Finalist in last year’s Women Achieving Greatness in Social Care Awards, Vicky Haines, Managing Director for domiciliary care provider Kingsway Care, shares her approach to leadership and how her previous experience as a Probation Officer, has enabled shaped her approach to workforce development.
My previous experience as a Probation Officer, managing high risk offenders in prisons and the community has allowed me to develop a clear understanding of people and how they respond to ‘being managed’. This awareness has informed how to build positive and productive relationships with service users. In my experience, restrictive instructions are often counter-productive, with most people wishing to be part of both the discussion and the resolution. I feel those previous experiences equipped me to champion our team at Kingsway Care, whilst working in a collaborative manner. So, within a sector whose purpose is to care for others, developing my leadership style on a basis of supportiveness, inclusivity and collaboration has been a huge advantage.
The domiciliary care landscape is challenging, with on going conflicts around the cost of care and how to manage recruitment and retention within an ever-increasing demand for care. Whilst at Kingsway Care, I have made a determined effort to support the on-going professionalisation of the sector and create a principled environment to ensure appropriate pay and conditions match the level of skill, qualification and responsibility that come with these roles. These daily challenges require that leadership offers support to a workforce that is already navigating a complex sector and who are unlikely to respond well to dominant or transactional oversight.
At Kingsway Care, we have an inclusive workforce, which is 80% female, much in line with the overall adult social care workforce figures in 2022/23, which comprised 81% female and 19% male workers (Skills for Care, 2023). Our Senior Leadership Team fully supports workforce development, with continuous personal development seen as a necessary contribution to change the perception of this sector, to one which is viewed as an essential pillar of our society, complete with highly skilled, motivated, and committed care professionals.
At Kingsway Care we always lead by example, regularly updating our own knowledge base, readily accepting that we cannot know everything, always being prepared to acknowledge where change is required, and collaboratively pursuing solutions, which cultivates a safe, transparent, and supportive working environment.
Allowing our team the space to consider their strengths and desires for their futures has also been key to creating a workforce that feels valued, as they see our readiness to invest in their development. Every member of our team is offered the opportunity to advance their skills, through further training, if this is their ambition. We equally support those who are happy to carry out their roles to the highest standard without any inclination to take on further additional study. At Kingsway Care, it is never about expecting everyone to follow the same path, therefore we nurture whatever ambitions our team hold, as we recognise that our workforce will have diverse personal requirements depending on whichever stage of life they are in. I always aim to enhance the skills of potential female (and male) leaders within our team, as this approach has created a workplace culture where staff retention has become less of a concern.
Since leading the team at Kingsway Care, I am proud to have developed a team of people who appreciate the bigger picture. Professional success is based upon intelligently developed relationships, which helpfully speak to our team in an effective way, so inviting team members to be part of our strategic collaborations demonstrates that great ideas don’t just come from one place. Regardless of role within the business, no one is ‘just doing a job’. Everyone acknowledges the impact of their efforts on clients, colleagues, professional partners and the social care sector and our team value our constant attempts to change public perception around the amazing work they do, opening the door even wider for all female leaders of the future.
@KingswayCare
kingswaycare.com
