Leadership and allyship go hand in hand

As Black History Month begins, Symone Stuart, National Leadership and Management Lead at Skills for Care discusses why being an ally is important for all leaders in social care.

As a leader we all experience allyship - whether through our own journey to the top, by supporting others or by acting as an ally to a colleague when needed. These two aspects of effective leadership are closely connected because both involve advocacy -either for ourselves or for others.

What is strategic allyship?

At its core, allyship is a deliberate and structured approach to promoting equity in the workplace through advocacy and sponsorship.

Strategic allyship improves our organisational culture by fostering inclusion and a genuine sense of belonging. Good leaders embrace allyship not just as a value, but as essential to delivering on their equity, diversity, and inclusion commitments.

Where does strategic allyship begin?

It starts with a fundamental question:

How does your organisation want to be perceived in terms of allyship?

This means assessing how inclusive your workplace truly is. Do team members who feel marginalised have mechanisms in place that support their sense of belonging? Do they feel seen, valued, and heard? Is there space for everyone to thrive?

If your organisation is just beginning its journey with strategic allyship, here are some key elements to consider integrating:

• Say: communicate your intention to develop an allyship strategic approach, proactively engaging and involving staff in creating a set of values that explicitly support allyship.
• See: have visible and robust safeguarding policies that align with allyship values. Actively promote these to and discuss with your workforce.
• Expect: set clear expectations around attitudes and behaviours with a code of conduct that includes and promotes allyship.
• Do: create and deliver sponsorship programmes for staff, particularly those from underrepresented backgrounds.Create and deliver a learning and development plan that incorporates allyship training and awareness. Now is the time to undertake actions that demonstrate your workplace values.
• Feel: ensure your organisational values are felt within your workplace culture. Regular culture checks, such as surveys or open-door feedback, can help gauge staff sentiment and inclusion.
• Decide: with the involvement of staff, create clear, safe policies for speaking up, ensuring psychological safety.Demonstrate your commitment to allyship in your behaviour and with clear and strong decision making.

While some of these practices may already exist - often through HR initiatives - it's important to understand that allyship is not merely an HR function. It is rooted in relationships and human behaviour.

We know that diverse organisations perform better than their counterparts. But fostering diversity must not come at the expense of tolerating harmful or exclusionary behaviours. Allyship is about bridging differences, standing up for equity, and cultivating inclusive cultures where all individuals can belong and succeed.

This month is Black History Month. This year’s theme is “Standing Firm in Power and Pride,” a powerful tribute to the resilience, strength, and unwavering commitment to progress that defines the Black community across the globe. It highlights the profound contributions made by Black people be they leaders, activists, or pioneers who have shaped history, while also looking towards a future of continued empowerment, unity, and growth.

Find out more about allyship in social care.

Discover more information and resources to support with equity, diversity and inclusion on our Black History Month webpage.

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