Unlocking the power of a positive workplace culture in care settings

The UK care sector is a demanding and emotionally charged field so the significance of a positive workplace culture can't be overstated. Fostering an environment where staff feel valued, supported and motivated is more than just a nice-to-have; it's a necessity.

This blog explores the essence of a positive workplace culture in care settings, offers practical advice and highlights the benefits it brings to your organisation and your people, alongside useful links to other resources.

- Why a workplace culture matters
- The bedrock of a positive workplace culture
- 5 tips for cultivating a positive workplace culture
- Showcasing your positive culture to attract top talent
- 4 benefits of a positive workplace culture

Why a workplace culture matters

An organisation's culture is the backbone of any organisation. It shapes the environment in which employees work, influences morale and defines the values, beliefs and behaviours that guide how a team operates day-to-day. For any organisation and in any sector it's so important for maintaining high levels of engagement, motivation and productivity for those people already working there.

And for those people looking at your organisation as a potential workplace? It acts as a magnet, helping to attract top talent who align with the ethos and thereby enhancing the quality of new hires. In essence, workplace  culture is not just about creating a workplace where people are happy to work at; it's about building a resilient foundation that supports sustainable growth and success.

The bedrock of a positive workplace culture

A positive workplace culture in a care setting is characterised by a supportive environment where every team member feels they are an integral part of the mission to provide compassionate and high-quality care. It's an environment where open communication, mutual respect and continuous learning are not just encouraged but ingrained in every aspect.

5 tips for cultivating a positive workplace culture

1. Leadership commitment: Like many things in organisations, it starts at the top. Initiatives like this always see better buy-in when they are trickled down from the top, rather than being pushed uphill from the operational side of the organisation. Leaders should live and breathe the values of the organisation. They need to be open and accessible too. If junior members of the team have  feedback or ideas, they should be committed to listening to help foster a supportive and inclusive environment.

2. Empower employees: bring them into the conversation. Like we mentioned above, buy-in across an organisation often sees better results when it's top down. When it comes to employees, make sure the channel of communication is open for ideas to flow up and down the chain. Involve employees in decision-making processes, provide opportunities for professional development and ultimately recognise and reward their contributions.

For organisations who already ask for feedback from employees, it's often a formal, once a year affair. So try sending more regular pulse surveys too. They're normally shorter, usually consist of between 5 and 20 questions and can be sent quarterly. It will also allow you to be more agile if there are hot topics that you're keen to hear from them on mid way through a year.

3. Effective communication: Gallup research found that only 13% of employees strongly agree that their organisation’s leadership communicates effectively. Are your communication channels clear and open? Organise regular team meetings, one-to-one check-ins and transparent policies to help build trust and a sense of belonging.

4. Work-life balance: Care work is demanding, so make sure it's recognised and promote a healthy work-life balance. How? Every organisation is different with varying demands that need to be fulfilled, but think about what your organisation can do to support. Can you introduce flexible working hours, mental health days, recreational activities, team nights - all activities and benefits like this can play a significant part in your employees' well-being.

5. Continuous learning and development: Offer ongoing training and development opportunities. This not only enhances the quality of care provided but also helps in personal and professional growth, leading to higher job satisfaction.

According to a recent Randstad UK study, a significant 65% of candidates consider learning and development opportunities to be important in their current job. This highlights the growing recognition among job seekers of the value that continuous learning, upskilling and professional growth bring. In fact, a staggering 29% of individuals stated that they would even consider quitting a job if they were not provided with adequate opportunities to learn and develop their skills.

Equally a report from Skills for Care found turnover reduced by 9.1% for care workers who received more than 30 sessions of training compared to care workers with just one.

Showcasing your positive culture to attract top talent

So you've started to map out what sets your organisation apart, the new schemes and benefits are implemented to help cultivate a positive workplace culture - but how should you showcase it to the outside world, as well as making it front and centre with existing employees? It's important to get it right in any sector, especially in care where competition is fierce.

• Marketing channels: Get buy-in from your marketing team to give it a big bang and continuous messaging. If you don't already have a careers website (more on that in point 4), then make sure content is shared on your corporate website as well as social media - communicate your values, mission and showcase the supportive environment you offer.
• Employee testimonials: these provide the most authentic story. If your employees are contented and thrive in the workplace, then they'll be happy to share their story. Include stories of how they've grown and developed, the support they receive from peers and how they feel part of the bigger picture within your organisation. They can be written testimonials or even a short 30 second video.
  
• Offer a glimpse inside: Many organisations hold recruitment open days to connect with potential candidates, to offer a peek into culture and provide a firsthand experience of what it's like to work there. These events typically can be the stepping stone to the first stage in the recruitment process.
• Recruitment collateral: As recruiters, there's even more channels that can be used to shout about your workplace culture. If you use a careers website, then this might be managed by the recruitment team (our clients have full creative licence to edit their own careers content). It's a blank canvas to add employee testimonials, include details of the benefits and what makes you different to other care organisations and whatever else to showcase culture. There are no limits.
  
  Every job advert posted should always include information on your workplace culture. Whether that's a small but punchy paragraph of text, or use images and videos to get the message across of why you're different.

When you've got your workplace culture down to a 't' and showcasing it the world, make sure the candidates you're attracting are receiving the experience they should be. Download our free guide below to deliver the ultimate candidate experience 👇.

4 benefits of a positive workplace culture

1. Enhanced employee well-being: It goes without saying that a supportive environment leads to lower stress levels, higher job satisfaction and better overall health among staff. Equally employees will be better at their jobs if they're well-being is cared for.
2. Reduced staff turnover: When employees feel valued and supported, they are more likely to stay, reducing recruitment costs and retaining valuable expertise and continuity of care. With turnover rates remaining high at 29% (Skills for Care 2022 report), it's crucial to stay ahead and fix any retention issues.  
3. Improved care quality: Happy and engaged staff are more committed to their work, resulting in higher quality care and better outcomes for service users. As Skills for Care outline in their toolkit guide, this is why the Care Quality Commission (CQC) focuses on culture within their inspection framework as a key element.
4. Stronger reputation: A positive workplace culture not only attracts top talent and increases retention, it also enhances your reputation among service users and their families, regulatory bodies and the wider community.

We hope this article has inspired you and your organisation to get started with investing time and effort into developng and publicising your workplace culture to increase awareness of your organisation and to increase retention and happiness amongst your employees.