While the rollout of a Covid-19 vaccination programme in the UK offers genuine hope that the end of the pandemic is in sight, the significant amount of effort it has taken from all to reach this point must not be forgotten.
Across all areas of industry, the last few months have given rise to an unprecedented level of adaptability and innovation, with supported living services within the care sector being one area of British industry playing its part.
To understand in greater detail the level of people leadership required to guide supported living services through the crisis and keep people motivated and reassured, Janett Thompson, director of operations at Hazel Court Supported Living in Manchester, spoke exclusively to The Leaders Council about the experience she and her team had had in navigating the pandemic.
Of course, within supported living facilities, leadership does not solely span leadership of working staff, but also leadership of the residents within their care. In managing these vulnerable people through such an unprecedented period, being able to make necessary changes to their routines, maintain a sense of structure and keep them well informed about the pandemic to manage their anxieties, all became hugely important factors.
Speaking on The Leaders Council podcast, Thompson said: “With the type of young people we look after, we were looking at this threat of a virus that they did not understand and given that it only really affects older individuals and vulnerable people they felt that it didn’t really apply to them and yet it had brought their entire world crumbling down. The biggest emphasis in our leadership of the young people within our care, therefore, was to keep them well informed as to what was expected to keep them and others safe.”
Highlighting what this meant for changes in the residents’ routines, Thompson added: “We had to think about basics like hand-washing and other simple hygiene procedures and really emphasise the importance that to the youngsters. We had to make sure it was well integrated into their daily routines, and indeed the sense of a routine became every bit more crucial to maintaining a sentiment of structure for them after restrictions affected so much of their daily lives. There has been a lot of education, and a lot of creativity from our staff to navigate these challenges.”
Furthermore, the staff at Hazel Court Supported Living had to remain firmly on the ball in order to deal with existing mental health conditions within some of the young residents which could be exacerbated by the disruption brought about by Covid.
Thompson explained: “We have had to be very aware of the fact that a lot of young people we work with already struggle with mental health issues that existed before the unknown of Covid was thrown into the mix, so our management of those issues has not stopped. The full lockdown called back in March was a particularly difficult time, because naturally we were met with many anxious faces who had questions about what they could do with their time and what the future holds for them through all of this, and given all of the uncertainty we could not always give them the answers that they were looking for.”
However, when uncertainty was a lingering issue, the key to maintaining morale lay in keeping staff and youngsters motivated and educating them about the links between physical and mental wellbeing, as well as finding new ways to keep the residents occupied.
Thompson said: “Amid the uncertainty we had to find ways to keep our young people motivated to avoid their mental health being affected in a negative way. We really focused on emphasising to them the links between good physical and good mental health and exploring ways to keep the youngsters active in a Covid-secure way and give them access to education, particularly those attending college. With some, we had to really stress the importance of getting out of bed at a reasonable time in the morning for their self-care, which was an important element to try and maintain structure and motivation.
“It is an immense set of challenges we were faced with, and although we were already accustomed to working in a high-risk environment, that experience did not make it any easier for us to adapt.”
Yet, while the leadership team at Hazel Court may have been unable to provide all the information needed to keep staff and residents reassured at one time, what has helped them navigate the pandemic thus far has been maintaining effective communication between local authorities and Hazel Court’s HR department so that residents and staff could be provided with regular updates to help ease anxiety and boost mental wellbeing and motivation.
Thompson elaborated: “Staff mental health has held up very well over this time. We owe that to the fact that they have been kept well informed and that we have a strong HR department which took the time to discuss with everyone their individual cases and assess whether anybody working for us, or anybody in their families, were being put at more risk if they continued to come into work. This way, we could work out who would keep working and who could possibly be furloughed. We ensured that staff were all screened to make sure they had no underlying conditions which would make them a risk, and then as we knew exactly which staff we could continue to call upon we were able to manage shortages.
“We have been in regular contact with the local authorities who have been providing us with updates, as have our HR department in working with staff and keeping them informed. This regular communication has been key to giving us the knowledge to reassure people about the latest developments and keep them reassured and motivated. It really did help create a real sense that we could all get through this together. Communication in leadership is most certainly key.”
Reflecting on her experience in helping guide Hazel Court through a testing 2020, Thompson admitted that it had made her very aware of her shortcomings as a leader, however she believes that showing willingness to admit one’s vulnerabilities can help bring a leader closer to their team.
“In terms of managing this anxiety among staff over the unknown as a leader, you have to acknowledge that you will not have all of the answers as and when people need them. So, you face up to the fact you are not infallible, but you understand that you can seek out the answers you, your team members, and those under your care need through effective communication with the relevant people. This way, as and when challenges arise, there is a heightened sense of unity and you can face challenges together as an extended workforce with the support of good science and information from various sources.”
Photo by engin aykurt on Unsplash
