Bernadette Mossman, Healthcare Director at Vida Healthcare
Since starting my career in health and social care, I’ve had many opportunities to learn from incredible people and hone my leadership skills. As Healthcare Director at Vida Healthcare, leadership is crucial to ensure that we’re innovating and delivering outstanding care that considers the unique needs of our residents.
Strong leadership can support the voice of social care and nurture a positive culture where the value of social care and its role within the wider care landscape is recognised. As a leader, I have a duty and responsibility to be an ambassador and advocate for social care which also translates into shaping policies and driving funding.
Yet it’s not just about social care as a whole. Leadership also involves living and breathing the visions and values of the company you work for, and working to make these a reality. This in turn will encourage staff, residents and family members to buy into the visions and values, as well as embrace and nurture them.
It’s also important to be open to feedback and be responsible for yourself. If your team is inspired by your passion and vision, and have regular opportunities to interact with you, you’ll nurture a team who is motivated and engaged. Taking on feedback and recognising when team members have done a fantastic job will also ensure that the work being carried out is at the highest level possible.
Strong leadership is essential in all businesses, and companies will suffer if the leadership team isn’t right. The foundations of any team depends on the strength of leadership and this is translated into social care, and dementia care specifically. Dementia care can be stressful, but a good leader will be able to look at the whole picture and bring out the best in people. Strong interpersonal skills and insight into every team member will drive a culture that works for everyone.
When it comes to approaching leadership, remember that no idea is a bad idea and everyone has a voice worth listening to. If you’re not scared to challenge yourself and look at innovative methods of leadership, you will succeed. At Vida we’ve implemented our Aspiring Leaders Course to inspire and support staff who are keen to move into a management role.
Doing a job that motivates and drives you is really important. At Vida we asked the management team to complete a motivational drivers questionnaire which helped us to recognise what makes our staff tick. For some who weren’t feeling fulfilled in their role, we worked with them to either adapt their current role or help them to move to a new role. Sometimes people are in the right company, just not in the right role and it’s vital to ensure this is being recognised.
However, not all people want to climb the ladder, but instead might want to completely master their current role. Listening to people’s voices will ensure that we can keep them passionate and continuously recognise opportunities where they can grow their knowledge base and become an ambassador for their role and company.
Strong leadership skills are also about recognising what people need, whether it’s a pay rise, training & development, or career progression opportunities. By acknowledging staff’s requests they’ll feel visible, heard and respected, ultimately ensuring they are loyal to the company.
There are so many facets of strong leadership which can make or break a team, and this means that it’s an ongoing learning process. Nobody is perfect, but if you listen to your team, take feedback onboard, and are willing to be flexible, the quality of work, team morale and workplace culture will speak for themselves.
