New series: Care Show London's Session Spotlight
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My name is Molly and my role in the Care Show Team is to research and curate the conference programme for our event. I was thrilled to see that across our six theatres, every one of our 197 speakers at Care Show London 2024 provided invaluable, thought-provoking, educational, and up-to-date content for our delegates. As I walked the show floor across both days of the event, catching snippets of each and every session, I was thrilled to see theatres filled, audiences engaged, and even gangway queues for several Care Keynote sessions!
Each month’s bulletin will now feature a session highlight from Care Show London 2024, with a short summary and audio recording for all readers to access.
This month’s session highlight will shine a spotlight on a panel session of esteemed speakers in the Business Theatre on Day 2 of the event.
Retaining top talent: understanding the employees’ experience
Speakers:
- Angela Boxall, CEO, Majesticare Luxury Care Homes
- Avnish Goyal, Executive Chair & Founder, Hallmark Luxury Care Homes
- Rob Martin, Managing Director, Anchor Hanover
- Caroline Roberts, CEO, Aria Care
This Business Theatre session featured a distinguished panel discussing retention of high-quality talent within the workforce and enhancing team experiences. There was a key emphasis that care employees are providing a service to support people, not companies, thus highlighting the importance of the relationship between managers and care staff in a care setting. The panel included Caroline Roberts, CEO of Aria Care, Rob Martin, Managing Director of Anchor Care Homes, Angela Boxall, CEO of Majesticare Ltd, and Avnish Goyal, Executive Chair and Founder of Hallmark Luxury Care Homes.
Beginning with Caroline, she shared her journey from starting her work in care at the age of 15 all the way up to leading an organisation with around 2,700 colleagues across 50 care communities. She highlighted the importance of young people entering the care sector and the need for organisations to actively listen and respond to their employees in order to retain high-quality staff. Caroline highlighted the importance of valuing colleagues, understanding and supporting their career aspirations, and fostering a culture of diversity, inclusion, and development.
Rob Martin then discussed the challenges of maintaining a personal touch within a large organisation. With 121 care homes and nearly 7,000 colleagues, effective communication is crucial. Rob stressed the importance of empowerment and listening to employees' feedback. He mentioned using technology, such as digital care planning and the Workplace by Facebook platform, to enhance communication and engagement. This technology allows for real-time interaction and sharing of ideas, fostering a sense of community and support.
Angela Boxall addressed the changing expectations of different generations within the workforce. She noted that younger employees place high value on sustainability, community involvement, and transparency. She advocated for personalised communication and feedback mechanisms in order to ensure that employees feel both heard and valued. This approach is integrated into Majesticare's recruitment strategy, where current team members play a role in attracting new staff through personal testimonials and transparent communication about the organisation’s values and practices.
The session highlighted the overall importance of active listening, transparent communication, and aligning organisational practices with employee values to attract and retain high-quality staff members. The discussion also highlighted the critical role of technology in enhancing employee engagement and operational efficiency in the care sector. The panellists’ experiences and strategies provided valuable insights for organisations looking to improve their own talent retention and overall team experience.
Molly Benson
Conference producer
