At Nouveau Care, your feedback is invaluable in helping us create a better, safer, and more supportive workplace. We recently gathered insights from our staff, and we want to share the actions we’re taking to address the concerns you’ve raised. Your voice matters, and we’re committed to making positive changes based on what you’ve told us. 

You Said: Rotas and Visit Planning Need Improvement 

We Listened

Many of you expressed concerns about inconsistent rotas and the need for better planning to optimise travel between visits. We understand how important it is for you to have a well-structured schedule that minimises unnecessary travel time and helps you manage your day more effectively. We've heard that you're unhappy being on the receiving end of complaints from service users, and we want to improve this for all concerned.

Our Action 

We are currently reviewing our rota system to ensure greater consistency and efficiency. Additionally, we’re working on optimising visit routes to reduce travel distances, giving you more time to focus on providing excellent care without the added stress of long commutes. The most common theme emerging from your feedback is that you would ideally like visits to be in set 'runs' so that your working days are more consistent. To do this, we need the same number of people available every day so that we do not need to 'squeeze' visits or otherwise disrupt the rota. We've introduced the overtime rota in which you've all agreed to fulfil one or two extra shifts to cover holiday, and this has already had a positive effect from the feedback we've received. Moving forward, we're going to be introducing new contracts for future recruits that allow for us to request flexible working weeks from 39 up to 48 hours to build in more flexibility to cover holidays and other staffing issues. We've been working hard on recruitment and we have several new staff soon to be introduced.

You Said: Poor Performance Being Missed is Demotivating

We Listened

Some of you noted that minor housekeeping tasks are occasionally overlooked and not picked up by our current monitoring systems. We know that every task, no matter how small, contributes to the overall quality of care we provide. We also know that it can be frustrating to see unemptied bins and other housekeeping tasks done poorly and to see these issues go unaddressed.

Our Action 

We are enhancing our monitoring and reporting systems to ensure that all tasks are completed to the highest standard. This includes more thorough checks and clear communication channels to report and address any missed duties promptly. Specifically, each shift should soon have a field based supervisor who will be able to provide floating support and make more checks following each visit to address these issues and raise the standard of care provided.

You Said: There’s Not Enough Cover During Sickness and Holidays   

We Listened

The lack of sufficient cover during periods of sickness and holidays was highlighted as a major concern, leading to increased pressure on those who are available to work. We recognise how this impacts your workload and overall job satisfaction, and creates extra stress for you all with you being rushed and/or overworked. 

Our Action 

We need the same number of people available every day so that we do not need to 'squeeze' visits or otherwise disrupt the rota during absences. We've introduced the overtime rota in which you've all agreed to fulfil one or two extra shifts to cover holiday, and the feedback has been positive. We're going to be introducing new contracts for future recruits that allow for us to request flexible working weeks from 39 up to 48 hours to build in more flexibility to cover holidays and other staffing issues. We're working hard on recruitment and we have several new staff in the pipeline. Our goal is to ensure that you’re not overburdened when covering for absent colleagues, allowing you to maintain a healthy work-life balance. 

You Said: Safety Concerns About Abusive Behaviour from Service Users 

We Listened

Your safety is our top priority, and we were concerned to hear that some of you do not feel adequately protected from abusive behavior by service users. Additionally, dealing with false allegations and the pressure that comes with complaints has been a significant stressor. We have in serious cases served notice on abusive clients, and we'll continue to fight your corner with a zero tolerance policy on abusive behaviour.

Our Action 

We will investigate every compliant on its own merit, but we will never take a side by default. We know from experience that while some complaints are valid, it can also be very easy to make a flippant complaint. We always have external pressures to investigate any safeguarding concerns thoroughly, and unfortunately safeguarding concerns are very common from ambulance crews, for example. Family members also commonly complain to social services, which again entails a specific process. Please don't feel harrassed when we ask for your version of events - we're just fulfilling protocol and it does not mean you are necessarily to blame. Where we can, we'll fight your corner. You are valuable to us and we understand how this feels because we get placed under the same scrutiny. Our policy continues to be 'cease to provide support' in the event of verbal abuse or similar, subject to leaving the person safely. Your best defense is to use accident and incident forms and visit notes to build strong records. Don't forget to also record any 'behaviour that challenges' that does not quite meet an incident threshold to help us defend you when something more serious potentially takes place.

We want to thank you for being open and honest with your feedback. By working together and making these changes, we believe we can create a more positive and supportive work environment for everyone. If you have any further suggestions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Your voice is essential in shaping the future of our agency.

Thank you for all that you do.

Best regards,

Tom & Nas

Staff Newsletter - September 2024

At Nouveau Care, your feedback is invaluable in helping us create a better, safer, and more supportive workplace. We recently gathered insights from our staff, and we want to share the actions we’re taking to address the concerns you’ve raised. Your voice matters, and we’re committed to making positive changes based on what you’ve told us. 

You Said: Rotas and Visit Planning Need Improvement

We Listened

Several team members have shared valuable suggestions on how we can improve the rota to ensure a smoother workflow. 

Our Action 

We are exploring the option of keeping the same carers paired together during shifts. This means you will likely work with the same colleague in the morning shift and afternoon shift, reducing the need to split up and re-join different team members mid-shift. We understand that navigating two colleagues on different runs can be challenging, and we’re taking steps to limit this as much as possible to improve the overall flow of your shifts. While these adjustments may evolve to meet the needs of the service, we are committed to incorporating this suggestion into the rota whenever feasible. 

You Said: Mixing up the runs between colleagues 

It has been suggested that more regular rotation of runs would be beneficial, as some colleagues have mentioned that staying on the same run for weeks can be tiring. We will look into this further, but we encourage anyone who feels they need a change to share their feedback with the office. Please note that while this isn't a request service, we value your input and want to ensure no one is stuck on the same run for too long. As rotas are prepared one week in advance, please make any suggestions with enough notice, as changes cannot be accommodated at short notice. 

Announcements: 

We're excited to welcome two new members to our team, Ronald and Emmanuel! Please join us in giving them a warm welcome and offering your support as they settle in. They’re eager to contribute and help ease some of the workload, so let's ensure they feel valued and supported as they get started. 

PG and MB will be leaving our service on 14/10/24. We’d like to thank you for the care and support you provided to them, even if their time with us was brief. On a positive note, after speaking with PG's social worker, we learned that we are one of the few care agencies to have maintained this service for such a duration—credit to your dedication and, perhaps, your sandwich-making skills! 

During a recent senior visit to YS, it was noted that her legs have healed completely—fantastic news! The combination of increased bed rest and consistent personal care has really made a difference. YS also wanted to express her gratitude to Ronald, specifically thanking him for fitting the blinds in her bedroom. 

Going the extra mile: While we greatly appreciate the dedication many of you show by going the extra mile for our service users, it's important to be mindful of potential pitfalls. Always consider if your actions, even with the best intentions, could have negative consequences. While your willingness to help is valued, please remember to pause and think before taking any actions that could put you at risk. 

Lastly, a big thank you to the entire team involved in LS's care—you should all be very proud of yourselves for such a great job you did for her and her family. Special thanks also to Tariro at DG for their responsiveness and support. As of today, 7/10/24, we’ve followed up with the OT regarding their visit, as we’ve yet to receive any further updates. 

Staff Newsletter - October 2024

You Said: Pay can occasionally feel inconsistent

We Listened

Many of you suggested moving to a system that calculates your pay each period, providing greater accuracy and confidence in your earnings. We’ve listened to your feedback and have worked hard to make this a reality.

Our Action

We’re excited to share that we recently implemented changes to our pay structure to better reflect your time and efforts during visits. Now, your pay is calculated based on the actual time spent on visits, tracked accurately by our coordinating system. If you have any questions about how this change impacts you or if you’d like further clarification, please don’t hesitate to reach out. We understand that sometimes information can get muddled, and we’re here to ensure everything is clear! 

Reflective Lesson & Lessons Learnt:

In this month’s lessons learned section, we’d like to reflect on the recent case with RS and acknowledge the challenges faced by everyone involved. Whether you were on the frontline, handling the difficult interactions and blame, or working in the office fielding tough calls and coordinating with social services, we recognize it has not been easy. RS’s journey came to a tragic end, and we hope he has found peace. Throughout this complex care package, we encountered significant obstacles, but your unwavering commitment never faltered—thank you for that.

This is a moment to reflect, examine areas for improvement, and grow together as a team. One of the key areas we identified for improvement is our responsiveness in handling situations of this nature. In hindsight, one of our missteps was allowing family influence to overshadow the direct needs and voice of RS. We’ve realized that we could have done more to ensure RS’s perspective remained central to his care.

Your notes on this case have been detailed and comprehensive, which has been invaluable. Moving forward, however, we encourage adding further layers of detail. Consider including additional descriptions, photos, and calls to the Careline from visits in order to ensure we have the most complete, accurate picture possible, as we know perspectives can vary.

It’s essential for all of us to remain vigilant about any situations that may not seem right. If you ever sense that a family member may not have the best interests of the service user at heart, or if they appear confused and struggling, it’s important to bring these observations to our attention. Every insight you provide is invaluable in ensuring we deliver the best possible care to our service users, and together we can address any concerns effectively. Thank you for your commitment to maintaining a supportive environment for those we serve. 

We want to take a moment to express our heartfelt gratitude for your resilience and dedication during the challenging times we faced with RS. Your commitment to providing exceptional care has truly made a difference. A special thank you goes out to Nomi and Shameer, who exemplified extraordinary compassion by remaining outside to guide the ambulance to RS after he requested that they leave. We are fortunate to have such dedicated individuals on our team, and your actions reflect the high standard of care we strive to uphold. Thank you all for your unwavering support and commitment. 

Introduction of key workers:

This month, we launched the Key Worker initiative as part of our ongoing efforts to enhance team workflow and communication. This approach allows each team member to be assigned as a "Key Worker" for specific service users. By implementing this, we aim to streamline communication and ensure that you can quickly reach the right colleague for updates or insights on a service user's care.

What This Means for You

• Access to Information: With the Key Worker system, we can go directly to the designated team member for any updates regarding their assigned service users. This should save time and improve clarity.

• Form Accuracy and Data Collection: We anticipate that this approach will also improve the quality and accuracy of form completion, as Key Workers will be responsible for maintaining up-to-date and relevant information on their service users and assist us with form filling.

Next Steps

Please refer to the updated Key Worker list on our website. This list will be regularly updated and should be your go-to resource as we move forward with this system. Your cooperation with these changes is essential, and we appreciate your dedication to making this transition successful.

Special Mentions:

This month, we’d like to recognize Charlene for her swift and compassionate response when PM recently experienced a fall. Charlene’s attentiveness and quick action ensured PM received the immediate support needed. Thank you, Charlene, for your dedication and responsiveness. In light of these recent events, we are advocating for additional support for PM to enhance their safety and well-being.

A big congratulations also goes out to Ben for passing his UK driving test! This is a fantastic achievement, and we’re thrilled to celebrate this milestone with you. Well done, Benjamin!