Impact report 2023

Frontline’s theory of change shows how we are working to address this situation and to achieve our vision of a society where no child’s life chances are limited by their social or family circumstance. It outlines how our work contributes to delivering social change for children and their families.

Firstly, our theory of change sets out the challenges that underpin our mission and vision:

• Children continue to be affected by their parents’ challenges and don’t get the opportunities they deserve.
• This is in part hindered by variable quality of practice, services, and leadership in the social work sector.

To tackle these challenges, our work focuses on three pillars:

• Practice
• Leadership
• Innovation

Each of these pillars has three outcomes related to:

• Learning objectives
• Improved social work practice
• Changing the social work system

Achieving these outcomes will help lead to the systemic social change for children and families that we strive for, where social workers can do and be their very best, where all children can grow up in a safe and stable home and achieve their full potential and where the cycle of family trauma is broken.

Having the right skills and training isn’t always enough to be able to achieve the best results or make the biggest difference. Social workers need a positive working culture – one built on trust, support and shared values. This culture empowers them to apply their training effectively and make the best decisions for children and families. Crucially, they must also be supported to hold the professional authority needed to make life-changing decisions that protect children while remaining flexible and curious in the face of ever-changing circumstances.

Leaders are responsible for setting this culture. Skilled leaders can eliminate barriers and create an environment in which social work professionals can make decisions confidently and stand by them without fear of blame or reprisal. A culture where social workers feel valued, trusted and where they can truly thrive.

Our national Pathways programme, funded by the Department for Education, develops the practice leadership skills of social workers. It is aimed not only at developing individual leadership skills and focusing on how these can be applied directly to practice, but also positively impacting participants’ teams, wider local authority and social work system.

Leadership in social work has long been overlooked, resulting in limited investment and development. This has hindered social workers from recognising their leadership potential and the importance of leadership in their roles. The consequence is a system burdened by excessive regulation and bureaucracy that hampers social workers’ effectiveness and fails to equip them with the skills needed to overcome these challenges.

We believe Frontline, along with our local authority partners, can help change this. We know leadership is one of the most important vehicles to improve and transform the social work system. Over the past decade, through all of our programmes – the Frontline programme, then the Firstline and the Headline programmes and now the Pathways programme – we have worked to ensure current and future leaders have the opportunity to learn and develop vital leadership skills specific to social work.

Social workers rarely recognise the leadership power they have. Our job is to capture that power to enhance and amplify it. Our expertly designed Pathways programme curriculum has been tailored specifically to the social work sector in a way that is unique. We focus on leadership coaching, 360-degree feedback, and much more, cultivating social workers who will transform the sector.

Immediately after the first session I felt relaxed. The coaching took me into a good space which gave me confidence to apply for an assistant director role

In 2022, we decided to do more to nurture the leadership of early-career social workers who are not yet on a management path. This led us to launch the Step Forward programme in 2023 – a fully funded leadership development opportunity for our fellows. The programme is particularly aimed at those facing barriers to progression and those needing additional support. These include individuals from minoritised communities facing systemic barriers to progression and underrepresented groups. The programme is funded by the Garfield Weston Foundation and we are grateful for their support.

The Step Forward programme curriculum has been designed to address these unique challenges. It offers 70 social workers annually a platform to explore overcoming barriers and equips them with practical tools to identify and pursue their next career steps.

At Frontline, we are intentional about our teaching approach, and leadership is woven into the fabric of all our programmes. We aim to empower social workers to influence and improve the system, encouraging them to speak out when they see opportunities for positive change.

We are committed to continually emphasising and teaching social workers the importance of leadership in their work . Whether it is through personal leadership, bringing colleagues and families together or leading hierarchically within organisations, leadership is a cornerstone of our work.

Step Forward has helped me to focus on how I can implement small changes and show leadership day to day. It has also helped me think about how important my values are and not to sacrifice these as I progress in my career.

We want more people to hear about the creative, forward-thinking aspect of social work and to showcase the profession’s potential for leading positive change in our communities.

Sadly, this is not the case at the moment. The media often portrays social workers in a limited light, and most people are unaware of the full scope of their work. However, our social workers are gradually reshaping the way they and the profession is seen, one family at a time.

We’re lucky enough to hear these stories every day. They’re not always easy to hear – social workers can have really tough days. But they also show the power of human connection, of people working together to help others and get them through dark times, of showing children and young people how much they mean and why they need to keep going.

And the positive news is that our research has shown that people want a better understanding of what social work really is, more appreciation for the work of social workers and more stories shared of hope and of helping children reach their potential.

It is not often that families take the time to acknowledge the remarkable efforts of social workers, and I believe it is imperative to share this feedback with you

We want more people to hear these stories. Stories that show the power of human connection.

That’s why, over the past 10 years, we’ve proactively addressed persistent social work myths. These myths not only impact social worker morale but also public trust and deter people from considering training to be a social worker.

Our media work, events, campaigns and recruitment activities have showcased the positive power social workers can have on children and families. By giving social workers a platform to share their stories, we aim to dispel misconceptions about their work and encourage more people to consider social work as a career.

Diversity and inclusion is at the heart of what we do. Through our campaigns we aim to bring more men, people from racialised minority backgrounds and others who are underrepresented in social work into the profession to reflect the diversity of the families they support.

We also want to celebrate the difference social workers make and the amazing achievements of young people who need the support of a social worker, which is why in 2023 we launched our inaugural Frontline Awards.

Having a social worker means that you have that person you can lean on, someone you can trust and someone you can speak to – someone that is there for you