Influencing without authority

When leading change for the benefit of children or working to improve a pathway across multiple agencies, you may need to “influence without authority”. The rich tapestry of statutory and third sector specialists providing services for children and young people in the UK often means no single agency is accountable for the whole pathway. Influencing without authority is about finding the golden thread that pulls on the emotions, sparks curiosity in the mind of other agencies and brings together a web of professionals with a shared purpose.

As the lead for the CSA (child sexual abuse) Transformation Programme in London, I spent more than two years working with leaders in health, social care, criminal justice, government and the third sector to bring about a whole-system change for vulnerable children and young people. I went on to join University College London Hospitals (UCLH) NHS Foundation Trust where I worked with partners to establish The Lighthouse, a specialist service for children who have experienced sexual abuse led by UCLH, The Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust and the NSPCC. The Lighthouse is a groundbreaking service in the UK that brings together professionals from health, social care, mental health, advocacy and criminal justice in one safe space.

1. Share a compelling story. The first step in making change happen is to share the fire in your heart with others. What is the golden thread that sparks a shared vision? Practice describing why your vision is important in 30 seconds or the time it takes for the lift to arrive. While working for the CSA Transformation Programme in London, I shared my vision for a new way of working with nearly 1,000 professionals over two years. It felt like a slow process but was an essential step. No one can make a whole system change alone. You will need to create an army of champions who can carry the message back to their organisations and create the momentum for change.
2. Show how your vision meets different priorities. The key to convincing other leaders is to know your audience. Consider what matters to them – their context, values, and beliefs – then reframe your story to pull that golden thread. What difference do they want to make and what evidence will make them listen? In the case of child sexual abuse, the police may see value in supporting a child and family to remain in the criminal justice process in order to bring a perpetrator to trial. Social care leaders will want to see how a project will help improve safeguarding while health professionals value holistic health assessments and long-term support that change outcomes for the whole family. Commissioners will be looking for value for money and high-quality services. By sharing your vision in a way that meets the needs of your audience, you can create a “followership” of supporters who will be able to re-tell your story with credibility.
3. Use the right format to present your ideas. Investing time and money to present your ideas in a compelling way is essential – an area where statutory services can learn from the third sector. Tailor your format to meet the needs of your audience. This could include providing a covering document or making an opening statement in a presentation to show you know what matters to them, the issues they are facing and why this change will meet those needs. Make them feel listened to. Consider mixed formats including two-page briefings, audio recordings or films of the voices of children and parents or adult survivors, simple presentations with more images than words and frequently asked questions factsheets.
4. Develop a clear business case. A compelling story will generate champions but is not enough on its own. Whole-system change requires sign-off from all agencies at the same time. This was no easy task when it came to establishing The Lighthouse with 18 commissioners and key stakeholders, eight provider partners and many other interested parties. A clear and concise business case that shares learning from international best practice, research, planned outcomes, and cost-benefit analysis is essential. In the process to secure buy-in for The Lighthouse a key message at that time was that only one in eight children who is abused feels able to tell. When they do, only one in four is referred on for health or therapeutic support and only six per cent of cases reach a criminal trial. Drawing on local evidence and data can help spur on professionals and create positive competition to drive change.
5. Value the expertise of others. A key challenge in bringing about whole-system change is identifying issues or making suggestions without seeming disrespectful of colleagues’ expertise. Your compelling story should acknowledge the value each individual agency brings, celebrate what is already working and what we can learn from one another. In the CSA Transformation Programme this was achieved through a series of workshops, local steering groups, regular newsletters and professional meetings. Ideally, each agency will reach a point where they want to see change and work with their local network, creating “followership” instead of directional leadership.

• Emma Harewood’s book The Journey to the Lighthouse – A holistic service for children who have experienced child sexual abuse was published by Russell House in November 2020