Practice leaders bridge the gap between theory and practice, by working alongside staff while they are supporting people directly.

Training is important but alone, not enough. Leaders are needed to further develop staff skills, solve problems, translate complex general guidance into practical person-centred action and provide ongoing motivation and direction.

Practice leaders are specialists who can lead by example, supporting staff in a practical way to do a better job and work together effectively as a team. Their focus is on continually improving practice and support to improve quality of life. Practice leaders work with their team to develop clear expectations and facilitate reflective discussions.

They are key cultural change agents within services, and maintain cultural values as they turn theory into practice and support staff to consistently implement what they have learned from training.

Without practice leaders, it can be difficult to share and embed good practice, identify and amplify when something is working well and likewise, identify and challenge poor practices.

It is more cost effective to invest in practice leaders than to constantly retain staff due to high turnover. Investment in workplace development can be wasted, if there is not a strategy that develops practice leadership to ensure consistent implementation.