The well-documented Covid-19 pandemic has been a testing time for businesses and organisations across a number of industries, including social care. Abilities Development, a Wembley-based organisation that offers a range of practical and enjoyable activities to young people with disabilities, is one such operator in the sector that has not gone unaffected.
However, executive director Karen May has been determined to see the positives of such a testing time and use it as an opportunity to innovate and expand their offering to better impact the lives of the young people it works with.
Leadership in Focus
May discussed her organisation’s Covid-19 experience in an interview with Scott Challinor on the Leaders Council podcast.
May said: “There have been a lot of positives alongside the negatives. We have been affected in the services we can offer to our clients, since we work directly with people with disabilities who are vulnerable. Our major downside has been the fact we have had to temporarily cease our day care provision which has had a knock-on effect on staff, clients and families, because people would regularly come into our premises from their homes.
“Fortunately, we have been able to continue with our home care service under relevant safety procedures. It has been a learning curve, but it has given us opportunities to be innovative and keep services going. It is a challenge for us, but I see it also as an opportunity.”
When asked about what she saw as the silver-lining in the dark cloud of the pandemic, May explained that the experience of managing her organisation through such a challenging time had taught her much about her own leadership skills, and the determination of those around her.
She said: “I’ve learned to think about not just what I do, but also how others view and do things. So, I can make more informed decisions now based on what I've learned from others. I have had to step out of my comfort zone, and I’ve been challenged to put so much of what I have learned before the pandemic into practice. I am learning so much more about my staff, and I have seen through working much more closely with them that there is much more we can do to be better and to support people and do more for them in new innovative ways, so we can have a greater impact in their lives.”
Some of the innovations May spoke of included considering new ways of delivering services remotely, as well as exploring alternative means of resuming Abilities Development’s longed-for day care service.
May explained: “We have had to take it upon ourselves to be a beacon of hope for our clients during this time, to keep their hopes high, keep our staff motivated, and make sure we are all looking forward to how we can get out of this situation. This mentality has helped us overcome many obstacles during lockdown.
“As of the end of July, we were still quite stuck in a rut with a lack of clear guidelines in some areas, so as a leader for example, I’ve had to take charge of speaking to our families, keep their hopes alive, and come up with alternative ways of working with them. We’ve trialled new ways of providing day services which have gone well and that has helped make people much happier since they are being actively engaged with. Our focus now is about expanding that to function more fully and helping those we work with develop and grow even more than before Covid.
“For the staff it has been difficult, we have been engaging with them and giving them the opportunities that they need to take stock and deal with how all this is affecting them and their own family life. We have also been as sensitive as we can when looking to bring more staff back into work.”
Explaining the inspiration behind her cool approach to handling the crisis within her capacity, May said that she was always able to rely on her faith and look to mentors and other leadership figures throughout history.
“When looking for inspiration, I look within myself and to God, I am led by my faith. I also have a mentor who I can look to for encouragement and motivation and she is incredibly supportive. I also take heart from other leaders who have had to navigate difficulties in any walk of life, so I look through history to see how people have dealt with certain challenges and major events. I am also involved in a leadership training course with weekly sessions, so I am constantly reflecting on the way I do things so that I can improve.”
Leadership Today
Housing secretary Robert Jenrick has said that the government is “committed” to implementing all of the recommendations made in the Grenfell Tower Inquiry following a consultation.
Jenrick’s statement came after criticism from the Labour Party, arising after the government rejected a Labour proposal which would have implemented the measures in the inquiry before consultation was finalised.
Campaign group Grenfell United said it was “outraged” by the move, after local Conservative MP Felicity Buchan voted against the Labour amendment.
Buchan said the government was "committed to implementing the recommendations" adding that "the Labour Party is misrepresenting the vote in the House of Commons and is wilfully politicising the Grenfell tragedy."
Jenrick reassured that the implementing of recommendations would “definitely happen” during an interview with the BBC, clarifying that the government sought to first finish hearing the views of “residents of social housing and the industry”.
He added that putting the recommended measures in place “before we even finish listening to the sector as to how is the best possible way to do this” would be “irresponsible”.
The fire safety consultation Jenrick referred to closes on October 12.
The Fire Safety Bill amendment tabled by Labour was defeated by 318 votes to 188, and Labour shadow home office minister Sarah Jones rejected the government’s reasoning for turning down the amendment, saying: "We have seen with Covid what can be done with political will; hospitals built in days, and whole systems restructured to respond where there is a need.
"If the political will was there, the government would support this new clause and we could take one step in the direction of keeping the promises that we all made in those days and weeks after the Grenfell fire."
The Fire Safety Bill - intended to prevent future disasters like the Grenfell Tower fire - will clarify those responsible for fire safety within blocks of flats. At the time of writing, the bill has cleared the House of Commons and will proceed to the Lords for debate.
Phase two of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry is ongoing and is gathering evidence on how the tower came to be in such a condition where the fatal fire was able to easily spread around the building, after the first phase uncovered that the fire cladding on the tower failed to comply with building regulations and had helped the fire spread.
The National Audit Office said earlier in the year that there is still work to be done to remove flammable cladding from high-rise builds, with around 300 buildings awaiting removal work.
The government said that £1.6 billion had been set aside to finance such measures.
Leadership in History
On this day in 2015, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II became the longest-reigning British monarch, surpassing the reign of Queen Victoria II.
On February 6, 2017, Queen Elizabeth II would celebrate another milestone by becoming the first British monarch to celebrate a Sapphire Jubilee, marking 65 years on the throne. Her reign stretched to 68 years as of February 6, 2020.
