Exemplar Health Care, a leading complex care provider, recently hosted ‘An audience with the Exec’, to empower the people they support to share their lived experiences and ideas with the Executive Management Team.
Regional Service User Ambassadors, Adam, Alex, and Dave attended the ‘Audience with the Exec’ meeting to present feedback from Exemplar Health Care’s Service User Council to the organisation’s Directors.
Their presentations highlighted three key areas: colleague engagement with service users, colleague turnover, and colleague morale. They explored how these areas impact quality of care and overall morale in their homes, with the ambassadors reflecting that “the wellbeing of those that care for us is directly proportional to (their) own wellbeing.”
The Service User Ambassadors shared that the “energy” and uplifting approach of Exemplar Health Care colleagues highly influences their interactions and create a happy environment to live in.
They shared that morale at their homes was positive and the person-centred activities designed for people of all abilities helps to connect service users and colleagues, creating a genuine community spirit.
The presentations also touched on the importance of continuity when it came to their relationships with colleagues, with the ambassadors noting they feel safe and happy being supported by people they are familiar with and who understand their individual care needs.
The celebration of colleagues’ hard-work and dedication was also highlighted as an excellent way of encouraging a “feel good factor”. Ambassadors suggested that service users could support this by having a more active role in activities like Exemplar Health Care’s Values Awards, which recognise the achievements of team members across the organisation.
The ambassadors are part of the Service User Council, a programme designed to encourage individuals to have a say in how the organisation works and new programmes, and co-produce projects. The Regional Service User Ambassador role is a recent addition to the programme, and Adam, Alex, and Dave nominated themselves for the position.
Other service users interested in the role will shadow the current Regional Service User Ambassadors to learn more about the role.
After the success of the first ‘An audience with the Exec’ meeting, the teams will meet every three months, ensuring the Regional Service User Ambassadors have impactful, ongoing input in the decisions of Exemplar Health Care’s Executive Team.
Dave, Service User Ambassador for Willowbeck in Sheffield, said:
“Representing service users at this high level initially sounded quite daunting, but I found the team to be friendly, approachable, and eager to hear what we had to say. I came away reassured that our experience matters, and there was a genuine interest and desire to listen and respond to our feedback.
“It’s also a rewarding responsibility to speak on behalf of other Service User Ambassadors. This is possible because of support for the Regional Council meetings and the efforts of the other ambassadors to represent service users at individual homes.”
Rachel Calladine, Business Development Director, shared:
“We had a great meeting with our Service User Ambassadors, and we received some impactful and insightful feedback from the Council that we’ve taken on board and reviewed as part of our monthly meeting.
“The collaboration between the Service User Council and the Executive Management Team highlights our mission of making ‘every day better’ for adults living with complex needs and putting our residents at the heart of everything we do. It’s certainly one of the best parts of my role.”
