The Effect of Frontline Practice Leadership in Swedish Group Homes – Observations of Frontline Managers and Their Experiences

Background: Frontline Practice Leadership, closely associated with the staff practice of Active Support, is a form of leadership that aims to enhance the quality of support in group homes for people with intellectual disabilities. This study examines the longitudinal two-year effect of Frontline Practice Leadership training in four Swedish group homes.

Method: A combination of observations in group homes and interviews with three managers. The 49 observations involved 28 support workers and three first-line managers.

Results: Practice leaders improved their skills to coach and supervise the staff in everyday support after the training. Repeated observations with feedback sessions were considered crucial to increasing the quality of support.

Conclusions: Findings suggest that Frontline Practice Leadership is important for Active Support implementation in a Swedish context.