System leadership development in Children’s Centres in the UK

Purpose - This study aims to establish the complex nature of leadership in children’s centres in the UK and to demonstrate the value of system leadership as a vital concept for children’s centre leadership. Design/methodology/approach - The study presents a case study of leadership development with 24 leaders of children’s centres across Hertfordshire. Findings - The study considers the efficacy of system leadership, including distributed leadership, within this setting. Evaluation of the programme found that the concept of system leadership was appropriate, supportive and validating for leaders of children’s centres; however, the concept needed support with further practical tools and resources. Research limitations/implications - The limitation of the study is its specificity to one local authority, and further research will be needed to see how generalisable the findings are. Practical implications - The implication of the study is that leaders of children’s centres could be supported to work more effectively with system leadership. Social implications - When leaders of children’s centres feel effective, they have enhanced well-being and achieve more outcomes, which in turn enhances the well-being of the children and families that they serve. Originality/value - Leadership in children’s centres is an under-researched and under-supported area. This study makes a new contribution to this sector of leadership.