STRONG LEADERSHIP HELPS THE CARING SECTOR BECOME MORE EFFICIENT

Cheltenham-based Saracen Care is a specialist domiciliary care company supporting children and working-age adults with complex needs. Funded primarily by the NHS and Social Services, the company supports a client base of 75 individuals across Gloucestershire and North Wiltshire, either in their own homes or in supported accommodation within their local communities.

Co-owner and Director of the business, Julia Everard, manages a workforce of 140 people.

“We support our clients to learn life skills, empowering them to build the same quality of life and opportunities enjoyed by others.”

Julia says emphatically that her workforce is values-based. “Even if those seeking a job with us don’t have experience in care, as long as they have the right values such as compassion, patience and integrity, we will train them appropriately.

“We really value our workforce. It’s an easy thing to say, but we put it into practice.”

Her assertion is backed by a Care Quality Commission rating of Outstanding, which the company secured for the second time last November.

“Our CQC assessment rated us as Outstanding in three areas of inspection asking ‘Is the service caring, responsive and well-led?’ We are the only domiciliary care company in Gloucestershire with three Outstanding ratings.”

This accolade is especially impressive when you consider that the very nature of Saracen Care’s work is done by lone workers visiting clients in their homes. We make sure our staff are well supported, confident and competent in all they do and ask them to ‘do everything well’ said Julia.

As the company has grown, and with the business on a sound financial footing, Julia felt she needed to learn how to relinquish the tight grip she had on the company’s management to allow others to take responsibility. So she put herself through QuoLux’s LEAD training.

“The biggest piece of work we undertook, thanks to QuoLux, was to really identify the lines of accountability and responsibility throughout the workforce, which included managers and support workers alike. Everyone is now clear about what they are responsible and accountable for.”

This sounds simple, but it takes time to really assess the roles and responsibilities of every employee, and too many businesses don’t do it.

What has been the outcome? “In the past, if a colleague was struggling, another manager would quite often take over the problem. That sounds sensible, but it’s not. Now one manager will support another, working to overcome the problem, rather than taking the responsibility off the person who is struggling and solving the issue themselves. This avoids the classic rescuing effect that has an adverse impact on productivity.”

The point being, of course, that if someone takes a problem away from you, you’ll never have the confidence or knowledge to solve it yourself. But if you know what you are accountable and responsible for, then you will be capable of solving it for yourself.

Julia has gone further. “Up until three months ago I was involved in all the management team meetings. I now step back and while I read the minutes, I let my team shoulder the responsibilities I know they are capable of.”

This new way of working hasn’t happened overnight. “We ran a number of workshops so that everyone was fully aware of their role and responsibilities within the business.

“If they make a mistake, that’s OK, we operate under a no-blame culture. It is essential in the care sector in particular to feel confident enough to be open and transparent, with good communication at its heart.”

For Julia, the outcome of the training is a feeling of liberation. “I don’t need to be in the office all the time, and it is a deliberate move not to be there, but I’m always available.

“And if I do need to get involved, I’ll often start by putting the problem back to the questioner. It helps them feel more empowered and is a good coaching and mentoring strategy.”

“Now I really am working on the business, not in the business, and because my management team are shouldering more of the load, I think they feel more liberated to make the decisions they are capable of as well.”

By Jo Draper,

An organisation able to recruit, develop and hold on to great people may be the difference between flourishing or floundering. Studies show that employee engagement – bringing one’s best and full self to work – is not just a “nice-to-have”. It is a business imperative, linked to retention, productivity, profitability and customer satisfaction.

Sadly, research shows that 56 per cent of new employees are disengaged after just six months in their job. By not having the appropriate culture, the bright, lively new employee is being turned off in the workplace.

What does it take for leaders to retain talent?

Employees respond positively to more responsibility and authority and often prefer autonomy. In other words, people generally do well when they are empowered to make choices and decisions for themselves.

Sandwiched between senior management and the wider staff, ‘middle leaders’ play a crucial role in an organisation’s success. That’s why we created LEADlight. It’s designed for the middle business leaders in any sector; from family firms to scaling small and mid-sized companies and not-for-profits. Its aim is to help middle leaders develop their skills, improve their performance and get better results from their teams. Fully engaged middle leaders are well placed to engage others, creating a ripple effect throughout the organisation.

There’s a compelling business case for investing in organisational development. Statistics suggest that the cost of recruitment is £36,000 which includes advertising, fees and the lower productivity for the first six months as someone gets up to speed. Imagine a 30-person business with 20 per cent turnover of staff, that’s six people per year, costing £216,000. Introducing greater engagement with staff and development opportunities could halve the churn to 10 per cent, saving the business more than £100,000.

As you consider your plans for this New Year, if developing middle and first-line managers is important then enrol them into LEADlight. Business leaders need to invest in their own leadership, as well as creating a culture in which personal development is encouraged company wide.

www.quolux.co.uk