Leading an evidence-informed practice initiative

This knowledge briefing is written specifically for managers of practice supervisors and was first published as part of the Practice Supervisor Development Programme. It contains the following key messages from research and practice evidence:

• Organisations promote a learning culture by dedicating time, space and resources to workforce development in all its forms.
• Managers can set the tone for how to learn by identifying and removing barriers to learning, modelling a commitment to professional development, and by listening and responding to feedback from practitioners.
• Learning is a two-way process and organisations need to be alert for opportunities to learn from children and families and from practitioners, learning from both mistakes and examples of good practice.
• Supervision is a key conduit for learning from practice and children and families, and for communicating the value placed on learning to practitioners.
• Systems and processes that support supervisors to reflect on their role and what they are learning from practice helps to open opportunities for generating new knowledge within the organisation.
• Challenge questions and reflective prompts are included to help you consider how you might use these ideas in your role as middle leader.