From the beginning of her initial six-month secondment, less than two weeks into the first Covid lockdown, Jackie demonstrated that she is a leader with high standards of integrity, who is committed to supporting and growing her team as well as providing an outstanding service for patients.
Her secondment was intended to support the induction of the existing Herefordshire housekeeping and catering teams who had TUPE’d into the Trust from the previous provider, and to inform any restructure which may follow to integrate long-term management of the county’s facilities services team. Recent years had seen Herefordshire staff transferred to several different NHS providers, so there was understandable anxiety about yet another change to working practices. What was not clear at the time was the impact the pandemic would have on society, on the NHS, and on individuals.
In the early days, Jackie and the wider Herefordshire team were supported by the Head of Service, but as the pandemic progressed and Jackie’s confidence grew, the reins were handed over for her to lead the team. She gave her workforce time and space to discuss concerns, personal or work-related, whether linked to emerging challenges raised by the pandemic or new processes linked to the Trust. To facilitate this Jackie chaired daily pandemic staff meetings which offered encouragement and stopped any miscommunication between teams at a time of such relentless change. These meetings also provided a platform to ensure the workforce understood what was happening in their unit and in other areas across Herefordshire and indeed the wider Trust, to reinforce that they were part of a bigger team and support network.
Co-ordinated approach
When staffing challenges presented in Herefordshire, Jackie co-ordinated support from other sites in Worcestershire, actively demonstrating the Trust’s commitment to the Herefordshire teams and allowing staff from both counties to work alongside each other, supporting transparency of working practice and wider teamwork. Due to the remote location, this coordination also included solving logistical challenges to safely move part time staff between sites during the pandemic as well as ensuring adequate site/equipment training was provided to the Worcestershire staff. As Covid-related matters settled down and became the new normal, the frequency of this meeting was modified, but it remained in place and was used as a vehicle to gather information from the team to allow Jackie to better understand service gaps through the lens of the Hereford-based workforce and to address issues of concern to them.
This approach resulted in improvements to on-site changing facilities, and, as part of the capital investment programme, working with the Head of Service, Jackie also instigated improved access to IT and equipment replacements for both housekeeping and catering teams. Following funding approval, she led on the recruitment, and onward development of a new portering post in Herefordshire; a role that had been identified as a need some years before, but not progressed. Through this work, Jackie gained the team’s respect and trust.
Further meetings were instigated to build healthy working relationships with clinical staff on-site who were also anxious about the level of support they would receive from the new in-house facilities team. Jackie invited clinical leads to ‘client meetings’ to encourage fluidity in communications and to help build a rapport. These meetings were also intended to keep clinical colleagues up-to-date with facilities functions and any changes or improvements that were being planned, and invite them to contribute.
The transition between the two Trusts still presented some challenges as Jackie met with resistance from the workforce when faced with operational changes to align to Trust Policies and Procedures. Examples include revising shifts to improve cleaning services in some high-risk areas, and providing staff, some of whom were not IT confident, with independent access to online training systems. These changes took time and patience to embed, but Jackie ensured the workforce understood the reasons for the changes and the benefits it would bring to the service.
Future vision
Jackie’s enthusiasm and commitment to providing an outstanding service for patients enables her to look beyond the immediate challenge to the benefit that change will bring. An example of how she has created a compelling vision for the future can be seen in her positive attitude towards the project to eliminate dormitories in Herefordshire. The three-year project commenced in November 2021 and will deliver a multi-million-pound capital investment in mental health inpatient facilities. It involves various contractors working on site, building new, and refurbishing existing inpatient areas across the site in phases; each phase impacting on scheduled work of all facilities teams during a time of relentless pressure arising from COVID-19.
Jackie looks beyond the chaos to supporting the teams who are working in this disruptive environment. Workloads have understandably increased because of the nature of the project, but through regular staff meetings, Jackie keeps everyone informed of the building’s progress and reminds the team of the benefits. The transformation of the unit will bring improvements for patients, with the introduction of en-suite facilities to each room along with ward-based communal dining areas. Influenced by Jackie’s contributions into the capital project itself, the benefits will also extend to improved equipment storage areas, a new staff changing room and the introduction of on-site mop washing and drying facilities.
Jackie is very focused; her work is accurate, thorough and policy-led. She is reliable and can be trusted to do a good job or report back on obstacles in her way. At the same time she always aims to treat everyone with dignity and tries to be compassionate and understanding, believing everyone should be treated fairly and professionally. Her own leadership skillset has developed significantly over the past two years, but she has reached out for support when needed and is receptive to guidance and advice from her peers and leaders. Identifying her own development opportunities has become her strength, and an area in which she has excelled throughout her secondment. Jackie is transparent about the importance of reaching out for support, and in turn has empowered her team to do the same and not see this as a weakness.
Over a 12-month period, Jackie also advised on changes to patient meals, which would result in a new dietetic-approved menu with a greater choice. A ‘taster day’ showcased the variety and quality of the new menus, with positive feedback from patients and staff. The new menus were implemented in August 2021.
Jackie tries to break down potential barriers between management and operational staff by ensuring she is visible, approachable and contactable, even if she is not on site every day. She nurtures staff, allowing them to develop at their own pace, observing, providing guidance and mentoring individuals to ensure mistakes are not repeated. This approach has fostered the opportunity for new ideas and ways of working to be identified, building unity across this relatively new team.
Jackie has developed a culture of integrity by keeping her word and being supportive. She publicly celebrates the outstanding efforts of others by regularly submitting ‘Big Shout Outs’ to the Trust’s Communication teams to share and celebrate on the weekly staff announcements. As a result, she has built a dedicated workforce who show integrity, loyalty, flexibility, and reliability.
Jackie was shortlisted for one of HEFMA’s 2022 Awards.
