Gill McAteer, Director of Employment Law, Citation
Ensuring that leadership is consistent and measured is a challenge – but it is crucial to avoid inefficient operations and demotivated employees. Having worked with over 2,000 care providers for 20 years, we understand that training and development has long been a challenge for the sector. Service users are always the priority, meaning that operational management is always top of the list, and people management sometimes has to take a back seat. Time isn’t the only factor – underfunding has made it a challenge to invest in training and development. However, investment in the right training and development can create a more efficient business and positive environment for staff and service users alike – so how can care home managers and owners navigate this challenge?
Taking a bespoke approach
It can create efficiencies to take a ‘one size fits all’ approach to mandatory training. These sessions include vital information on processes and policies, but managers have an additional responsibility to ensure training is implemented in practice. Team leads need to motivate staff and bring policies to life, as well as ensuring that if rules are breached, the correct procedure is followed, so it’s crucial that training is tailored for each role.
Take bullying and harassment for example. It is essential that care businesses have the right policies in place and employees are aware of what is deemed to be inappropriate behaviour, but these efforts will not protect the business from liability if managers do not handle situations correctly. Establishing an environment where employees know that unacceptable behaviour will not be tolerated will lead to more engaged employees and will save managers time and disruption further down the line. However, managers need to be supported with training on how to deal with these issues.
The battle against time
The care sector can struggle to dedicate the time and resources to train and develop leaders, and this could result in poor staff retention as employees feel undervalued and unsupported.
There are several legislative changes coming into force in 2024, including:
- Changes to the accrual and payment of holidays for irregular hours workers
- The introduction of a new right to Carer’s Leave
- A new right for workers with an unpredictable working pattern to request more predictable shifts
- Changes to the right to request flexible working
To be ready, and reduce any impact on the quality of service, it is crucial that care businesses review current ways of working and support available to managers. This will highlight training needs and allow these to be addressed ahead of time, to ensure staff feel well equipped to deal with situations and can deliver the best possible outcomes.
Of course, it is not just a case of knowing what needs to be done – how requests are handled can make a crucial difference to your culture. Managers need to be trained to lead with an authentic and positive approach to create an open culture where employees feel comfortable to ask for the support they need.
Engagement is key
It’s also crucial that teams are actively engaged with training. Everyone has a different way of learning, so where possible, training programmes should acknowledge and support this. We have seen an increase in care organisations opting for more interactive in-person training for small groups, as trainees leave with a more comprehensive understanding and willingness to put it into practice compared to virtual sessions. To deliver effective training and reduce pressure on management to communicate new policies, it’s worth considering that external training providers can be brought in to run sessions.
A positive influence
In addition to training, it is important that managers have a hunger to develop and enjoy people management. As pressures on managers increase, with operational responsibilities compounded by challenges around sponsorship and employee wellbeing, having a strong support network for your management team is essential. This allows them to share learnings, helping them to tackle issues together.
Though training and development requires a time and financial investment, the return is happier, more prepared and productive employees – so it’s worth considering how re-evaluating training and engagement could help you to improve morale, operations and quality within your care business.
Image depicts Gill McAteer, Director of Employment Law, Citation