Leaders in plain sight: what the experiences of early career social workers tell us about leadership in Scottish social work

TY - CHAP

T1 - Leaders in plain sight

T2 - what the experiences of early career social workers tell us about leadership in Scottish social work

AU - Grant, Scott

AU - McCulloch, Trish

AU - Daly, Maura

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © The Editors and Contributors Severally 2025.

PY - 2025/9/23

Y1 - 2025/9/23

N2 - Little is known about the application of leadership capabilities amongst early career social workers. This chapter draws from a five-year longitudinal study in Scotland exploring the work experiences and professional development of new social workers from the point of qualification. Findings indicate that dimensions of leadership are widely understood and enacted in everyday practice; however, professional capability and confidence in this area are restrained by the persistence of managerial organisational cultures and a diminished professional learning and development infrastructure. The Scottish government, employers, and the Scottish Social Services Council could do more to bridge the gap between well-intentioned policy objectives and the lived experience of early career social workers keen to build on their emerging leadership knowledge and skills.

AB - Little is known about the application of leadership capabilities amongst early career social workers. This chapter draws from a five-year longitudinal study in Scotland exploring the work experiences and professional development of new social workers from the point of qualification. Findings indicate that dimensions of leadership are widely understood and enacted in everyday practice; however, professional capability and confidence in this area are restrained by the persistence of managerial organisational cultures and a diminished professional learning and development infrastructure. The Scottish government, employers, and the Scottish Social Services Council could do more to bridge the gap between well-intentioned policy objectives and the lived experience of early career social workers keen to build on their emerging leadership knowledge and skills.

KW - Early career social workers

KW - Leadership

KW - Scotland

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105021747234

U2 - 10.4337/9781035314508.00034

DO - 10.4337/9781035314508.00034

M3 - Chapter (peer-reviewed)

AN - SCOPUS:105021747234

SN - 9781035314485

SP - 295

EP - 306

BT - Research Handbook on Leadership in Social Work and Social Care

A2 - Miller, Robin

A2 - Mangan, Catherome

A2 - Dickinson, Helen

A2 - Jackson, Caroline

PB - Edward Elgar Publishing Ltd.

CY - Cheltenham

ER -