Let’s bust a few myths!

It’s my huge privilege to be CEO of Cornwall Care, an organisation that makes me feel humble on a daily basis. Why? Because of the extraordinary commitment and dedication of the people I meet.

It would be easy to assume my job is all about telling people what to do. It isn’t. I believe my role is to listen and empower. We have sixteen homes in Cornwall and a network of domiciliary care and supported lifestyles teams that help those with complex needs live as independently as possible in their own homes. Each area and community are different and instigating one set of rules and working practices to suit every locality isn’t nearly as effective as encouraging staff to think for themselves and come up with their own ideas for doing things in a way that works best for them.

At Chyvarhas in Callington, for example, some of our nurses live in Plymouth and prefer working twelve-hour shifts. To make life easier for them, it’s been suggested they have the choice of staying overnight and we’re therefore looking into making rooms available that can be booked for that purpose on a cost-effective, pro-rata basis.

Our staff are our most precious asset and I believe strongly in giving them a voice and hearing what they have to say. They are the ones on the ground and flexibility and empowerment are key to being happy in the workplace. There’s nothing more frustrating than coming up with a light bulb moment for overcoming a particular problem or challenge and not feeling able to share it.

That’s why my fellow directors and I are working hard to create a culture in which two-way communication, openness and transparency are considered the norm. Mentoring is part and parcel of every manager’s responsibility because we want people to learn and progress. Caring is such a rewarding profession and, in Cornwall Care, there are plenty of career opportunities available.

On that note, I’d like to finish with an excerpt from an article written by Mark Bebbington, one of our highly qualified nurses:

“After re-locating to Cornwall in 2015 and working with Cornwall Care in a nursing home setting, I have been afforded an unbelievable duty of care which, in addition to supporting me in my day to day nursing role, has also included quality training in both theory and practice… One of the many things I love about my job is that no two days are ever the same. Is it a busy and challenging role? Yes of course! Is it boring or unfulfilling? Never!”

I couldn’t have put it better myself. Thank you, Mark. You and all Cornwall Care colleagues are amazing and I feel very privileged to be part of your team.

“Our staff are our most precious asset and I believe strongly in giving them a voice and hearing what they have to say.”