Becoming a Social Work Manager

By (author) Angie Bartoli

Paperback - £19.99

Publication date:

20 September 2024

Publisher

Critical Publishing

Dimensions:

234x156mm
6x9"

ISBN-13: 9781915713759

An innovative guide for social workers who are about to take the next step in their career to become a social work manager, or who may have recently taken on that role. Practitioners will learn how they can prepare for this transition, how it really feels to be a manager, and how to develop their professional identity.

Despite the interest in how social work roles are managed and led, the actual experience of the transition to social work manager can be overlooked. Many books written around this topic focus on the skills needed to be a manager, management and organisational concepts rather than how it feels to go through the process and how to cope as a new manager.

This book draws on a relationship-based model, proposing that relationships play a significant part in the transition into management. It emphasises the importance of how managers support their teams and individuals while also caring for themselves.

Based on research with newly promoted social work managers, this book features in-depth case studies which illustrate four significant points in the transitional journey:

  • preparation for the role,
  • multiple identities,
  • managing people, and
  • self-care.

The concluding chapter offers a practical model that readers considering social work management can utilise within their own supervision or annual appraisal to support a smoother transition into management.

When I became a team manager, I was very fortunate. I worked for one of the few local authorities that offered preparatory management training (that is, training for aspiring managers before they took up post). I was also lucky that I had previously had the opportunity to cover for our team manager while he was away for six weeks and, in addition, had been given the opportunity to supervise a social work assistant as a developmental opportunity. But, the most fortunate things was, up to that point, I had had both excellent and dreadful managers, so I was well aware of what worked well and what was definitely to be avoided.

However, I know from the many courses for new and experienced managers I have run over the years that my experience was atypical. A common theme I encountered was people saying that they felt they had been thrown in at the deep end and given relatively little support. This important new book by Angie Bartoli reflects this theme. Based on research, it highlights the difficulties and challenges involved in making the transition from social worker to manager, while acknowledging that there are also many positives associated with that transition.

The book is clearly written, with no unnecessary jargon. It is theoretically sound but practice focused – just the kind of book I like. I see this book as a really helpful resource for new and aspiring managers, and it also has much to offer experienced managers who have had little or no opportunity to reflect on their own transition and how it has affected their identity as a manager and thus their effectiveness.

Another great strength is that it is focused specifically on social work. So much of the literature on management is generic and does not recognise the particular challenges of working in a social work context, with all the specific issues that make this field so distinctive.

I would have liked to see more about power, as my experience of working with managers has taught me that many struggle with the authority inherent in their role (especially, for example, in challenging poor practice). But, that does not alter the fact that this is a very worthwhile text. This book has the potential to become a well-respected little gem and deservedly so.