Adult Social Care providers support pack - Print version

Top tips for recruiting and maintaining staff in care

Go local

Advertise in diverse locations in local communities remembering that not everyone accesses internet job sites. If you need staff in a particular part of the city advertise in that locality and use local social media Facebook locality community forum sites for example, candidates may be more likely to apply (and stay) if you can reduce their travel to work time/expense. Or go international - Skills for Care do a useful guide for international recruitment [https://www.skillsforcare.org.uk/Recruitment-support/Attracting-people/International-recruitment.aspx]. 

Talk to interested candidates

Recruitment is a time-consuming and costly process for employers particularly small organisations and one of the key frustrations is candidates not attending interviews. Working closely with organisations like the Job Shop in Coventry [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/employment-support/job-shop-services-people-looking-work] can help line up interested candidates who are actively considering a career in care.

Recruit based on values and behaviours

This should be an obvious one but too often recruitment processes fail to look for values and behaviours such as kindness, compassion, enthusiasm, and life experience. There is evidence to show that people exhibiting these qualities are more likely to seek and stay in a care role.

Help people understand the role

Successful care organisations need staff from diverse backgrounds to meet the needs of their clients but as previously mentioned you may need to do things differently to attract them. Offer taster sessions, work experience or “meet the employer” sessions in venues local to where you need staff. Talk to students in colleges and universities who are studying health and social care related courses they often want part-time work or placements to gain valuable experience for their qualification. Take a stand at a job fair and again talk to the Job Shop in Coventry who run specific events to support social care recruitment. There is also a host of evidence to show that staff who are referred to jobs by existing employees stay longer. Care Friends is an employee referral app that allows staff to do that and earn rewards for themselves at the same time.

Have a clear package of benefits for employees

It's often not all about the money for some staff and whilst you may have success in recruiting them, staff may be tempted to work for another employer for better conditions. Be clear about what you can offer, flexible hours, training, and development opportunities, supported travel. Some employers particularly in residential care are offering meals for staff on site, a benefit that has little cost to the organisation but can be a significant saving to the individual staff member. Other approaches include loyalty bonuses, increased overtime payments, one-off “thank you” payments, and wellbeing support (including Coventry and Warwickshire “With Staff in Mind” support).

Communication is key

If you have been successful in recruiting in local communities you may have recruited people who are new to the labour market, previously worked in another country or in a totally different field. The period between offering the job and starting work can be crucial in ensuring that the person completes the recruitment process. Keep in touch to inform them of progress, start to build the future relationship are their opportunities to start induction training and essential skills training early during that wait period. Are there opportunities to streamline the process to ensure that eager applicants can start as soon as possible?

Will your clients and their families help?

The recruitment and retention of good social care staff will be high on the list of priorities for the people who receive care from your organisation and their family members. Could those clients or families be involved in your recruitment process either through supporting at events/job fairs or by sharing their experiences in the form of case studies online or in publicity. Involving people who use the service will help candidates understand the needs and wishes of the people they will be supporting building confidence and enthusiasm for the role.

Adopt a positive leadership style

Staff in any sector will be reluctant to stay in a role where they do not feel valued or do not feel like their voice is heard. Think about your own leadership style and by making some changes could that help you to recruit staff that stay for the long term. Promoting staff interest or support groups, showing flexibility around working patterns, encouraging learning and development opportunities along with regular supervision, appraisal and team meetings can all help. Have you benefited from leadership training? Research shows that 58% of leaders/managers have never received any formal qualification or training. 

Recognise and reward good work

Workplaces that have a good reputation for supporting and recognising staff find it easier to recruit. Staff appreciation schemes, verbal and written praise build up a sense of goodwill, loyalty and belonging in employees. Pay increments and bonuses can help but often that is a short-term motivator for staff, how they feel in the workplace adds more to staffing staying employed for the long term.

Understand why people leave and why they stay

Explore why staff leave the organisation. Is it pay, is it cost of living, travel, terms, and conditions? Whatever the reason it pays to find out. Exit interviews are useful but the reasons people leave will be very different depending on how long they have been in the organisation, the solution for retaining new employees in the first month or two may be very different to retaining long-standing employees or senior staff. A retention strategy is a valuable piece of work and requires managers and owners viewing their organisation with a critical eye. You may have valued staff who have left and returned … ask them whether the grass was greener. Social care workers under 20 had the highest turnover rates in the sector (52.6%) (Skills for Care 2022). Young workers are the future experienced workers and should feature in any recruitment and retention strategy.

Understand the link between your turnover and your CQC rating

Your CQC rating and your level of staff turnover can be useful indicator of how your organisation is performing, not just for your clients and service users but as a healthy workplace for your employees.

Recent research by Skills for Care  shows that:

• Turnover rates were lower in establishments receiving high CQC scores
• Organisations with lower vacancy rates on average received better scores
• Organisations with higher levels of staff undertaking learning and development were more likely to receive higher CQC scores
• Establishments with a stable registered manager were likely to receive higher CQC ratings.
• Organisations with a historically high turnover rate were likely to continue to have increased rates.

Qualifications and training

Qualifications and the opportunity to take part in learning and development opportunities underpin many of the points on this document. Well-trained staff particularly those workers with a social care qualification were less likely to leave their posts (Skills for Care, 2022). Likelihood of leaving decreased if workers had more training (Skills for Care, 2022). Procuring private training can be expensive but costs can be cut if organisations jointly procure however it pays to explore key learning and development bodies such as Skills for Care [https://www.skillsforcare.org.uk/Home.aspx],  Adult Education [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/adult-education] and Scils [https://www.scils.co.uk/index.php] in the first instance.

Top tips for recruitment - things to think about before you advertise

When you know an employee is leaving

Carry out an exit interview.

• It's useful to find out why employees want to move from the organisation if you value them you might be able to do something that changes their mind, is it pay? Hours? Conditions or is it around relationships at work?
• High staff turnover can reduce confidence in an organisation understanding why people leave can help you understand why people may want to join you.
• Make sure you communicate the change to the team leaving the news to creep out can cause problems.

Has anything changed?

Review the vacancy.

• Does the job description/person specification still accurately reflect the role?
• Is there still a need for the role? Can the work be re-distributed differently?
• Do you need a permanent position, or might an interim post be appropriate?
• Will the vacancy trigger a restructure? If so have you thought about the impact that may have?
• Do you have a budget for recruitment? If not how will you promote the role to prospective candidates?
• In larger organisations do you have permission/authorisation to recruit?

Alternatives to advertising

Filling the vacancy by alternative methods.

• Can you recruit internally? – would training an existing member of staff to do the role be a positive solution?
• Is this an opportunity to explore apprenticeships? Apprenticeships are available at all levels and for people of all ages from care workers to managers.
• For a supervisor/manager position would mentoring/coaching help a member of staff step up a level?
• Perhaps not a permanent solution but might a trainee be an idea?

Top tips for recruitment – good practice recruitment checklist

Pre-advertising

• The post is reviewed, alternative ways of filling the position have been explored and job description is updated.
• Person specification is reviewed and contains only essential requirements
• Scoring matrix and additional assessment methods e.g. written exercises agreed.
• Interview format agreed (face to face, telephone, online, 2-stage)
• Agree dates for advertising, closing, shortlisting and interview
• Recruitment packs are complete and recruitment panel chosen and confirmed
• Position advertised

After the closing date

• Score the applications against the service specification
• Notify candidates successful for interview by telephone/email/post as early as possible after shortlisting. Decide what your response is to candidates who can't attend on the day. Do you offer an alternative?
• Ensure all successful candidates are aware of the date, time and format of the interview and if they are required to bring anything else with them e.g. evidence of right to work or presentation.
• Panel agree on questions to be asked at interview. Questions should align to competencies on the person specification.
• Send out joining link if interviews are online

At interview

• Ensure any technology to be used for presentations is working (often helps to have candidates send presentations (if required) in advance.
• If you have a number of candidates to interview try and ensure someone outside of the process is available to meet, greet and copy any required documents.
• Inform the candidate you will be seeking references and, if appropriate a DBS check.
• Be clear with candidates when they will hear of the panel's decision

Communicating the decision to successful and unsuccessful candidates

• Verbal conditional offers of employment can be made to successful candidates subject to references and all other checks e.g. health, DBS etc.
• Starting date agreed with the candidate subject to formal offer
• Formal offer should always be made in writing as soon as reasonably practicable
• Unsuccessful candidates informed either in person, by telephone or in writing
• Feedback should always be offered to unsuccessful candidates
• Confidential recruitment paperwork should be kept for at least 6 months before being destroyed to support any appeal or challenge to the process.

Why do people want to work in a care role? Ten top tips to aid recruitment

People have many reasons for wanting to work in the care sector. Below are 10 key reasons why. Try adding some of these to your recruitment advertising or specifically ask about the reasons at interview. Skills for Care estimate there could be up to 2.17 million jobs in the sector by 2025 competition is going to be fierce to attract the right sort of people and importantly retain them.  

1. Flexible/Family-friendly hours - Roles in the care sector are often flexible working hours which attracts a lot of job seekers as this works around people’s personal commitments. Working in the evenings or at weekends can be attractive to some people who prefer time off during the normal working week. Parents and students in particular find this style of work hours appealing.
2. Job satisfaction and values - Many individuals are attracted to working in the social care sector as they are aware of how rewarding the role is and how they will feel appreciated by management, service users, their families, and the local community. Job satisfaction and “making a difference” are key drivers in workplace retention.
3. Learning new skills and career progression – The care sector is growing and constantly changing which appeals to workers who are seeking development opportunities. Training and qualifications are expected as a standard offer from most care recruiters and there are good opportunities to build your skills, CV and future employability. Clinical skills are also learned in certain care roles which appeals to medical students looking for work alongside their degree.
4. Demand - Job seekers are increasingly aware of the demand for care staff in the UK. This may encourage job seekers to apply who may not have otherwise had the confidence to apply for the role, however it also means that competition between employers is fiercer, it pays to think about your “package” to attract the best candidates.
5. Strong team ethos – Its often shared that there is a strong sense of team working in the care sector. A workplace that is supportive, empowering and encouraging will always be attractive particularly if people have experienced the opposite in their previous work. Additionally, a positive work environment promotes staff retention.
6. Variety of roles available – There are a vast array of jobs to apply for in the sector which widens the demographic of applicants and offers choice for individuals who want to work in the care sector but are not sure what job is best suited to them. Opportunities exist for upskilling. Jobs available can include care assistant/support worker, gardener, maintenance, chef, nurse, administration, laundry assistant, management, occupational therapist.
7. Job security - The care sector is eagerly recruiting at the moment and is predicted to continue to be an area of growth. The sector is also taking positive steps to improve staff retention which can be appealing to individuals aiming for job security. It may also give less-confident job seekers encouragement to explore and apply for roles if their current work area becomes unstable.
8. Values vs experience - Care role hiring focuses on individual values as well as experience to place the right person in the right job. Values such as the importance of positively transforming lives and empowering civilians will attract individuals to seek care roles.
9. No two days will ever be the same – This is attractive to many job hunters and working in care offers a different work experience every day whether that is in residential/nursing or home support
10. Valuing transferable skills – Many people don’t realise they already have many of the skills and lived experience to work in a care setting and those skills are easily transferred to looking after other people. Try and attract people who have brought up families or cared for other family members. Don’t forget young people, whilst they might not bring those skills immediately they can add a very different dimension to a staff team that is very positive and valued by service users.

10 top tips for reducing business costs

1. Look after your team – Recruitment and selection of new staff is expensive and time consuming. Poor staff retention rates can also be reputational and have a negative impact on recruitment. Check out our recruitment and retention page for more ideas.

2. Review absolutely everything! – When was the last time you took time out to examine what your business does and importantly what you actually pay for. Additional costs can be hidden in the balance sheet that in the hustle and bustle of daily business you just miss. Uncancelled subscriptions, mobile phone contracts, energy wastage and the cost of everyday business consumables in the case of residential care laundry costs, cleaning solutions and service costs a forensic deep dive into the bank account at least once a year could net useful savings.

3. Get some (free) professional business advice - Free business support is available in Coventry and Warwickshire and an experienced, independent business adviser might be able to help you cut costs by for example:

• Revisiting your and updating your business plan
• Helping to pivot or diversify your business
• Signposting to additional or new funding/financial assistance
• Support on how your business could save money by being more “green”
• Supporting with training, business mentoring or coaching

Small business support in Coventry and Warwickshire is provided by the “Coventry and Warwickshire Business Support Programme” delivered by the Coventry and Warwickshire Growth Hub for more details email support@cwgrowthhub.co.uk [mailto:support@cwgrowthhub.co.uk] or call 0300 060 3747.

4. Same thing (but cheaper) – Businesses can get locked into contracts that offer unfavourable conditions or costs after a period of time. Point two encourages you to do a deep dive on those all business costs, this one is around looking for new providers and ensuring you have the best value for money. Pay particular attention to insurance policies, photocopier contracts, mobile phone policies, satellite and cable TV contracts and subscriptions to training or even magazines anything you pay that is over a year old. Challenge everything and make sure you are getting the best deal … you’d do it for your home utilities, why not business?

5. Go paperless – save money – Printers and photocopiers are some of the most expensive pieces of equipment to use and service in fact a gallon of printer ink can cost more than the most expensive champagne! Often it can be cheaper to buy a new machine than a full set of
new cartridges. It makes sense then to limit what you print and copy to absolute essentials … it's also better for the environment. Cutting down on print and copy costs can be a significant saving.

6. Ask for a discount! – Nobody does but why not ask? Of course you need to be prepared to walk away if you don’t get what you want but if the company wants your business bad enough then it is certainly worth a try. Don’t be too loyal. Buying in bulk or buying regularly gives you more bargaining power but with reference to point four be careful you don’t lock yourself into an unfavourable contract by grabbing what looks like an attractive introductory deal. Can you join with other homes or providers to buy more basics in bulk and attract greater discounts e.g. washing powder, stationery.

7. If you don’t use it, why keep it? – Storage space or the lack of it in care homes can be a big issue. When was the last time you took a look in that dark space where things get put when they are no longer used, you might be surprised and moving them on might actually make you some money, it will certainly free up valuable space. Pay attention to: Televisions, radios, computer monitors, vacuum cleaners etc. that are not being used sell them or give them away to create space.

• Mobility equipment – is it still needed? Should it be returned to the provider or again could it be sold or donated.
• Office furniture
• Out of date, chemicals, cleaning products or even food!
• Boxes of leads and cables belonging to long-disposed of electrical equipment.

If you are disposing of computer equipment remember to remove or wipe clean hard drives that may contain sensitive personal or business information.

8. Save energy – This may seem like an obvious one but with the current cost of energy it pays to make sure things are switched off. Equipment on “standby” still uses power, if you don’t need it all day then switch it off. Do you need ALL of the lights on and have you invested in
some basics such as LED low energy bulbs to reduce costs for essential lighting. More modern equipment can also be more energy efficient so it may be time to update things like TVs and computer monitors to more economical units.

9. Get smarter at meetings – If the Covid-19 pandemic has changed one thing it’s the way businesses do meetings. Travelling to meetings (fuel costs, time out of the home or the office, parking expenses) can soon run up costs especially with a large team so why not make online meetings the norm. Make a goal to cut your travel costs by 50% over the next six months and see what savings that can generate.

10. Buy local – what goes around often comes around – Buying local and building up those relationships with local suppliers can on the face of it look more expensive but that can be misleading. There are real advantages in adopting a buy local policy. How much are you paying in shipping for basic goods coming from outside of the City? In terms of food you are often eating “in season” which means the cost can be lower, its good for your social value/social impact and its better for the environment that you aren’t paying for goods to be shipped from the furthest reaches of the country. You may find discounts are better, local providers are more receptive to a “deal” and they may be more willing to actively support you business and your residents/service users in events.

15 top tips for writing better funding applications

1. Read the Specification – And then read it again and then read it again making notes! Bullet point the key asks of the specification, the important documents you need to provide and when it has to be returned by. Can you win this based on past performance or expertise? Or do you really want it? Does it fit your strategic objectives? Bids that are aligned to your core business will always be more successful. The specification is what the commissioner wants, they may welcome some innovation, but the time is often long gone where wholesale changes would be welcomed … be certain you can deliver what is in the specification for the required price and the required quality before you even start?
2. Detail is everything – If you are presented with a two-part tender (business questionnaire and method statements) the temptation is to major on the method and treat the business questionnaire as a “tick box exercise”. This is a dangerous tactic as this section often contains the PASS/FAIL questions, an error of judgement or a wrong answer to one of these could see you ejected from the tender process without even having your method statement read. It happens much more than you think!
3. Answer the question! – Obvious one really but answering the question requires discipline and staying on point. Its always about what the buyer/commissioner/purchaser wants and that should be clear in the specification and at the root of every answer. Be wary of word limits and do not exceed them. Most electronic tenders will not allow you to go over the word limit but It’s easy to stray off-topic writing an overly wordy response and not actually answer the questions. Subheadings and bullet points can help you stay on track they can also help the person evaluating your response to process the information.
4. Never assume anything – If you are applying for a contract or funding never assume that the person who is evaluating the tender knows what you are talking about. Avoid abbreviations and technical terms, write in plain interest and structure your response as if you are a new provider “we will do what we always have done very successfully in the City” will, unfortunately, feature very low in the scoring matrix.
5. Professional Bid Writer or DIY? – Professional bid writers come at a cost but even the best professional bid writer will know your organisation and its capabilities as well as you do, they will not be able to show your enthusiasm for a tender and make it come alive on paper/screen and may not know all the connections and partnerships that come together in a locality to make a good service work. On the other hand, professionals are disciplined, often come with experience and you will get a bid in on time (although of course there’s no guarantee of success)
6. Avoid “Copy” and “Paste” – If you are relying on “copy and paste” you are not thinking about what’s actually required by the service specification. Sometimes it can be very obvious that a passage has been pasted in from another tender and can easily go badly wrong if that pasted text includes identifiable information e.g. applying for a tender in Coventry but mentioning you will do something in “Leicester” never instils confidence.
7. The Importance of Attachments and Implementation Plans – As part of your bid preparation make sure you are aware of the attachments, policies, procedures and implementation plans. There is always a temptation to major on the text submission and leave the plans until last, a rushed or very generic project risk assessment or plan will be obvious and could lose you important marks in the final evaluation.
8. Avoid Jargon – This should be obvious but it's so easy to slip into the words we use every day at work and that even between health and social care, is not a common language. Write in plain English explaining what you are going to do, who with and who to using terminology that would be understood by a layperson.
9. Evidence your claims – Commissioners and buyers are trying to gauge competence from your tender submission so make it easy for them. Provide examples and evidence of where you have delivered similar services successfully before. If you are asked to provide business references, ask the referees permission first before submitting the application.
10. Talk about your Impact and your expected outcomes – not just your outputs – The service specification will tell you in detail what needs to be delivered for the contract but how will your organisation do it and do it better than the competition. What will good or even excellent look like and tell commissioners what you already have in place that will ease implementation. Be realistic but confident with your outcomes … failing to hit them will cause problems in the future and dent purchasers confidence in your organisation.
11. Work “Offline” until the last possible moment – The majority of tenders are now completed online however unless the submission is particularly small download the questions and complete them offline. Working offline allows you to share the answers around the team without sharing the passwords, can help avoid problems such as submitting by accident and allows you to divide the work between the “experts” in your team. There's nothing worse than writing 2000 words only to lose them through a computer failure.
12. Pick your “winning team” carefully – “Work collaboratively but write with one voice” – You may want to break the answers up and ask your team “experts” to fill in their knowledge area but there are two key things to consider here. Firstly tell your team, in good time, that they are going to be involved nobody likes a big job dropped on them at the last minute and secondly the main tender writer needs to make sure the narrative reads as one voice, a tender submission that is all over the place with different language and styles of writing is hard to understand and can look unprofessional.
13. Get the budget right! – Point 2 talks about getting the detail right, budget/finance mistakes are some of the easiest to make. Different figures in tables and text, applying for more than is available and even not submitting a budget at all are all common mistakes to make and at the least can cause you to lose marks in scoring at worst get your tender excluded. If you work in a larger organisation make sure you have the authority to put the budget in in the first place.
14. What’s your ADDED value? – What added value, social impact, social value can you identify that will set you apart from other organisations? Commissioners and buyers need to prove they have maximised value for money and the more you can offer to prove that the more attractive your tender will be over the competition. Be careful not to promise what you can't deliver though.
15. Getting it gone! – So you’ve written everything, collated all the appendices and supporting documents … it's ready to go! However best practice says you should be at this point at least a day before the submission deadline, somebody, preferably not you (if you have written it) needs to give it a final proofread and only after that send it off. There can always be IT problems that may trip you up so submit in good time, there is no negotiation over digital tenders they are time and date stamped as they are submitted. Keep a record of the submission receipt.

Top tips for boosting your CQC rating

1. Know your staff team – Knowing your staff team is the best way to avoid surprises when it comes to your next inspection be discrete but understanding your teams’ goals and personal plans can help avoid a change of key staff just before the next inspection. If a manager has an intention to leave encourage dialogue so that you can work together to ensure a positive handover.
2. Review all care plans – Make sure they are up to date and accurately reflect the needs of service users/residents. Ensure that they clearly show your support team know the person, their needs, preferences and contain plans for any known illnesses or accessibility needs.
3. The paperwork is important – Check incident/accident records are up to date and that if necessary, practice has been adjusted to avoid repeats. If any training has been introduced then show a link between the learning and the incident/accident.
4. Ensure your values are visible – Shadow the team from a distance, observe how the team interact with each other, with service users, family carers, visitors and ensure they are displaying the values of empathy, dignity and respect. Following your review if work around communication and values needs to take place start now, changing behaviour takes time.
5. Safeguarding – Get on top of any safeguarding investigations and make sure all necessary paperwork is completed correctly, process has been followed and the paperwork is together. Ensure that the communication lines are transparent, who you contacted, when you contacted them and when CQC. Check if care plans have been updated to reflect the safeguarding.
6. Refresh key training – Use team meetings to refresh key training ahead of any inspection. MCA/DOL, safeguarding and whistleblowing are all key areas so it pays to support staff to answer simple questions about the reason why it's needed and the processes. Training doesn’t have to be formal or complex just ensure staff have a basic understanding.
7. Discover people’s opinions in advance – it always pays to understand early on if you staff or residents/service users have any issues around the service. Conduct surveys in advance, record them and register any improvements or changes in practice you implement afterwards. Carry out surveys regularly as part of normal quality control and good practice.
8. Is it going well? – It may seem obvious but are you currently breaching any CQC regulations or behind on implementing any action from a previous inspection? If you find you are put your plans to remedy the issue in place immediately don’t leave it to others and don’t leave it too long you will struggle to improve your rating with a breach of regulations.
9. Feel the heat! – it's often called a “temperature check” but you need to be able to understand how your staff view the organisation and how they may respond to certain questions. Talk to staff individually, formally or informally about how they find work and importantly how they find working for you. It's sometimes difficult for a manager or leader to ask the team questions about their style so ask someone independent to do it … you can guarantee a good inspector will!

Top tips for promoting better wellbeing at work

1. Recognition and praise – It might seem obvious but as work gets busier and more demanding managers and leaders are more likely to miss the opportunities to show they value their staff. This issue can be even more acute where staff are remote working e.g. home
   support services. Recognition can take the form of personal thanks and praise through to public recognition or even awards or additional payments. The recognition need not be expensive, but it does have to be regular. Regular recognition will contribute towards a positive wellbeing culture in the team.
2. Talking about it … It’s never a problem – Encouraging a culture where wellbeing, both mental and physical is commonly discussed at work can never be a problem. A wellbeing culture gives employees the confidence to discuss issues they may be facing at an early stage and positively affect sickness and absence.
3. You should leave that at home! – We have all worked in organisations that believe what happens at home shouldn’t be brought into the workplace however what happens at work often directly has an impact on work. Issues at home can have a direct effect on employee performance, attitude, time keeping, sickness and in work relationships so it pays to make space to discuss the wider issues of employee wellbeing.
4. Make space for groups – There is plenty of evidence that creating a sense of belonging and sharing common purpose can improve workplace wellbeing. Employees working at an office, a care setting or any other fixed base may find it easier to get together over a coffee, a short team meeting or a shared lunch, its much harder for staff working remotely in the community but it is important, and it will help connect staff to each other and the workplace.
5. Encourage staff to keep active – Promote the idea of lunchtime walks, or after-shift walks, make it fun, set a challenge around staff keeping active. Talk to the local gym and find out if they have any offers e.g. reduced membership or encourage staff to make use of the discounts in CV card or the Blue Light Card to keep fit and active.
6. Create a wellbeing environment – Encourage fresh air and natural light wherever possible some studies claim people exposed to natural light have a 15% higher level of wellbeing than those who work in other environments. Bright environments make everyone feel better so if curtains are closed or windows are blocked do what you reasonably can to increase light. Plants improve mood … but make sure someone takes responsibility for watering them! Pictures and art brighten up the environment but move them around to maintain interest. Finally try and make space and remove clutter and for office staff why not introduce a standing desk.
7. Learn a new skill or hobby – Encourage staff to stay mentally challenged by learning a new skill, a new hobby, explore mindfulness techniques, read or just do something different every week. Why not set up a process where staff can share their plans and tell other staff what they are personally doing to keep mentally well. Many wellbeing organisations are adaptable and will happily visit the workplace if there is enough demand why not introduce something like Yoga for the staff team or armchair exercise sessions for the residents and service users.
8. Measure workplace happiness! – It's easy for managers and leaders to measure their team in terms of their performance but in the care sector where staff retention is such an issue a happy and healthy team is more likely to stay together and perform better. Happy teams support each other and actively embrace a more wellbeing focused workplace. Setting a “happiness” goal in the team plan might feel a little strange at first but this is one goal you can really engage with the team to set and define how you would measure a “healthy and happy” team.
9. You are what you eat! – As an employer you can use food to help improve the health and wellbeing of your teams by just adopting a few little workplace hacks. Stock up the fruit bowl, leave healthy snacks in communal areas and why not a stock of herbal or fruit teas in the kitchen. Donuts and cookies might be a welcome treat but try not to make them the norm.

10 top tips for more effective digital marketing

1. Understand who you are trying to reach – Digital marketing can be powerful but it is only successful if you reach the people you are trying to reach. Research how different ages, genders, and ethnicities access their digital content and choose your platform to get your message
   across. For example, it might not be wise to choose to use TikTok to reach potential self funders of care services if you understand their key demographic is young people 10-19 years old. Facebook however or LinkedIn with a much broader reach are much more likely to be effective latest research shows adults over 65 years of age are Facebook’s fastest growing audience.
2. Acquire some skills – Marketing digitally is a relatively new skill, some of the principles of traditional marketing will apply but the pace and the media is wildly different. It pays to get some good advice or even build up capacity within the business to respond. Access some free business advice from the Coventry and Warwickshire Growth Hub support@cwgrowthhub.co.uk [mailto:support@cwgrowthhub.co.uk] or why not consider a digital marketing apprentice. There are many advantages to be gained by bringing a younger person into the team with fresh skills and again the Growth Hub will be able to advise. Alternatively contact a specialist Creative Apprenticeship Provider such as the social enterprise Creative Alliance. [https://creativealliance.org.uk/]
3. Active and passive messages – There are many ways to get your message across and the most common is active advertising/marketing on social media by reaching out to your target audience. Do not, however, underestimate the power of passive marketing where you give opportunities for potential customers or “followers” to come to you. Blogs, commentaries or video channels where individuals can tune in to learn from you the person, your skills and knowledge all store up goodwill and build confidence in your business. YouTube can be a route trough to potential service users or their families or for written blogs and commentaries targeted at potential purchasers or business professionals LinkedIn might be the favourite platform.
4. Email Marketing – Email marketing can be extremely effective and at the same time incredibly annoying. Sending unsolicited emails to people who don’t want to receive them is counterproductive and the message is lost, it can also drop you in hot water over GDPR and it's for this reason it has lost its popularity over the past few years. There are ways to ensure you are sending emails to people and it need not cost money platforms such as Mailchimp [https://mailchimp.com] offer free packages for small businesses but the functionality can be limited they are worth exploring if you have regular content you want to distribute by email.
5. Update your website – Chances are unless the internet is your primary communication tool, your website is out of date, chances are it has broken links and may even show members of staff who no longer work for the organisation. Since the advances in social media website function has changed from the primary point of info to a landing place where visitors can branch off and get up-to-date news and information the result of this is the average person is likely to spend 45 seconds to a minute browsing your site … you need to make an impression fast. A slow website can also hamper your Google rankings and make you more difficult to find. Consider slimming down your site to essential useful information allowing visitors to get what they need quickly and also help you to keep control of it in terms of maintenance.
6. Let your customers/carers/service users drive the content – What are your key enquiries? Chances are you will find a pattern over a month, you will also understand who is making the enquiries are they potential self-funders? Or family carers or professionals asking questions around placements. Use this intelligence to drive your content both on social media and on the website. If its about “quality” talk about your CQC rating on social media and the website and then why not write a LinkedIn blog on what you did to achieve such a positive score.
7. Use video – Since 2021 video has been the most common form of content on social media. Case studies have always been a powerful way to get your message across and now it's simpler than ever with better phones, video editing apps and lots of platforms to host content. Research shows 90% of information transmitted to the brain is visual so in terms of getting the message across it pays to learn the skills. “Live stream” only occasionally, an unscripted livestream can be well received and shows the “human” side of the organisation.
8. Post regularly – Social media moves so quickly hot news can be forgotten literally in minutes. People will only follow you and your news if it is relevant and regular and this can be a challenge justifying the time to sit at the computer promoting the organisation on social media. Consider posting on multiple platforms to extend your reach and consider using a post scheduling website to automate posting at the key points of the day especially if those times coincide with you being busy doing something else.
9. Be (and remain) professional – The internet can be a cut throat environment and mistakes hang around for a long time but can influence people immediately. Decide in advance with a cool head how you will respond when things don’t go well, that negative review or post you feel is unjustified, that disgruntled member of staff that has just left (or been asked to leave) or those unwanted adverts that appear on Facebook that may upset someone. Being clear about how you will respond in advance avoids unsightly arguments online and the risk that others will be dragged into the conversation.
10. Understand the limitations of going online – Social media and online marketing whilst important will not reach everyone, it needs to be part of a strategy that includes traditional methods that include printed media and importantly word of mouth. Ensure your home is featured in community directories or advertised in key community locals such as community centres, places of worship, shops and libraries.

10 top tips for embracing co-production with service users, staff and family carers

1. Have a person-centred approach. Throughout the entire process, assess the needs of the person you are aiming to involve and work with them.Be clear about what you are trying to co-produce, who is actually involved and ensure that any service users and carers are clear of their role, the demand on their time and if and how any remuneration will be offered.
2. Include the service-users/family carers from the beginning. This saves time, money and reduces the number of changes needed. You may need to offer additional support to truly involve people and in some cases offer training. True co-production involves all key stakeholders and you should involve staff at all levels in the organisation, this will also help in implementing changes to practice should it be required.
3. Any offer of payment/ compensation needs to be realistic and non-tokenistic. You are consulting with experts by experience and that expertise should be recognised at inappropriate level.Any remuneration should be clear at the start of the process before people are asked to take part.
4. Participants in co-production need to feel valued and treated as an equal, especially if involved in a group setting. Avoid using internal jargon–this makes some people feel that they are of less value and their views and opinions are less important than that of paid staff or professionals. People can soon feel disenfranchised from the group and be less likely to contribute or support other co-production projects in the future.
5. Co-direct instead of solely co-producing. Inform the participants of the outcomes and include them in the delivery of the results of the projects. Involve people in the entire process. Do not work with a service user/family carer for a ‘tick box’. Involve them throughout the process and in the decision-making so that they feel valued and appreciated.
6. Be open and honest. Make sure there is a budget identified and it is adequate to involve everyone who is needed. Co-production and engagement may require incentive for participation. In a group setting, incentives are offered to make people feel equal. Remuneration is more important in group settings than for individuals commissioned for completion of one-off projects.
7. Diversity and representation–often the same people repeatedly participate in co-production. Aim to diversify the demographic of participants for more perspectives from seldom-heard groups, gain a better understanding of service users and subsequently, achieve more effective results.
8. If co-production work requires service users, family carers and support staff to work outside of their normal or agreed hours how this is rewarded should be clear at the start of the process for example in a residential home or home support service it can be difficult to involve support staff whose hours are 100% care hours.
9. Accessibility - people's travel costs should be undertaken by the organisation. Participants whether they are paid staff, service users or family carers should not be ‘out of pocket’ to engage and co-produce. To make the process fully accessible you may need to provide transport.
10. Some individuals may not be in a position to accept financial payments as experts by experience this may be due to issues with welfare benefits or just that they do not wish to be financially rewarded. There are other ways of showing appreciation which give value to their contributions for example gift cards, certificates, support with training. Financial remuneration however should always be offered in the first instance.

General resources, local training and money saving opportunities for staff working in care

Logo	Information about company or resource
	Support to Improve your CQC Rating Skills for Care have a wealth of resources, tips and advice [https://www.skillsforcare.org.uk/Support-for-leaders-and-managers/Good-and-outstanding-care/Improve-your-CQC-rating.aspx] on how to improve your CQC rating. These include checklists, staffing guides, support for managers,targeted training and benchmarking tools.
	UK Government support for businesses around the Energy Bill Relief Scheme [https://www.gov.uk/guidance/energy-bill-relief-scheme-help-for-businesses-and-other-non-domestic-customers?gclid=Cj0KCQiA5NSdBhDfARIsALzs2EDIgHPtYHFCFXY91uVQGlNrPXSbjHIl-GswNrAvg5RkXFskwiebzhEaAiiaEALw_wcB] providing support for non-residential customers.
	Coventry and Warwickshire Growth Hub [https://www.cwgrowthhub.co.uk/] is a one stop shop for businesses including care organisations who want help around their growth and business sustainability. The Growth Hub runs programmes sometimes funded that can support with being more green and/or more competitive. Growth Hub business advisors can support individual businesses or groups of businesses in one sector and can provide practical help around refreshing business plans, developing strategy and accessing local, regional or national business funding.
	Think Care careers pages from Skills for Care [https://www.skillsforcare.org.uk/Careers-in-care/Think-Care-Careers.aspx] - Lots of useful information and resources including video and tips for employment advisors tempting people to work in care. Good first point of contact.
	Sustainability West Midlands [https://www.sustainabilitywestmidlands.org.uk/] can offer some free support to businesses of any size and in any sector that are ready to make a commitment towards meeting the WMCA target of reaching a net zero carbon economy by 2041. In addition the organisation can offer a range of useful information, events and advice to businesses including consultancy services.
	International Recruitment - Skills for Care [https://www.skillsforcare.org.uk/Recruitment-support/Attracting-people/International-recruitment.aspx] have web pages dedicated to supporting organisations interested in recruiting internationally.
	Act On Energy [https://actonenergy.org.uk/] - Information on saving money on energy, grants for renters and home owners. Useful for both staff and businesses.
	Discounts for Carers [https://discountsforcarers.com/] is a web portal offering discount, cashback and vouchers for carers and care workers. Free to join, the site offers discounts across a broad range of goods including day-to-day shopping, motoring, insurance, and finance as well as broadband, TV, and utilities. There is also a cashback card for use at supermarkets and other local retailers.
	The Blue Light Card [https://www.bluelightcard.co.uk/] is another discount scheme and is open to staff working in social care. There is a small fee to get the card (approximately £5) and you have to upload evidence of working in the emergency services or social care (e.g. ID card) but that subscription lasts for two years. Discounts are available from over 15,000 sources; some big retail names, leisure and restaurants but you can't see the range of discounts available until after you have signed up.
	Skills for Care have web pages dedicated to supporting the development of leadership and management in care [https://www.skillsforcare.org.uk/Support-for-leaders-and-managers/Support-for-leaders-and-managers.aspx]. The resources work for existing managers or those aspiring to move into a leadership role.
	The Care Workers Charity [https://www.thecareworkerscharity.org.uk/] - Help and support to people working in the care sector.
	Pet-XI [https://www.pet-xi.co.uk/] offers training for job seekers in essential and basic skills, the majority funded through European Social Fund (ESF) funding so are free to access. The organisation is offering an interactive online course to people who are considering working in social care. Courses consist of: Communication, Equality, diversity and inclusion, Personal development, Role of the social care worker, Handling information, Health and safety, Safeguarding, Duty of care, Person centered approaches.
	Thrive at Work [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/workplace-wellbeing-charter-awards] is delivered in partnership with the West Midlands Combined Authority and is a good practice and quality award for health and wellbeing in work. The Thrive at Work commitment provides employers with a structured approach to workplace health and wellbeing. It’s a blend of organisational and individual wellbeing elements which are broken down into ‘modules’ such as policy and procedures, mental health, musculoskeletal and promoting healthy lifestyles. The programme is managed online with a bespoke dashboard to monitor progress and upload evidence against the listed criteria in order to gain accreditation of the Thrive Award. Organisations work at their own pace to implement the commitment criteria. Thrive at Work provides an accreditation for organisations of over eight employees. Best of all it's free! Organisations will need to identify a member of staff to become the Workplace Health and Wellbeing Lead and make a management commitment to support.
	Free Go CV app for residents of Coventry, discounts in shops and large discounts, sports facilities, theatres, museums and on fees for Adult Education courses. Register on the Go-CV website [https://go-cv.co.uk/].
	Adult Education [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/adult-education] provides courses and learning opportunities for both employers and employees. Course range from leisure subjects to work-related. Some courses are free other chargeable but Coventry residents can get a significant discount by applying for the Go CV app/card. Adult Education can also commission and provide specialist and bespoke workplace training for employers including moving and handling, medication control etc.
	Cov Connects [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/cov-connects] can support local people with digital inclusion, provide social internet tariffs, digital training and support. Access to volunteer digital champions through digital drop-ins in local libraries. Online guides and support for older people going online including digital safety. Access to free sim cards with data.
	Individual Skills for Care Membership [https://www.skillsforcare.org.uk/Support-for-leaders-and-managers/Support-for-registered-managers/Membership/Membership.aspx] supports leaders, managers and owners to keep up with and develop best practice and knowledge, keep up-to-date with sector developments and share ideas with like-minded peers. For £35 per year, managers can become a member and benefits include access to exclusive resources, monthly newsletters and discounts. Membership benefits printed copy of our Social care manager’s handbook* monthly newsletter, including practical information and guidance an exclusive annual resource when you renew your membership discounts on key resources, programmes and events the chance to train to become a mentor, or receive mentoring a membership certificate and logo exclusive access to recorded digital masterclasses to support social care recruiters in using social media to boost recruitment and retention. The masterclasses focus on Facebook, twitter, Instagram and TikTok.
	elfh (elearning for healthcare [https://www.e-lfh.org.uk/]) - Health Education England initiative. Over 400 E-learning programmes to support workers in healthcare. Courses are from basic to advanced. Users need to register to access the programmes.
	Helen Sanderson Associates [https://helensandersonassociates.com/events] provide a range of e-learning opportunities to support staff around person-centred care practice, support planning and risk-taking. Courses are accessed through buying licences with a sliding scale of prices depending on how many licences are required.
	Sky Blues in the Community [https://www.ccfc.co.uk/community/about-sky-blues-in-the-community/] is the registered charity of Coventry City Football Club and organises a range of community initiatives around health and wellbeing that local people can access.
	The Care School [https://www.skillsplatform.org/] offers a huge range of training for both clinical and non-clinical tasks. Much of the training is online/distance learning and can be accessed for free or around £10 a course.
	Pets as Therapy [https://petsastherapy.org/] is a national charity that provides trained and tested therapy dogs to support people who would benefit from having a bit of canine contact in their day. Pets as Therapy local volunteers will bring animals to sessions, events or just to visit individuals in a wide variety of care settings from schools, to residential homes, dementia groups and even prison.

Public health support

Supporting service users and their families

Stop smoking

Smoking is the leading cause of premature and preventable death in the country and a major cause of social care needs - smokers need care, on average, when they are 63, ten years sooner than non-smokers. While smoking rates have been steadily falling, rates remain higher among people experiencing health inequalities.

It doesn't matter how old you are or how long you've been smoking, quitting smoking at any time improves your health. When you quit, you are likely to add years to your life, breathe more easily, have more energy, and save money. You will also lower your risk of cancer, heart attack, stroke, and lung disease.

Smokers are four times more likely to successfully quit with the help of a stop smoking service than going it alone. Support includes talking therapy, nicotine replacement therapy and vaping kits and is free for anyone living or working in Coventry. Just call Healthy Lifestyles Coventry [http://www.hlscoventry.org] on 0800 122 3780.

Maintain a healthy weight

Free support and advice to help people living in Coventry is available from Coventry from Healthy Lifestyles Coventry [http://www.hlscoventry.org]. Just call 0800 122 3780.

Identify and respond to domestic abuse

Domestic abuse includes physical, emotional, financial and sexual abuse in couple relationships or between family members.

Training on identifying domestic abuse and safely responding to a disclosure is available from Coventry Haven. Haven also offers a ‘Champion’ scheme to support nominated individuals from local organisations to be an expert on domestic abuse. Call 0800 111 4998 for details.

Identify and respond to drug or alcohol misuse

Free training in drug and alcohol awareness is available from CGL [http://www.changegrowlive.org/drug-alcohol-service-coventry/info]. Call Tel: 024 7601 0241.

Get trained

A summary of free training from public health services [http://www.coventry.gov.uk/downloads/download/5484/public-health-training-offer].

Local services

Drugs / alcohol: Change, Grow, Live [http://www.changegrowlive.org/drug-alcohol-service-coventry/info]

Treatment and recovery services to support anyone experiencing difficulties with drugs and/or alcohol.

Tel: 024 7601 0241 
Email: coventry.info@cgl.org.uk [mailto:coventry.info@cgl.org.uk]

Domestic Abuse: Coventry Haven, Panahghar, Relate & Valley House [https://www.safetotalk.org.uk]

Support for victims of domestic abuse, including children who have experienced or witnessed abuse in the household. Support includes community-based and accommodation based for victims wishing to remain in their home or flee an abusive relationship.

Information and advice is available from the local Safe to Talk helpline on 0800 111 4998

Sexual abuse: Coventry Rape and Sexual Abuse Centre [http://www.crasac.org.uk]

Free and confidential support and information to anyone from the age of 5 ï»¿years old who ï»¿has been affected by sexual violence, no matter when or how it happened.
Tel: 024 7627 7772

Lifestyles: Healthy Lifestyles Coventry [http://www.hlscoventry.org]

Support with losing weight, giving up smoking, getting more active, cutting down on alcohol or just improving your overall wellbeing.
Freephone: 0800 122 3780
Email: info@hlscoventry.org [mailto:info@hlscoventry.org]

Sexual Health: Integrated Sexual Health Services

Care and advice about sexually transmitted infections and contraception.
Tel:  0300 020 0027
Email: enquiries@covwarkpt.nhs.uk [mailto:enquiries@covwarkpt.nhs.uk]

A full list of major public health services available in Coventry [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/health-wellbeing/public-health-services].

Training and development

Keeping training up to date is essential for a well-delivered service. Training allows managers and employees to strengthen and expand their skill set. There is a variety of training available, primarily online, to enhance job performance and subsequently, service-user experience.

Coventry City Council Employability Hub

Based at the flagship Coventry Job Shop, Coventry City Council's Employer Engagement Team provides a free bespoke recruitment, training and wellbeing service. Coventry City Council’s ‘Employability Hub’ provides training for providers to assist with a range of skills such as effective job advertising to work experience and employment opportunities.

The Employer Engagement Team can support employer’s recruitment by:

• Supporting with Job Description and advertising creation
• Multi-platform advertising of vacancies
• Sourcing suitable candidates against the Job Description, making use of the Coventry City Council Job Shops pool of over 25,000 registered customers
• Pre-screening to ensure candidate suitability
• Carrying out all required pre-screening activities such as any tests, pre-interview
• Sourcing suitable pre-employment training to meet employer needs
• Arranging final interviews as required
• Supporting with work trials, work experience and general employment opportunities
• In addition to recruitment activities, the Employer Engagement Team can support employers to increase their productivity by evaluating their employee well-being, with support to sign up for the West Midlands Combined Authority Thrive at Work Charter.

Find out about the Employability Hub on their website [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/employment-support/employer-engagement ] or contact the Employer Engagement Team for information and support:

Employer Engagement Team 
Telephone: 024 7678 5740
Email: JobshopEET@coventry.gov.uk [mailto:JobshopEET@coventry.gov.uk]

Skills for Care

In response to Covid-19, these three funded packages of learning are available: The rapid induction programme (aimed at new staff), refresher training (aimed at existing staff) and a volunteer programme.

Funding limits

The number of funded courses available to volunteers or existing staff is a maximum of 400 for any organisation. This limit doesn’t apply to the rapid induction programme for new workers.

Access the training

The endorsed learning providers have received grant funding to support you with the cost of this essential training during this period. You must have an Adult Social Care Workforce Data Set (ASC-WDS) account to access the funded training.

Additionally, the courses below are available to support providers. 

• Core and mandatory training
• Refreshing your learning
• Introduction of new legislation or new best practice
• Introduction of a new risk
• Timeframes
• Worker competency

Find out more about Skills for Care. [https://www.skillsforcare.org.uk/Developing-your-workforce/Developing-your-workforce.aspx]

ASC-WDS

The Adult Social Care Workforce Data Set (ASC-WDS) is an adult social care-specific free online data collection service in England. There are currently more than 20,000 care providers using this service. The service ‘helps care providers run their business and manage their staff training needs’. It can also provide access to the Workforce Development Fund, a valuable source of funding for staff training. Data is then collected to help plan, fund and monitor the sector.

Sign up for free. [https://www.skillsforcare.org.uk/Adult-Social-Care-Workforce-Data/Adult-Social-Care-Workforce-Data.aspx]

ELFH – eLearning for healthcare

This learning is in digital eLearning format to provide eLearning to educate and train the health and care workforce. These learning programs are developed in partnership with the NHS, 3rd sector and professional bodies and can be accessed by health and care professionals for free, 24/7. On their website, which you can sign up for, there is a large alphabetized list of healthcare courses available.

Find out more about ELFH. [https://portal.e-lfh.org.uk/Catalogue/Index]

Helen Sanderson Associates

Helen Sanderson Associates currently offer courses in the following areas:

• Person-centred thinking
• Care and Support Planning
• Creating person-centred teams
• Special Educational Needs and Disability (S.E.N.D.) reform
• Dementia and personalisation

Find out what Helen Sanderson Associates' courses are available. [https://helensandersonassociates.com/events]

Skills Platform

Skills platform currently offers the following training for workforce and development:

• Health and safety
• Leadership and management
• Professional skills
• Qualifications
• Safeguarding
• Apprenticeships
• Care certificate training
• Statutory and mandatory training
• Care
• Clinical training disabilities and neurodiversity
• First aid
• Mental health
• Maternity (perinatal)
• Nursing
• Other health and care
• Primary care

Coventry City Council Employer Hub 

• Supporting with job description and advertising creation
• Multi-platform advertising of vacancies
• Sourcing suitable candidates against the job description, making use of the Coventry City Council Job Shop's pool of over 25,000 registered customers
• Pre-screening to ensure candidate suitability
• Carrying out all required pre-screen activities such as any tests, pre-interviews activities and telephone interviews
• Sourcing suitable pre-employment training to meet employers' needs
• Arranging final interviews as required
• Supporting with work trials, work experience and general employment opportunities

In addition to recruitment activities, the Employer Hub can support employers to increase their productivity by evaluating their employee well-being, with support to sign up to the West Midlands Combined Authority Thrive at Work Charter. The contact details for the Coventry City Council Employer Hub are as follows:

Email: employerhub@coventry.gov.uk [mailto:employerhub@coventry.gov.uk]
Phone: 024 7697 8061 
Visit the Employer Hub website. [http://www.coventry.gov.uk/info/153/employment_support/1881/employer_hub]

Recruiting and supporting volunteers in care settings

Plan ahead! Know what you need …

• Be clear about what you would like volunteers to do, what skills do you need them to bring, what would benefit the people you support, how are you going to integrate them into the team.
• Decide in advance if there is going to be any “reward” for volunteers or support with transport, DBS check training etc.
• Make the roles attractive – sell the organisation and the value of working in the role.
• Draft role descriptions for volunteers
• Ensure staff understand volunteer roles to avoid confusion
• Plan how you are going to find/recruit them
• Develop volunteer specific policies and procedures if necessary.

Understand why people might want to volunteer

People choose to give their time for numerous reasons, it could be to make new friends, do something valuable and worthwhile with their spare time, they may be recently retired or just want to help. For some people volunteering is a gateway into a new career which could be really attractive for a younger person starting work, people looking for a career change in midlife or for people with disabilities who would like to build their experience and CV.

Finding out people's reasons for volunteering and then matching them with a valuable role in the organisation will get you off to a flying start. Volunteers can start work at 16 but more usual is 18+.

• Use an application process similar to a job application … it is a serious commitment from the person to give their time to your organisation for free while others are being paid.
• Interview, take references and make an offer the same as you would for a paid post.

What can I ask volunteers to do?

• Volunteers can carry out a vast variety of roles in a care home, but they are not and can never be a sticking plaster for low staff levels or staff shortages. Volunteers should have a clearly defined role which could include:
• Befriending or being a companion to residents, just being there and reminiscing/chatting
• Help to fundraise or organise social events
• Bring special skills e.g., music, arts, crafts
• Support the administration/office function
• Be a driver or accompany people to appointments
• Help with maintenance or gardening
• In a CIC or Charity organisation, volunteers may be trustees or directors.
• Supporting the organisation with social media or website design (particularly student volunteers)
• Support residents' spiritual or religious needs.
• Running and organising particular Groups or activities.

Create a volunteer coordinator role

Creating a volunteer co-ordinator role in the staff team can benefit not only for the volunteers but for the staff involved and the home manager.

The role may require a small enhancement to pay or conditions but could be an excellent tool for retaining one of your valued staff who has expressed a desire to seek

Activities to promote wellbeing through activity

CV Life 

The Commissioning Team has been working in partnership with CV Life to promote the uptake of a number of activities they provide.

This has led to the production of a menu of activities [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/downloads/download/7609/cv-life-op-care-home-activity-menu] that the CV Life team can provide at a small cost. The cost is per session, not per individual. The current activities include walking sports, gentle yoga, chair aerobics and seated dance.  

This is being piloted with providers of older people's residential care services (50+) and will later be expanded to other areas such as LD res, MH res, Supported Living, and more upon success of the programme - the activities will be personalised to each service group. These activities have been selected following engagement undertaken by CV Life and will be further influenced by engagement to be undertaken by the Commissioning Team with ASC providers and people using care services in Coventry.  

People receiving Home Support services can register themselves to take part in CV Life activities and trips by signing up online. In the future, we will look towards solutions to make the activities more accessible to adults in Coventry receiving home support.   

To see more of the work CV Life does, please look through their website [https://cvlife.co.uk/]. 

Any feedback? Please contact  Mae.Fletcher@coventry.gov.uk [mailto:Mae.Fletcher@coventry.gov.uk]  

Sky Blues in the Community

Improving mental health and well-being through activity and sport  

There are currently 3 projects running, DEMENTIAactive, WOMENtalk and MENtalk. The sport sessions are every week, aim to improve mental health and well-being through activity and sport. The sessions also act as respite for carers who are welcome to attend.  

The sessions are free and mental health support is offered by experienced mental health support workers, and IMHA (independent mental health advocate) from voiceability.  The sessions are participant led, it’s not a fitness class, you only do what you can, or you can come and watch and have a chat. People can leave early/come late/ miss sessions if they have other appointments.  

DEMENTIA Active supports individuals with a diagnosis of dementia or mild cognitive impairment. The sessions offer multiple different activities, such as: basketball, table tennis, quoits, archery, jenga, badminton. The offer supports those with dementia to re-engage with activities they used to enjoy and to socialise with others that have similar physical and cognitive difficulties. The session also acts as respite for carers who are welcome to attend. Referrals can be made by contacting Shakeil.Barrett@sbitc.org.uk [mailto:Shakeil.Barrett@sbitc.org.uk]  

MEN/WOMENtalk MENtalk supports individuals struggling with their mental health and wellbeing. The sessions are aimed at people aged 18+.  It supports people regardless of the severity of their mental ill health, and the session offers a warm, open environment for individuals to take part in activities (such as football, basketball, badminton, table tennis etc.) and receive targeted mental health support as and when it is necessary. Referrals can be made by contacting   George.Heaton@sbitc.org.uk [mailto:George.Heaton@sbitc.org.uk]                                                                 

For more information, please see the Sky Blues In The Community website [https://www.ccfc.co.uk/community/about-sky-blues-in-the-community/].