PAGE 8 | THE CARER DIGITAL | ISSUE 7
Leading The Care: How To Take Charge During Covid-19 By Simon Marshall, Founder at TBD Marketing Ltd (www.2bd.me) You don’t need me to tell you that the care sector is under tremendous strain at the moment trying to deal with the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. It seems that nursing homes are only just reaching peak – if you believe the daily government and weekly ONS figures. Hopefully you are able, even in the midst of the crisis, to see how appreciated you are through the fundraising, donating, volunteering and others events that the public is putting on. Until now, we have had a blend of exceptional management and world-class leadership. Managers who manage the “things”: budgets, assets, time and leaders there to provide us with a vision of where we need to be and leading us there. This is what has brought us so far, so quickly. Add in the challenge of absorbing hundreds of thousands of volunteers who have rallied round and it’s clear that the way the sector has risen to the challenge has been nothing short of heroic. Thank you for all you are doing for our families and loved ones. Now for phase two. This point of inflexion is the next major challenge as the care sector needs to balance care levels with the increased calls
for opening up our schools and places of work and the related R rate issues that that poses. For the care sector to succeed at this point in time, it is vital that we tackle and address the extra burdens that volunteering puts on managers and leaders at a time when resources are already stretched to the max. At the heart of successfully navigating the next few weeks is great leadership. The most successful leaders share several stand-out qualities that are worth reflecting on right now: adaptability, integrity, communication skills, and the ability to process and compartmentalise. Adaptability Leaders adapt to the circumstances of the day – they accept those changes as they happen and do not dwell on what they cannot affect or change. They are the ones who keep calm, take in new facts, assess and make the best decisions in the circumstances they find themselves. They lead others as the environment changes, knowledge of the issues at hand deepens, and the ability to treat new contaminees improves. This ability to pivot is not to be underestimated, particularly not in light of the demands being place on them right now.
INTEGRITY AND COMMUNICATION SKILLS World-class leaders are able to balance their personal expertise with enough self-doubt to keep them honest. Rudyard Kipling famously said: “trust yourself when all men doubt you but make allowance for their doubting too.” This adage resonates so much with leaders as it reflects the perfect balance of excellence, lis-
tening and communication. They also understand that a huge part of leadership is communication. Once you have adapted to the circumstances and are sure it’s the right path, then communicating that vision is essential to have your team follow you. The path ahead is full of traps. The political nature of the response to Covid19 means that it is more important than ever to speak knowledge to power. It won’t be easy, but in these times genuine leaders rely on their integrity and ability to talk straight in order to continue leading.
COMPARTMENTALISATION/PROCESSING We’ve come such a long way in such a short space of time. And yet care sector workers are being asked to give more. All leaders need to be able to take a break and process, to take time to be human, to grieve. A leader’s ability to press the reset button is what enables them to go again and to give their all. Dealing with Covid19 is clearly going to require a marathon effort but right now, we are possibly just finishing the first 5k, having sprinted all the way. Somehow, somewhere, it is essential that you as a leader make time to reset and process, and reflect on what’s going to be required from you in the next phase in order to be able to continue to perform at the top level over coming months. Thank you for giving your all so far: it has made the difference between life and death for so many us and our families. I hope that you get to take a breath and reflect before you go again. You’ve got this.
Sheffield Care Home Image Inspires Duchess of Cambridge “Hold Still” Exhibition A photograph taken at a Sheffield care home was one of those that “inspired” the Duchess of Cambridge to launch a new exhibition to capture the ‘resilience, bravery and kindness’ of the nation during the coronavirus pandemic. The image, taken at Newfield Nursing Home, features 79-year-old Jack Dodsley dancing with carer Kayleigh Jupp. Jack had previously tested positive for Covid-19, but had since recovered. The Duchess saw the photograph in the media and it inspired her to launch “Hold Still” an ambitious community photography project, in collaboration with the National Portrait Gallery, to capture the spirit, the mood, the hopes, the fears and the feelings of the nation as we continue to deal with the Coronavirus outbreak. On the launch of Hold Still, The Duchess said: “We’ve all been struck by some of the incredible images we’ve seen which have given us an insight into the experiences and stories of people across the country. Some desperately sad images showing the human tragedy of this pandemic and other uplifting pictures showing people coming together to support those more vulnerable. Hold Still aims to capture a portrait of the nation, the spirit of the nation, what everyone is going through at this time. Photographs reflecting resilience, bravery, kindness – all those things that people are experiencing.”
Newfield is one of three care homes in Sheffield operated by Palms Row Health Care (PRHC), which has around 200 beds and provides nursing and intermediate care. Nicola Richards, Director of PRHC said: “It’s wonderful to hear that the image of Jack and Kayleigh has inspired the Duchess of Cambridge just as it inspired us. “We’ve had a very difficult few weeks but throughout it all the staff at our care homes, and care homes throughout the country, have been working tirelessly to care for some of the most vulnerable people in our society. “The image of Jack and Kayleigh is powerful because it really captures the spirit of hope and tenderness that continues in our homes despite the huge challenges they’re facing. We’ll certainly be entering more images of our wonderful staff and residents into the exhibition.” The photographer, Tom Maddick, was able to capture the image from outside the home and at a safe distance from staff and residents. Tom added: “I’m delighted for Jack and the team at Newfield Nursing Home and it’s brilliant that this image was one of those that has inspired the Duchess of Cambridge to launch Hold Still. It was a privilege to have the chance to capture their work and experiences during these exceptional times. Documenting COVID-19 has and continues to be very important and it was great to share a glimpse into the daily care and love given by staff.”
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