‘Tough and uncompromising’ training capable of transforming social work culture

Described as “tough and uncompromising”, Grit Breakthrough Programs uses intensive group workshops and individual coaching to challenge assumptions, attitudes, and expectations, with the aim of helping participants break through self-imposed limitations and build confidence and resilience.

The charity has worked with young people and adults for more than 30 years in a range of settings, from conflict areas, such as Kosovo and Belfast, to young offenders’ institutions, schools and universities.

In 2022 Grit began to work with LA teams to challenge and change the notion that social workers operate within risk-averse mindsets, inhibiting them from using their intuition and placing relationships at the heart of what they do.

An evaluation of whether this aim has been achieved has now been carried out by researchers from the Nottingham Institute of Education, part of Nottingham Trent University.

The evaluation included in-depth interviews and focus groups with 30 Grit participants in Children’s Services team roles at three LAs, including front-line workers, middle leaders, and senior leaders. Participants were questioned shortly after the initial training and again after around 12 months.

The findings showed that Grit training led to significant personal and professional growth for most participants.

Despite being hesitant about the training, the majority had seen real changes in how they felt about their work, such as feeling calmer when under pressure, approaching problems in a new way, and an increased ability to handle difficult conversations.

They also reported that they understood themselves better and carried a self-awareness and confidence into the workplace which empowered them to better advocate for themselves and their clients.

A key element of Grit is its focus on understanding relationships and community, leading to some of the leaders feeling they’d achieved a better knowledge of how others viewed them, and of the effects their own behavior had—with their team members stating that they have since felt more valued.

Director of the Nottingham Institute of Education and lead researcher, Associate Professor Chris Rolph, said, “The evaluation found that participants had some initial reticence in terms of balancing the training with heavy workloads, and a little apprehension in taking part without really knowing what to expect.

“But while most of the participants did find it challenging, they also felt they now had a new ‘toolkit’ for their work and found this new understanding of themselves and how they think and work liberating and transformational.

“On the front line, social workers say they are more confident, more people-focused, and consequently more effective than they were before Grit.

“These findings suggest that systemic or cultural change within LA social work teams can be achieved through Grit training, both at the front line, where it supports challenging conversations based on strong relationships with young people and families; and within the organization where Grit supports openness and honesty in professional relationships.”

Grit’s Director of Development, Jon Down, said, “Although we have plenty of our own internally produced evidence of the difference our programs make, if we want to deliver at scale and grow the impact of our work, we need a robust, academically credible and independent evidence base for us to take to local authorities and other potential partners. This evaluation does just that.

“It shows how Grit can lead to a qualitative improvement in the work done by Local Authority social work teams and associated agencies, how impact is sustained over the medium term, and how it creates systemic or cultural change, both on the front line, and within organizations.

“Amidst the staff recruitment and retention crisis in Children’s Services, and local authorities more generally, it shows how our work can regenerate a collaborative ‘can-do’ culture, build resilience, bring more effective team working, impact job satisfaction and, most importantly, get better outcomes for the children and families they support.”