Supporting New Ways of Working for Social Workers Through High Performance Work Practices: Sustaining Professional Identity

Abstract

In our study, we examine implementation of strength-based practice (SBP) that invokes a new way of working for social workers in England. We note two antecedent conditions to support new ways of working. First, hybrid managers, who combine professional and organizational perspectives, act as a conduit for implementation of new ways of working through supporting implementation of high performance work practices (HPWPs). Second, the financial context faced by social care providers influences whether new ways of working, and HPWPs associated with this, aim to improve productivity, or enhance capability and commitment of social workers. We identify three HPWPs that support the new way of working because they align with professional identity of social workers. First, hybrid manager jobs were designed to afford opportunity for recruitment of appropriately able social workers to enact strategic influence over SBP implementation. Second, intervention to support peer-to-peer learning enhanced the ability of social workers to deliver SBP, and also motivated social workers toward SBP implementation because they retained professional autonomy in developing their practice. Third, performance management intervention was developmental rather than judgmental, designed to enhance ability of social workers to deliver SBP. Similar to the peer learning intervention, it remained within control of social workers, hence motivated them to engage with SBP.