Within our sector we understand the importance of providing the best care to those we serve. For me, it is equally important to support the people who deliver this service, the lifeblood of our sector.
Employers tend to call the people who work for them staff or employees. At Nugent, our people are our most valuable resource and we call them heroes.
Nugent offers a diverse range of support to adults and children through our schools, care homes, children’s homes, community services, social work services and social enterprise. We strive to generate interest, awareness and understanding of issues around poverty and social welfare and the impact of this on our wider communities.
Working in the heart of some of the most vulnerable and disadvantaged communities our heroes protect, educate, care and inspire people from all walks of life. We hire great people from a wide variety of backgrounds, not just because it’s the right thing to do, but because it makes our charity stronger.
As Head of People, I believe having an open and transparent leadership style is vital for workforce engagement. Our values mean everything to us and acting in line with our values is at the core of our success. Our values are:
- Integrity – we are honest in what we say and do
- Ambition – we have high hopes for the future
- Courage – we stand up for what we know is right
- Compassion – we are kind and support each other
- Optimism – we believe we can
- Respect – we accept one another and look after all we share
- Dignity – we value ourselves and each other
Emotionally intelligent, values focussed, leaders are crucial to the success of our charity and set the right tone for our culture. It is important for leaders to act with integrity throughout the various roles in our organisation.
We encourage our leaders and managers to support, and inspire, our workforce by highlighting the importance of how individual contributions support the success of our charity. We use Insights discovery tool to help our people understand themselves, understand others, and make the most of the relationships that affect them in the workplace.
The challenges and pressures on our sector over the last few years have been well documented. Leaders are currently navigating winter pressure challenges within our services and the impact of the cost of living crisis.
During busy and challenging times it may seem a quick fix for leaders and managers to push back team meetings or supervisions with staff. In my opinion, during busy times, it is imperative that we make time for supervisions and team meetings. Without clear open communications we risk disrupting services and negatively impacting the people we care for.
I ensure that I take time to focus on the health and wellbeing of my immediate team. In a busy world, taking time to understand your direct reports and ensuring that we make time is critical. In addition to this keeping people interested, informed, involved will help to inspire. As leaders within the sector we must take time to listen, support and nurture the talent that exist in our organisations. We need to take responsibility for developing our future leaders.
At Nugent we all play a vital role in helping the organisation to achieve our vision and mission. We promote the importance of having open and honest dialogue with teams, demonstrating fairness, following up on commitments and showing we care. Together we are Nugent and this togetherness is crucial for our success.
