Why Staff Morale is at the Heart of a Quality Service

I have always believed that the way you treat your employees is the way they will treat your customers, and that people flourish when they are praised.

Richard Branson

In 1943 General Slim was appointed by Louis Mountbatten to take over command of the British Fourteenth Army made up of British and Indian Troops.  He was facing a big challenge.  His job was to turn the tide and defeat the Japanese in the jungles of Burma and prevent the invasion of India.

He was having to pick up the pieces of a broken army.   Over the previous 2 years the British and Indian Armies had taken a pounding from the Japanese – through Singapore, Malaya and now Burma.  After a series of defeats and no victories, morale was rock bottom.  Apart from facing a fearsome enemy – the troops also had to cope with harsh jungle conditions, malaria and other tropical diseases.  Equipment and materials were scarce with most of the same being allocated to the War in Europe.

Luckily General Slim was brilliant at his job and quickly got about replenishing, re-organising and training his troops for the fight back.  One of his toughest jobs was to raise the morale of his beleaguered men.

Morale, he knew, was a state of mind and in some ways intangible, yet Slim realized, good morale was based on what he thought were three clear foundations: spiritual, intellectual and material.

The Spiritual foundation was the task in hand.  Slim himself thought the cause was a noble one, that they had to smash and destroy what he believed to be an evil thing. The men of Fourteenth Army needed to understand the necessity of this and each and every one of them must be brought to recognize the importance of the part he had to play.

Intellectually, it was just as essential that each man believed that task could be achieved. He had to believe he was well trained, and that the Japanese soldier was in no way his superior. Also important was fostering confidence in the commanders; each man had to believe that whatever dangers and hardships he would be called upon to suffer, his life would not be lightly flung away.

Finally came the material component of morale. The men had to feel they were being as well equipped as possible, and that the logistical support was as good as it feasibly could be.

Holland, James. Burma ’44 (p. 62). Transworld. Kindle Edition.

In the home care sector, we manage and supervise a work force of carers working remotely in the community – almost always on their own.  Like Slim we are concerned to maintain and foster the morale of our staff.  Unlike most other businesses we do not see the staff every day.  We cannot be at their side or watch what they are doing, at all times, during working hours.  Also, for us to provide excellent care to our clients, continuity of staff is vital, so we are very keen to keep staff turnover to an absolute minimum.

Taking Slim’s three foundations of morale….

Spiritual – we provide a service which can change people’s lives for the better.  When recruiting we select candidates who share our commitment to providing high quality support and care to vulnerable and isolated adults in the community.  By working as a team, 365 days a year, together, we can make a real difference, relieving loneliness and helping those who sadly can no longer help themselves.

Intellectual – it is important to us that each carer believes he or she can provide the care and support needed by each client.  We are careful to match carers with clients, to ensure they share common interests and the chosen carer is best suited to the preferences of the client e.g. some clients prefer a quiet person, others prefer someone more extrovert.  We also insist on visits of a minimum 1 hour – ensuring the carer has enough time to do their best and make sure by the time they leave, everything is done and the client has had sufficient one-to-one time and attention in conversation or other activity.

Material – working as a carer can be very rewarding but can also be hard at times.  We therefore make sure we provide as much support and training as possible.  This includes induction training, shadowing for new carers, ongoing e-learning, phone support from experienced care manager, one to one supervision sessions, team meetings and anonymous feedback surveys.  We also provide easy to read guides on all the key information the carers need including practical issues as well as critical golden rules on safeguarding, Mental Capacity Act and more.  Carers are also provided with all the necessary PPE.

When new carers join Right at Home, they are all asked for sign up to the “Caregiver Promise”.  This helps them understand the high standards we expect from all staff and which are necessary to ensure we provide a high-quality service.  The Caregiver Promise includes promises they will:-

• Quality – Deliver outstanding, person- centred care to our Clients, ensuring you are supporting them to remain independent and enhance their quality of life. Make every effort to arrive on time, and if you are going to be late, let the office know so that we can inform the Client. You should ensure that the client gets your full attention, and under no circumstances should you smoke or use a mobile phone during their visit.
• Reliability – Always remember our Clients are vulnerable adults who rely on you to support them. It is therefore essential that you complete the shifts that have been allocated to you within your rota. Not completing a call or allocated shift leaves our Client’s in potential danger, puts additional pressure on your work colleagues and could potentially lead to a Safeguarding incident and disciplinary action.
• Communication – Ensure you have regular communication with office staff and other CareGivers, specifically around any feedback you may have regarding your Clients. Diligently complete communication sheets, MAR charts and any other documentation as instructed, have an open and honest relationship with your line manager, and discuss any worries or concerns you may have. Ensure that you read and respond to any emails, letters and other correspondence in a timely manner.