in the
programme.
Drawing on the observations and feedback from each
diagnostic session the artists co-‐designed a series of four away
days. Each away day focussed on an aspect of the
management process through the use of creative tasks and
dialogue.
In addition to using the arts as a tool to increase leadership
skills, the project also included an opportunity for managers
to ‘test out’ how the arts could be used to support person
centred care.
Managers were invited to identify a need within their care home (for example, building
relationships between carers and residents, working with an isolated resident) and design a
brief to commission an artist to creatively meet the need. This ‘mini commission’ provided
an opportunity for managers to experience the value artists could bring to the care home.
This additional element added depth to the programme by making a direct link between an
increased understanding of how creativity can support the development of leadership skills,
and connecting it to the power of creativity as a tool to deliver care in itself.
Throughout the entire programme managers were actively invited and encouraged to
examine how they could creatively develop their leadership style to positively impact on the
everyday culture of their care home.
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