Why are some employers more successful than others in retaining their workforce? Good Practice from Day Care Providers January 2013

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1 Why are some employers more successful than others in retaining their workforce? Good Practice from Day Care Providers January 2013 Written by ekosgen Published by Skills for Care

2 CONTEXT The funding of social care, demographic change and personalisation are just some of the issues transforming service delivery within the adult social care sector. Yet, while the sector is rapidly evolving, some organisations are facing high rates of staff turnover. As the body supporting workforce development, Skills for Care has a strong interest in the retention of the adult social care workforce. Its ongoing work on this issue shows that whilst the overall level of staff turnover within the sector is high, some organisations are very successful at retaining their staff. Skills for Care commissioned a study to find out how these organisations encourage their staff to continue working for them. As part of the study, 80 managers of high retention organisations were consulted, spread across the main service areas (residential care, residential care with nursing, domiciliary care, day care and community care) and different sectors (private, voluntary and statutory). The headline message is that there is no single practice that guarantees retention, but rather it is a combination of human resource practices, the management of the organisation and its culture and values that together can have a major influence. This case study draws on the consultations with managers of organisations providing day care to illustrate good practice in relation to staff retention. RECRUITMENT Good staff retention begins with successful recruitment. It is important that potential employees have a good understanding of what their role would entail. This helps ensure that the right people are recruited and minimises the possibility of taking on staff who leave because they find that the job or the organisation does not suit them. Some of the day care providers consulted had faced a recruitment freeze due to budget constraints in recent years. Others reported that the recession had had an impact on recruitment, with a greater number of applications being received. Whilst these were sometimes from experienced care workers who had been made redundant by other organisations, many were from applicants who just wanted any job, rather than specifically seeking a job in the care sector. The examples below demonstrate how two organisations providing day care services have sought to improve the quality and suitability of the workers they recruit by enhancing their recruitment processes. Age UK Enfield, the local branch of the national charity, employs 30 care workers in day care and domiciliary roles. Since the onset of the recession, the manager has found that recruitment has become a lot easier we have more applicants and more choice. However, although the number of applications received has increased, the manager noted that the CVs which people submit are often of poor quality and make it hard to judge an applicant s suitability. In response the branch has changed its approach to recruitment. They now hold open days for potential applicants. Information is provided about the organisation and the job role, and members of staff work with applicants to complete an application form during the day. This means that prior to submission of the form, the charity s staff have already met the potential recruit and had a chance to talk to them about the qualities needed to work in the care sector and assess their interpersonal skills. 2

3 The Durnford Society is a voluntary organisation which supports adults with learning disabilities in and around the Plymouth area, employing over 160 staff. Its Tamar Supported Living team employs 20 people. Its recruitment process is organised so that it holds a formal interview with applicants only at the very end of the process. The team has recruited externally on two occasions in the past two years with jobs advertised on its website and at the local Jobcentre. Once an application form has been submitted to head office, HR staff shortlist potential recruits, take up references and undertake CRB checks. Shortlisted applicants are then invited to meet the team and service users. The manager finds that applicants are more relaxed in these informal circumstances and it gives her a chance to see how they interact with service users and their potential colleagues. Only after this stage are suitable applicants invited for a formal interview. COMMUNICATION Almost all of the day care managers interviewed feel that communicating with staff is a very important factor underlying staff retention. A number of the day services contacted were a small part of a much larger organisation (either voluntary bodies or local authorities). The following example shows how managers in one day service ensure that staff feel integrated with the rest of the organisation. At Age UK Dudley, eight people are employed to deliver the Daybreak day care service. Communication is seen as an important factor in encouraging staff retention. A variety of mechanisms are used, including: A daily team meeting involving all the day service staff A monthly team meeting which also involves the volunteers A 121 meeting between the day service coordinator and her senior manager once a month Regular formal meetings between a senior manager and each member of staff A bi-monthly staff newsletter However, more informal types of communication are seen as the most important to ensure the day service staff feel part of the wider team. The day centre is in a different part of town to the charity s main office. Only eight staff work in the day centre and the manager noted that they can feel a bit separate from the rest of the organisation. Therefore, in addition to the formal meetings with staff, the senior manager responsible for the day centre encourages her corporate team colleagues to be visible at the centre - to pop in for a cup of tea whenever they are passing. Having this visibility demonstrates to staff that the senior management team are interested in their work and ensures they feel more integrated with the rest of the organisation. 3

4 TRAINING Almost all of the day care managers interviewed feel the provision of training (beyond the mandatory requirements) is a key factor underpinning retention. High quality training helps staff to feel comfortable and knowledgeable in their day to day work and also contributes towards staff feeling valued. The example below highlights the type of additional training which is offered to day care workers by organisation. The Bramingham Centre in Luton provides day services to adults with learning disabilities. The local authority-run centre has 53 staff. When planning training, in addition to the provision of mandatory courses, managers look at the interests of staff and how these could be used to deliver stimulating and enjoyable sessions to service users. When funding can be found, staff have the opportunity to go on training courses related to their interests, delivered by accredited local providers. Last year, six staff members attended an arts and crafts course, which ran one afternoon per week for 15 weeks. Not only did they learn new skills and techniques, they were also taught how to deliver a course themselves, and this is now being put into practice in sessions at the day centre. AUTONOMY Most of the managers in day care settings felt that autonomy was important to staff retention, although the amount of autonomy available to staff varied considerably. The example below illustrates how staff can take on considerable responsibility within the care worker role, and be given the freedom to organise the care they provide to best meet the needs of service users. Stafford Day Service supports 50 people with a learning disability and physical disabilities. The service employs 13 day service assistants and five team leaders and has a very high level of staff retention, with no external recruitment undertaken for many years. Officers and day service assistants have opportunities to exercise considerable freedom and responsibility within their working role with service users. These freedoms are monitored through a rolling programme of support and supervision to also ensure individual service users are enabled to reach their personal goals. Staff are appointed as keyworkers to specific individuals and build up relationships with that individual, over what can be a number of years. The care provided is very much in the hands of the keyworker, and it is expected that staff input to an individual s care plan. Any care planning is completed in a very person-centred way, with the individual contributing where possible, involving invaluable information from parents and carers and / or adopting a multi agency approach in some cases. 4

5 OTHER FACTORS AFFECTING RETENTION Alongside recruitment, communication, training and autonomy, there are a whole host of other factors that support staff retention. These include terms and conditions of employment, and the hours of work. Other factors are more intangible like the style of management or the culture of the organisation. What is important is that staff feel supported in their role, that they can approach line/senior managers easily, and that they have time to develop positive relationships with clients. Overall, these factors help to motivate staff and this is important as the high levels of staff motivation minimise or greatly reduce the likelihood of staff leaving. Managers in day care settings identified a range of other factors that have an impact on staff retention. These can be grouped into three main categories: 1. The atmosphere and culture of the organisation; 2. Valuing staff; and 3. Supporting staff Essentially, these factors help to motivate staff, which is important as high levels of staff motivation minimise or greatly reduce the likelihood of staff leaving. The quotes below illustrate what day centre managers perceive to be important in relation to each of these. Managers highlighted the benefits of a lovely working atmosphere [where] clients have fun and stressed the importance of creating a happy place to work. One way to achieve this is to deal with any differences amongst staff straight away, with one manager commenting I hate to think of people not getting on. The value placed on staff in day care settings with good rates of retention is demonstrated in a number of ways through listening to staff and recognising their achievements as well as through pay and rewards. One provider commented Recognition for a good job is important not taking people for granted. Another felt that pay in their pocket is important but its about the added benefits they get working here the sickness scheme and pension. Managers also felt that the support given to staff was important in encouraging them to remain with the organisation. This includes having the right level of staff in place to provide a good service to clients, as well as ensuring that they feel supported and encouraged to perform their duties, as a result of the training provided to them and regular supervisions provided by a supportive line manager. Further Skills for Care resources relating to Retention and Recruitment can be found at: retentionstrategy/recruitment_and_retention_strategy.aspx 5