Implementation of a complex intervention to support leadership development in nursing homes: a multi-method participatory study

This article reports on the analysis of the transformational My Home Life Leadership Support programme for nursing home managers being implemented in Scotland. It analyses learning from a multi-method participatory descriptive study.

Contribution Analysis theory informed the evaluation. Evidence-based Practice, Relationship centred Care, Appreciative Inquiry, and Caring Conversations informed the intervention to develop transformational leadership. Data generation methods included baseline and post-intervention questionnaires to describe culture change within the study population, together with in-depth qualitative data generated from group discussions. Qualitative data analysis was an iterative collaborative process with participants to generate themes about the impact of the programme on themselves and their practice.

Data showed positive changes in managers’ perceptions of their self-awareness, leadership communication and relationship skills, and development of positive cultures.

This model offers lessons for those interested in ways to approach the emotional, educational and cultural dynamics of change in other human service contexts.