Introduction

Change is everywhere in health and social care environments. It can evoke a range of emotions, from excitement and eager anticipation, to fear, anxiety or hostility. Alongside the ‘big ideas’ for change that are articulated at the policy level, managers are engaged in a continual process of implementing small-scale changes that can make a real difference to people’s lives at a local level. While service users and frontline staff are also involved in change processes, it is often a particular responsibility of managers to make changes happen, and this can involve overcoming significant resistance. In this course, How to manage change in health and social care, you will explore the role of managers in the change process and the skills required for managing and leading change in health and social care work.