Learning boosts retention in a sector struggling to fill the gaps
By Jo Wilkins | Head of Care Support Services
There were a number of topics I looked at when considering what to share this month and the Keep Learning campaign from Skills for Care really struck me as something I could get on board with. Engaging support workers in training isn’t always easy, in fact at Bush & Co Care Solutions we often get asked why training needs to be completed yearly and get the inevitable reticence from those who feel their previous completion of courses negates their need to do them again. The reality is that it can feel repetitive and let’s face it a year goes quickly, so why do we ask for training to be repeated and what are the real benefits of learning?
Learning for me, particularly when working in care isn’t something you ever complete or finish. It’s an ongoing process of both updating our skills and knowledge but also reflecting on our practices and ensuring that they inform us. We can all complete a training course online and apply our learnings; it leans towards traditionally how we were educated as children but reflection is something that doesn’t always come so naturally. Much of this may be due to the uncomfortable feelings we have to confront if maybe we didn’t handle a situation as well as we should have or if we have a less than favorable outcome. The reality is that if we don’t reflect we will repeat our mistakes and yield the same responses. When working with people this is particularly important if we are to support them in the best way we can.
Reflective practice has long been used as a support tool in Health and Social Care through supervision and incident debriefing; if done well it is absolutely invaluable in supporting the team and aiding retention and overall job satisfaction. In our recent support worker survey across Bush & Co Care Solutions no respondents felt their supervision wasn’t useful with the same results for the statement ‘I find my role fulfilling’. It is likely that a negative response in one would lead to a negative response from the other as the two are inextricably linked.
The Workforce Strategy for Adult Social Care has highlighted learning and development as a fundamental area for improvement within the sector with the most recent report demonstrating that retention was better for support staff who engaged in learning (28% vs 34.5%). In a time where there continues to be significant labour market shortages in health and social care, retention is more important than ever. This of course ensures our vulnerable population get access to the most consistent support but secondary to that why wouldn’t you want a skilled, engaged and enabled workforce?
When I reflect on my early days working in care there was nothing more disempowering than being confronted with a situation I didn’t have the skills to manage. In my experience, most support staff who hold back from certain tasks don’t do so to be difficult but are more likely to do so if they don’t feel suitably trained or empowered. In our recent support worker survey across Bush & Co Care Solutions, 100% of respondents felt they had clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities and 93% felt they had the training relevant to their role.
When we focus on empowering our workforce it is also important to remember the vital role we play in role modelling, sharing our skills and knowledge and inspiring the future. Conversely we should consider the ability we have to shape a negative experience. It was being inspired by those around me that led me to a successful and fulfilling career in the sector as the baton is passed on it is our responsibility to inspire the future generations.
For more information about the #keeplearning campaign within the health and social care sector visit the skills for care website here: