Win a £50 voucher in our quiz on page 19
Your colleague magazine – May 2022
Development opportunities
Achieving more together through #TeamAnchor and the ONE Plan – page 9
How building more and better homes is creating more opportunities for colleagues - pages 4-5
Living our values It’s what arch is all about - pages 10-11
Financial first aid Help with the rising cost of living for residents and colleagues – page 16
HAVE YOU HEARD? More opportunities
Our Learning and Organisational Development team has partnered with The Skills Network to give you easy access to government funded qualifications. Anyone in England aged over 19 can use the funding to undertake Level 2 qualifications, so they won’t cost you anything. Courses take 8-12 weeks, with a choice of online, paper-based or mixed studying undertaken in your own time. Search ‘funded’ in MyLearning to see the courses available and discuss them as part of your development conversations with your manager. May’s Learning at Work Week showcases more opportunities for development - search #LAW2022 on Workplace to find out more.
IS ALL ABOUT YOU
A right royal Jubilee
As the nation gets set to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee in June, colleagues and residents across the organisation are starting to plan parties to mark the event.
We’re brewing up the perfect cuppa to serve at the occasion too, see page 13. Look out for ideas, resources and materials to help us all celebrate the Jubilee in style, being shared on Workplace and in our bulletins.
Welcome to the spring edition of arch from our guest editor
How we serve our residents and colleagues is an important part of what we do, and is driven by our arch values. In this issue, colleagues are being recognised for demonstrating those values on pages 10-11. It’s also exciting to see the new developments and I love them - I could quite easily live in one myself and I’m sure many new residents will love living in later life there too. With developments like Bingley (on the cover), projects in our ONE Plan (page 9), our focus on Sustainability (page 8) and using SharePoint (page 20), our organisation is definitely moving forward. And mastering new things like SharePoint is a good reminder of how, once
2
Mehvish Khan
Matthew Meli
Ben Spacagna
Joshua Heaton
Celebrating success
Our most talented apprentices were recognised during a virtual ‘Training Providers Top Apprentice Award’ and ‘Most Supportive Person’ event during February’s National Apprenticeship Week. Awarded ‘Top Apprentice’ were Joshua Heaton from Gills Top - Grassington, Ben Spacagna at Orchard Gardens - Bishopstoke Park, Matthew Meli from the Customer Centre and Mehvish Khan in the Assets Business Intelligence team. There’ll be more opportunities to celebrate our apprentices’ endeavours, with nominations opening soon for our own Apprenticeship of the Year awards, which include a Rising Star of the Year award.
More success, at the GBCA Congratulations to all our finalists at the Great British Care Awards, and to Keshia McDonald, Team Leader at Harden Hall in Walsall (with Jane Ashcroft below) who won the Dementia Carers Award and Lucy Openshaw, Deputy Manager at Upton Grange on The Wirral (with District Manager Carrie Browne below) for winning The Care Assessor/Care Planner Award.
Aiming for the top With our apprenticeship programme having such great results, we’re aiming for it to be nationally recognised too, by applying for inclusion in the Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers annual ranking of England’s outstanding apprenticeship employers.
Resolve 100 Over 170 business cases were submitted for consideration to be addressed as part of Resolve 100 - our programme to enable colleagues to work together to resolve long-running, difficult property issues having a direct, negative impact on our residents. 59 of these, e.g. external grounds, bin/bicycle storage and space and layout improvements, have now been
approved to progress to the delivery phase. It’s good news for housing residents, who won’t have to pay for the works through their service charge. Some of the more complex and costly cases submitted, e.g. car parks, mobility scooters and local manager offices, are being discussed and considered further. Look out for updates as issues start being resolved and we advertise opportunities to make new submissions later this year.
we get into the swing of it, we can achieve more together. As we head into a new financial year, I think the many things we’re doing and you can read more about in this issue of arch , will help us keep up with the competition and meet the growing needs and expectations of our residents. Doreen Adkins, Scheme Manager at St Clements Court, Waltham Abbey
If you’d like to be a guest editor, please email us at: Arch@Anchor.org.uk
3
MORE HOMES
Introducing Oliver Boundy , Executive Director of Development Having joined Anchor in January this year, we took some time to find out more about Oliver
For me there is nothing better than seeing people move into a development that you’ve played a part in – it’s a great feeling! I started my housing career working as a housing officer for a small housing association formed for a regeneration scheme in North London, where I developed an interest in construction. Through work-shadowing and taking a keen interest in colleagues’ roles, I learned enough to succeed in an interview to become a development assistant and trainee. I’ve worked my way up from there. I have nearly 17 years’ experience of working in land, planning and construction. Prior to joining Anchor, I was Executive Development Director for Southern Housing Group.
approved or under construction, right across England. With this level of growth, we are becoming a major developer, which is a very exciting prospect. It also presents an opportunity for us to encourage more people to consider a career in construction, which is especially important given the ageing workforce and skills shortage that the whole country is facing. I am also looking forward to seeing how our work progresses with Liz Williams, Property Sustainability Director (see page 8) to create environmentally sustainable developments, with net zero carbon emissions.
I’m really excited to have joined Anchor. Everyone I’ve met so far has been very welcoming, professional and eager to help, which I think is quite unique to the Anchor culture. Our values, our Business Plan goals, including our growth ambitions, were a big attraction for me, especially given the huge need for purpose-built homes for older people. Over the next seven years we’ll deliver 5,700 new homes for older people, redeveloping existing buildings and land, or finding and developing new sites. We’re making great progress, with over 2,500 homes already completed,
4
MORE OPPORTUNITIES
Building on opportunities and experience
Providing more opportunities for colleagues is one of the ‘four mores’ in our Business Plan. And it’s something that Victoria Mager, Director of Development Delivery, is very keen to support.
Currently we have 12 active projects, increasing to 20 next year and peaking at 25. All of these need a range of support, which we’ll be making capacity to deal with in my team. As an organisation we firmly believe in enabling colleagues to move to different parts of the business and we’ve certainly embraced that in my team, as 13 out of 19 of them have come from other teams within Anchor - like Projects, Housing Services and Property. Some of them are with me on the cover of arch too. Colleagues from other areas of the business bring experience and insight, which is a distinct advantage to their roles. Development delivery managers project manage the builds – managing stakeholders across the business. Our development coordinators help the site team gear up for the openings (training and inducting new colleagues, order materials to site, etc). And then I have specialist quality controllers and construction delivery managers.
“If you’re interested in furthering your career, or moving into a new area, my top tips to help you achieve your ambition are: Develop a personal development plan Find out as much as you can about the area of the business that you’re interested in. e.g. keep up to date with news and updates on Workplace, The Bridge and our website Speak to people who work in the department you’re interested in Reach out to them and ask about work-shadowing opportunities”
On the cover at the Bingley development, being built through our partnership with developer McCarthy Stone, are left to right: Chris Smith, Lisa Walters, Victoria Craggs, Oliver Boundy, Victoria Mager and Eddie Moore.
5
#LISTENINGANDACTING Opportunities for
Members from our Colleague Engagement Forum met Suki Jandu, Executive Director – Housing Services virtually, to give an insight into the challenges they face. Here are some of the things they discussed. Collaboration “You have to wear many different hats as a local manager, and to get more involved when we take the proposed service offer out on the road”.
Webb, Estate Manager, while Khalid Abdullah, Estate Manager also made the point that “the process of change is more painful than some appreciate and takes longer to happen than people first expect.” Suki acknowledged this, explaining that “having complex processes doesn’t help – so simplifying our ways of working and looking at how we can support and help colleagues to become more confident in using technology is a key aspect of transformation.” ONE Plan, which launched in April (see page 9), gives an overview of all the improvement projects which have just started or will begin in this financial year. The overall aim is to simplify our business and modernise our systems and ways of working across the organisation.
that’s not always understood by colleagues in other teams. If you’re asked to respond to something within 24 hours, sometimes that isn’t realistic, especially if we’re doing buddy cover as well as our usual job or with a resident who needs our help – are we a property or resident-focussed organisation?” explained Estate Manager Amanda Udale. “I want us to give more weight to the resident voice when making decisions and give more consideration to how we make wellbeing part of our service offer,” explained Suki - “we’re going to be doing that as part of the Be Me housing transformation. Residents and colleagues will have the chance
The need to simplify our processes “We need to look at simplifying our processes to help us retain new starters,” commented Dawn
6
#LISTENINGANDACTING
Supporting colleagues and
communities We’re creating a brand-new team within housing to offer specialist support, to colleagues and residents, in dealing with complex anti-social behaviour (ASB) cases and safeguarding.
Community Resilience Service (provided by a new team of five colleagues) will: • Give greater accountability to residents through a named contact point • Enable residents to receive timely updates and feedback • Give colleagues in-house expert support with their most complex cases, helping them reach a good conclusion and improve resident satisfaction • Ensure residents are supported effectively so they can continue to live with us • Enable us to take a more active role in partnerships and joint working with other agencies
up a disproportionate amount of time and be very stressful for colleagues, negatively impacting on their mental health.” “Refreshing our ASB training and providing support through ASB Ambassadors has helped, but it’s clear from colleague and resident feedback that there’s more we can and need to do, ahead of new housing standards which come into force next year.” And as we haven’t had a designated person in our housing service responsible for safeguarding, it’s led to an inconsistent approach to resolving matters. Once established, our new
#ListeningAndActing on feedback from colleagues, we know ASB cases are becoming more common and complex, often linked to mental health or substance misuse, alongside the negative impact of the reduction in support from other local services. ASB can have a significant impact on the sense of safety and wellbeing within our retirement communities, with communal spaces and compact neighbourhoods meaning relatively small issues can quickly escalate. As Customer Relations Manager Jonathan Earnshaw (below) explains, ASB doesn’t just have an impact on our residents. “Facing issues like these can take
Editor’s note As a lone worker, I find it
reassuring to have support with ASB. Having a dedicated team should also give residents the confidence to report issues they want help with too.
7
MORE EFFICIENT Supporting a sustainable future Sustainability includes environmental, social and financial elements and is built into the ‘four mores’ of our Business Plan.
Being a specialist housing and care provider, our social sustainability is naturally well established and our sustainability- linked loan and bond issue in 2021 supports our future financial sustainability. Liz Williams recently joined us as our first Property Sustainability Director and will be focusing on how we can improve our environmental sustainability this year - by reducing waste, using natural resources wisely, working smarter, opting for sustainable transport options, and enhancing our green spaces.
We’re committed to reducing our carbon emissions in line with the government’s target for the UK to be a net zero carbon nation by 2050. We can do this and improve the comfort and affordability of our residents’ homes by making them more energy efficient, using high-quality insulation, more efficient heating systems and gradually introducing renewable energy. Our new builds already meet good environmental and energy efficiency standards, and we will use the data we’re collecting on our existing buildings to understand how to improve them too. Our target is to reach an Energy Performance Certificate C rating for our rented properties by 2030 at the latest. A working group is developing proposals for Electric Vehicle Charge Points, to support the increasing number of residents using electric vehicles. And we’ll be developing a new Sustainability and Net Zero Carbon strategy with the help of colleagues in our new Sustainability Steering Group and residents in the new Residents’ Sustainability Panel. Look out for progress updates on this work in the summer.
Editor’s note Sustainability is both topical and important for us to focus on. My location was built in 1977, so I’m keen to see how we can make our existing buildings more sustainable.
8
Feedback in the 2021 Listening and Acting Survey showed colleagues wanted improvement projects to be coordinated more effectively across Anchor. ONE Plan
#TEAMANCHOR
That’s why we’ve created ONE Plan – our plan for improvements across People, Process and Technology for the next financial year – setting out the projects that have either just started or will begin this year. While we’re not aiming to complete all the projects on the ONE Plan list within a year, by having a specified list of projects to focus our resources on, we can make much greater and swifter progress on them. To help explain their aims, the projects are grouped into eight themes: Our finances, Our buildings, Our access to information, Our technology, Our housing, Our care locations, Customer interaction and Our new developments. A common theme across many of the ONE Plan projects is how they will simplify things – whether that’s technology infrastructures, systems or processes, enabling us to work more effectively and efficiently. They range from relatively simple projects like the Banking Re-tender, where we’ll move to using one financial provider for our bank accounts, to the more complex Connected Properties Design and Feasibility project. This paves the way to understanding how we can provide residents with easy and reliable internet access in their homes and rooms.
That work supports the Customer and Colleague Portal project, looking to create and deliver an easy-to-use app to simplify the experience It’s important we all understand the projects and other work happening across our organisation and how it will improve our ways of working and the journey ahead and the way we go about this is important too. Through what we’re calling our #TeamAnchor approach, we’ll be working together and using our ARCH values: Accountable, Respectful, Courageous and Honest, to be able to achieve more together.
You’ll be hearing more about #TeamAnchor in the coming months and we’re also asking teams to discuss the ONE Plan and share their comments on how it will improve the way we all work. Look out for details on Workplace.
9
CELEBRATING SUCCESS Showcasing ou Our Colleague Awards are a great way to recognise and celebrate those colle work, interact with each other and serve our residents’ needs. Our ARCH values
You can see some of those values in the actions of the recent Colleague Award winners we’re recognising here in arch . Lesley Clifford, Estate Manager at Hind Street, Bolton, was nominated by Carol Hall, Area Manager, who explained the personal way Lesley’s actions brought the Respectful value to life. “I’m so proud of Lesley. On site at Hind Street for a meeting, I witnessed an amazing interaction between Lesley and a resident who was profoundly deaf. Lesley communicated using British Sign Language (BSL), was confident and the resident was clearly very happy with the service Lesley provided. We sometimes underestimate the diversity in the skill set of local managers. Lesley is our go-to person for sign language now, so that our residents with different needs can be easily included in all of our services. Well done Lesley - a real asset to the team and the wider organisation.”
Your award-winning magazine Named after our values and striving to showcase them, arch magazine won two awards recently at the North and Central Institute of Internal Communications Awards. It was recognised as Best Magazine and also received the Tom Dawson Award as the best entry overall.
Collecting these and a team award were Mel Ogden and Emma Halfpenney from the Internal Communications Team
10
ur values eagues demonstrating the four values guiding the way we
The way Angela Simpson, Estate Manager at Arnside, Ashleigh Court, Carnforth stepped up to the Courageous value, inspired a nomination from Area Manager Martina Bickerdike. “During the horrific
J
Nominated by Area Manager Matthew Tonge, the way Accounts Assistant Purchase Ledger Usama Tahir from our Bradford office has been Accountable, has really helped during a difficult period.
weather we experienced in the Lake District, we had a complete failure of the warden call system at one of our locations. Unfortunately, the local manager was away on holiday so I phoned to see if Angela could help out. Angela didn’t hesitate, driving in horrendous weather conditions to the location and waiting out in the elements for the contractor to attend before supporting them to gain access and ensuring the call system was fully restored before leaving. Angela had never been to the location before and, due to flooding and a lorry fire on the M6, had to negotiate awful driving conditions. A great example of team work and support.”
“I’m working with residents in two locations which are closing, with home loss and disturbance payments to be processed and I’m often asking for updates about the payments. Usama always responds promptly and when an issue or unusual request arises, Usama has been really supportive in helping us to find a solution, including helping to resolve an urgent problem.”
d
It’s the Honest and Accountable style of Lewis Shepherd, Team Leader at Nelson Lodge in St Neots, that’s impressed Team Leader Jane Matzk. “Lewis’s enthusiasm and motivation towards the job has
seen Lewis shine and be promoted to team leader. This transition can be difficult but Lewis takes on every challenge, showing leadership skills and great care planning while smiling and encouraging growth in others. A great support to the other team leaders, Lewis is a pleasure to work with.”
11
LISTENING AND ACTING Survey inspires ideas for improvement
who’ve supported our residents to complete the survey online or on paper.” Care homes received the results of the survey in April and are using the feedback to shape action plans as part of their Inspire programme of continuous improvement. You can read more about Inspire on the next page.
More than 1,300 care home residents – and a further 900 of their family and friends – have taken part in our biggest care survey of 2022. Questionnaires for the Inspire Survey went out to people living in every one of our 114 care homes from Newcastle to Newquay. The survey asked how they rated us on a wide range of topics from the care they received, to the quality, presentation and choice of food, to activities and the welcoming feel of the home. Director of Care Quality Cath Holmes said: “This is our first annual residents and relatives survey since 2019, after pausing it due to the pandemic. It’s great to reach out to every home and ask residents, as well as their family members and friends, to tell us their experiences.“ “A big thank you to all colleagues
Editor’s note This is a lovely idea. Our
magnolia tree was planted by two residents who are no longer with us and it reminds me of them every spring when it flowers.
Planting memories together Our care homes were each given 100 daffodil bulbs to help them mark this year’s National Day of Reflection on 23 March. Planting the bulbs, seeing them grow and go on to flower has been providing an opportunity to reflect and remember those lost or bereaved during the pandemic, as well as creating a lasting legacy for residents, families and colleagues. 12
Above, residents planting memories with the help of colleagues at Godiva Lodge, Coventry, and Augusta Court, Chichester. Bottom, a colourful and creative display at Wetherby Manor, Wetherby.
RESIDENT WELLBEING
Chef Manager Lee Taylor serving up lots of choice for Juice into January at Manor Court, Plymouth
Cheers! at Mill View in Bradford
What a smoothie! Residents raise their glasses to a campaign with zest
taking part in tea- tasting activities culminating in our very own Anchor tea blend. From there, it’s now full steam ahead towards
, The initiative was the first of a number of nutrition and hydration-themed activities being planned throughout the year by the Service Improvement team as part of our Inspire programme of continuous improvement. And taking a leaf Juice into January saw dozens of creative concoctions for smoothies and juices shared on Workplace to highlight the importance of keeping hydrated. It proved a winner with residents, with Mill View Home Manager Tee Tatum saying: “The recipes have been fab. Our residents have really enjoyed them and we’ve turned this into a full tasting session with scorecards. Our catering team created new recipes, adding a banoffee smoothie, cucumber and mint lemonade, a peach and passionfruit smoothie and a spicy ‘tomato Mary’ to name but a few!”
the ever-popular Chef of the Year competition which takes place in July, with last year’s winner Dawson Lodge Chef Manager Verity Sims being among the judges. National Catering and Hospitality Manager Noel Finnegan said: “Our four Chef of the Year finalists will be selected based on a portfolio of resident involvement, the nutritional value of their menu, and a colleague vote on Workplace. They’ll go forward to a live cook-off at Leeds Catering College on 5 July to decide the winner. “Inspire looks at how we innovate and improve the experience for our residents across four areas: Nutrition and hydration, care practice, environment and wellness. With all these great initiatives in 2022, it’s certainly giving our homes plenty of food (and drink) for thought.”
from the success of Juice into January, a tea-rrific campaign to celebrate the nation’s favourite cuppa was next to tea-off, with homes like Madeleine House, Oulton Manor and St Clements Court
13
MORE OPPORTUNITIES
A world of talent Our successes in preparing colleagues for key leadership roles has long been recognised – as our successful myFUTURE programme illustrates.
In addition to our ‘Mentoring Relationships’ resources on MyLearning, May will see the launch of a new workshop to support people interested in becoming mentors across all areas of our organisation, with the aim of creating a mentoring network. Nicola added: “Mentoring can play a key part in creating a talent pool where we’re continually supporting high-potential colleagues to progress through our organisation. Having somebody to talk things through with and share their journey with as they progress can be a real confidence boost to taking that next step.”
colleagues wanting to find out more.” One colleague on myFUTURE is Katie Nelson, Senior Finance Partner. “It’s been really insightful and given me the opportunity to take time out of my day to focus on key elements of leadership and highlighted areas I need to address.” For those who’ve already made that next leadership step, becoming a mentor is a great way to share your skills, experience and understanding to guide others on their career journey.
Seeking expressions of interest from May for its third intake of colleagues in June, myFUTURE is for colleagues already in a leadership role looking to develop in readiness for opportunities to make that next move in six months to a year. Already, it’s helped Anchor colleagues prepare for and achieve more senior roles. Leadership Specialist Nicola Moran said: “myFUTURE is very much a talent programme for people in a leadership role who are committed and self-driven towards progressing their career and enhancing their leadership skills.” Helen Suter, Talent Specialist, added: “The programme is designed around the individual to support them to achieve their individual goals, and our current cohorts are working on a wide range of projects to enhance their leadership skills. There’s lots of information on The Bridge for
Katie Nelson with Nicola Moran
14
MORE OPPORTUNITIES
Paul Hogg at Howden Dene, Corbridge, miles away from a former career in aviation
Come fly with me
Inspired by this change of direction, Paul’s spreading the word and vacancies on social media, which has already resulted in Jane Turner, someone else from the aviation industry, taking an estate manager role in housing with us.
We’re proud to say we’re an employer paying colleagues at or above Living Wage Foundation rates. Recommending Anchor as a great place to work through our Refer a Friend scheme has started many great careers - and you can gain up to £250 for recommending someone.
If you’re wondering whether you know someone who might be interested in joining us, remember we welcome people from all sorts of industries, as Area Manager Paul Hogg shows. After 18 years rising up from cabin crew to a managerial role overseeing 120 people at British Airways, the pandemic led to Paul leaving a high-flying career. With an interest in property and a desire to relocate closer to family, the housing area manager role interview brought Paul closer than expected. “My interview was actually at the location where my gran has been living for many years. Going from working at 40,000 feet to working from home couldn’t be more different. I’ve worked for some massive organisations where you just blend in like a number but here, it feels like I’m actually a person.”
Paul back in aviation days
15
FINANCIAL WELLBEING Financial first aid available here
The impact of rising energy bills, petrol and supermarket prices is hard to avoid but with lots of support readily available for both residents’ and colleagues’ financial wellbeing, it pays to talk about it. Feeling in control of your finances plays a big part in supporting
Support that can help make your money go further is also available to colleagues through MyShoppingDiscounts and the SmartSpending app in our Being Well offering, as Edward Lloyd, Scheme Manager at Myre Hall, Houghton le Spring, knows. Having saved more than £1,400 last year, Edward benefited from offers and discounts at Ticketmaster, Argos, Ikea, Ernest Jones, Costa, Currys and M&S, with £31 in cashback from booking this year’s holiday.
mental health, as money worries can lead to stress, anxiety and depression. We’ve improved the financial situation for many colleagues by paying them Living Wage Foundation rates and through the other pay increases announced last December. Another way we provide ongoing support for both colleagues and residents, is through our free Be Wise service - search Be Wise on Workplace for more details. We’ve also developed a ‘Financial first aid toolkit’ to help local managers spot some of the signs and symptoms which may indicate their residents need assistance, with tips on how to start conversations to help residents access the support available. For colleagues finding their finances under pressure, free money and debt advice is also available through the Health Assured website www. HealthAssuredEAP.co.uk using worklife as the user name and password. You can also talk things through at any time by calling the confidential Colleague Advice Line, free on 0800 316 9337 .
16
DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION
Networks working for us all
part of the colleague networks as inclusion and diversity in the workplace are so important to me, and it gives me an opportunity to shape the conversations at Anchor around these topics. The networks have provided me with a sense of community at work that I’ve not really had before. I’ve made connections with so many great colleagues, and I feel like I can truly be myself without worrying that I’m too different to fit in. I’m also involved with the changes we’re making to our Disability Network, which will be happening soon.” Formerly a member of the Rainbow Network, Lauren Gill
We’re committed to creating a more diverse and inclusive organisation, harnessing the talents of all our colleagues and embedding our Respectful value, to make Anchor a great place to work for everyone. One of the ways we’re doing this is through our colleague-led networks which offer advice to our organisation. These networks also provide colleagues with support, highlight career development opportunities, create supportive environments and help bring people together. Tayyaba Ajrullah, is the Chair of the Disability Network: “I’m
is now one of its co-chairs. “I like being a part of the Rainbow Network as I’m passionate about addressing LGBT+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and others) issues and educating people - not to mention the community aspect of it too. LGBT+ history month has been a great opportunity to educate and I’m so pleased that it went down well with colleagues.”
Disability Network
Inclusive Ambassadors
embRACE Network
Rainbow Network
Come and join us We’re always ready to welcome new members to any of our colleague networks – simply email Teagan.Robinson@Anchor.org.uk or scan one of the QR codes with your smartphone.
Inspiring artworks We had some amazing entries to our art competition during LGBT+ History Month. Congratulations go to our talented winner, Claire Lukehurst, Estate Manager at Hanover House, Folkstone, for submitting ‘Doubly Exposing Domestic Abuse’, The presentation cleverly uses Claire’s image as both perpetrator and victim to highlight the issue of domestic abuse within LGBT relationships.
Join as a network member to be involved in discussions and activities as much or as little as you want By joining as a core member , you agree to be an active and visible member and meet certain requirements
17
RESIDENT WELLBEING
Taking
on tour
The phrase ‘We focus on resident wellbeing’ sits at the heart of our Business Plan. Our Resident Wellbeing Strategy (available on The Bridge) is the starting point for making that objective a reality in housing.
Over the past 12 months, we’ve been working hard to define what resident wellbeing looks like – the result is Be Well and this summer there will be a series of roadshows to show what’s on offer. “My team will chat to housing residents around the country about Be Active, Be Connected, Be Digital, Be Skilled, Be Wise and Be Involved. We’ve really missed chatting to residents face-to-face so we’re excited to be out and about again,” says Anna Clewlow, Resident Involvement and Wellbeing Manager. “In terms of wellbeing we’re leading the way in the sector, demonstrating our Courageous value and constantly trying new things, like our walking football sessions.”
Walking football is one of the new activities which housing residents, like Kyrie Ganter (right) have been trying out
We're using woodland creatures to promote our Be Well initiatives - Be Active, Be Connected, Be Digital, Be Skilled and Be Wise
18
MORE OPPORTUNITIES
e l c h
r e
about what we do in our care homes too.
Editor’s note In Housing and Care, residents really benefit from volunteers providing them with opportunities to do more and socialise, while this frees up time for colleagues to focus on other things they need to do.
Volunteers in our care homes can help us support the people who live with us. They help us provide extra activities and spend time one-to-one with our residents – all in addition to the great work our colleagues do. We’re delighted to be able to welcome more volunteers in our care homes with the launch of new recruitment materials and guides. We’ve attracted many volunteers over recent years and they’ve brought lots of joy to our residents through playing games, chatting, running extra activities and much more. If you work in Housing or Central Support and have a care home nearby, you can also sign up. It’s a great way of finding out more
Find out more by searching for Volunteering on The Bridge or Workplace. We’re also working on welcoming more individual volunteers to our housing locations, as well as encouraging groups of volunteers back to all locations. Look out for further news soon.
Competition time Find the correct answer to the question below for a chance to win a £50 shopping voucher: What’s the name of our plan for improvements across People, Process and Technology for the next financial year? a) ONE Team b) ONE List c) ONE Plan To enter, complete and return this form to arch competition, Anchor, 2 Godwin Street, Bradford BD1 2ST, or email
Name: Job title and location:
Phone number: Answer: Closing date: 30 June 2022 Congratulations!
To Lauren Felstead, Marketing Executive, for correctly answering ‘worklife’ as the user name and password for the Health Assured App and website in our previous competition.
Arch@Anchor.org.uk , or enter arch online by scanning the QR code with your smartphone.
19
MORE EFFICIENT As part of our Business Plan aim to be More Efficient we’ve launched Microsoft SharePoint and Teams. New technology helping us achieve more together These software programmes are held in the cloud which means documents are more easily
T Drive in May, followed by the N and R drives later in the year. The IT team is working with teams to ensure files are moved over to SharePoint before this happens. David Sparling, Chief Technology Officer, said: “We’ve been investing heavily in our Microsoft licenses. Introducing SharePoint and Teams makes more use of the tools we already pay for, as well as making it easier for colleagues to
work together and access their files whilst also keeping our data secure.” There’s lots of training available on MyLearning (search SharePoint or Teams ) and we’re sharing top tips in the SharePoint and Teams Workplace group. You can also access user guides on the Microsoft website.
accessible as you don’t have to be at a location or in an office to work on them. It’s also easier to share files with colleagues, and you can work on documents at the same time – so you just have one version. As part of this change, the shared drives known as N, Q, R and T will be removed, starting with the
20
Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20Made with FlippingBook - PDF hosting