Managing Care In Practice

Edited by Janet Seden and Jill Reynolds.
Routledge in association with the Open University
ISBN 0415298652
£17.99

This well-sourced and resourced book develops the key theme of practice-led management and develops a fresh framework for team managers whose roles are pivotal in whether a service is any good.

It has long been true that there are excellent teams even within the poorest no-star level organisation. If a team is working well, the experience as a service user or staff member can still be positive.

Managing Care in Practice is well laid out, the core business and primary task of social care teams is well covered, as well as how to focus on what matters most in a time of vertically rising demand. This book should certainly help managers to gain new perspectives.

Chapters on managing risk, managing and developing staff, changing systems and processes, and building a team culture based on person-centred values and a strong evidence base all contribute to the strengths of this book as a manual for managers who want to create and implement a vision for their team, rather than try to adapt to their organisation’s vision. After all, by the time the organisation’s vision reaches managers they are often impossible to relate to. A book for all seasons and all team members.

Anthony Douglas is director of social care and health, Suffolk County Council.