Here at Cavell Healthcare, we know that taking on a new job in any company or industry can be daunting.
Furthermore, whilst it is a hugely rewarding career, we completely understand that working in care can be challenging; it can be lonely and staff can feel undervalued and unappreciated. We don’t want any of our staff to feel like this. We cultivate an attitude of gratitude and this is embedded throughout the company; it is why we put in place initiatives such as goodie boxes at Christmas, holiday break giveaways and even a car prize draw to show our appreciation to our team.
We also realise that as well as our duty of care to our team members, we also have a duty of care to our clients. Very often our carers might be the only person a client might see all day, so it is imperative that our staff feel happy and confident in their job, so they can pass that on through the work they do for our clients. And it is a virtuous circle – we all know that just one smile from a client can make even the toughest days brighter and the job satisfaction that gives.
So, with this in mind, we are keen that our team members feel supported from the very moment they join the Cavell Family. We want them to have the confidence that they will come up to the same standard as their colleagues and to feel part of a team that really makes a difference to the lives of others daily. But how best do we achieve this?
Well the answer is a new scheme which we have launched throughout the company – our Buddy System. It goes without saying the best people to make a new team member feel welcome and to show them the ropes are those staff who have already been through the new recruit stages. Our Buddy System is designed to harness that knowledge and create meaningful relationships, as all new staff members joining the company will be assigned (based on their area, and work availability) to a team member who will be their buddy.
The idea is that the Buddy will offer the new team member reassurance through shadow shifts, by sharing their knowledge and experience. Buddies can suggest if and when additional training is needed and will be on the end of the phone for support or even the occasional meet up. Of course, we don’t expect buddies to give their time for free and a remuneration package has been created for buddies, but we hope that more than that our existing staff members will get as much out of the scheme as our new recruits.
After all, we live by the maxim – “There are no strangers working in healthcare, only friends you haven’t yet met”!
