Staff experiences working in community-based services for people with learning disabilities who show behaviour described as challenging: the role of management support

Introduction: Research has shown a positive relationship between practice leadership (frontline management focused upon supporting staff to work better) and better staff experiences of working with people with learning disabilities who may show challenging behaviours. However, little is known regarding the impact of frequency and accessibility of frontline managerial support upon staff experiences, or upon the provision of practice leadership. Current policy and practice in England may lead to frontline managers being responsible for more fragmented services, thus influencing the accessibility of managerial support and practice leadership for staff. The current study investigated the impact on staff experiences of: frequency of contact with service manager and of practice leadership.

Methods: A single point in time survey of 144 staff measured: characteristics of service users, frequency of contact with manager, practice leadership and staff experiences e.g. burnout, teamwork and job satisfaction.

Results: Practice leadership was positively associated with more frequent contact with the manager. Better staff experiences were associated with more frequent contact with the manager and practice leadership and negatively with challenging behaviours.

Conclusion: The associations between practice leadership, manager contact and better staff experiences suggests further research and organisational action is needed to provide management support for staff.