Contextual and individual barriers to providing practice leadership by frontline managers in community services for adults with intellectual disabilities: A qualitative study

Abstract Background As practice leaders, frontline managers observe staff working, provide feedback and use organisational structures to improve staff skills and focus on service‐user quality of life. This qualitative study explored the experiences and barriers for frontline managers providing practice leadership to staff in community services for adults with learning disabilities. Methods Audio‐recorded data was collected during semi‐structured interviews with 14 frontline managers, transcribed and analysed using thematic analysis. Findings Three themes emerged reflecting participants' experiences of barriers to their work as practice leaders, focusing on stable staff teams, ‘admin’ and paperwork, and developing staff, each with sub‐themes. Conclusions Results reflect existing research and suggest new challenges relating to progress in personalisation. Frontline managers experience barriers to providing practice leadership due to contextual and individual factors described in the themes. Successful implementation of policy initiatives, for example, Transforming Care requires further research on the impact, development and provision of practice leadership for support staff. should recognise these factors influencing frontline managers and ensure suitable policies and training to support practice leadership.