Gleberry Support

Your staff are regular users of the Carer Wellbeing Survey in Nursebuddy, so can you tell us about how you use the data you receive?

“We look at the survey data on a Monday morning and share the score with our team each week. I take a screenshot and send it out into the staff WhatsApp group. I do that so our team is aware that we're taking on board their feedback and making changes from that.

“As managers, we use it to think about where we are heading that week. What do we need to do? We’ll send a message out to the team if anyone's not happy. We ask that if anyone needs any support, to check-in with their manager, to pick the phone up and speak to us.”

You were reticent about using the Carer Wellbeing Survey at first right?

“Yeah, I actually didn’t use the feature for a little while when it first launched [in 2023]. I think perhaps because of the fear of the unknown. And the big question for us was what are we going to do with that information? How are we going to manage it? How are we going to incorporate that into the way we work? 

“We are a small domiciliary agency anyway, so we're very personal. We have a close relationship with our team. We already do an annual staff satisfaction survey as well, which is quite an intense look at the business. So I didn’t want this to be just a tick box exercise.

“But I think I just had one of those days when I went, do you know what? I'm going to turn it on and just see what happens!”

Do you find now that the Carer Wellbeing Survey gives you valuable information?

“Our wellbeing scores are pretty good. I'm chuffed with where we're at with ours. We get the odd one or two red or orange faces, but I appreciate that everyone's not going to be happy. 

“I think a key thing for us as managers with the data that comes from the survey is actually understanding when someone's put an angry face, what's going on? Because we want to fix it.” 

“I think my key message for everyone is going to be don't be scared to use it! Turn it on and see. What's the worst that can happen? Because genuinely, if your staff really think you're that awful and you're getting awful results, that's going to be reflected in the care that you're delivering.”

What are some of the ways you’ve responded to feedback that’s come from the survey?

“We respond in lots of ways. It might be that someone needs a check-in call from us, or some additional support, some training. I've met some of our support workers down at the local McDonald's and we've had a coffee and a chitchat and gone over things. You know, when it's a personal problem, they probably don't want to take it into the office, and everybody else might overhear or get interrupted. So we meet somewhere neutral and have a chat there.

“I think you can kind of forget how stressful it is to do the job we're doing. And we've had some feedback saying busy day or stressful with service users, difficult interactions with client, things like that. So we’ve decided we're going to do a mental health week at work. We've ordered some goodie bags with little bits and bobs in. We’re arranging for someone to come in and do massages for the staff. As a little morale booster so that they know they are appreciated, they are valued. And hopefully that helps to offset those not so good days."

We hear you’ve used the Carer Appreciation Centre in Nursebuddy in quite an innovative way too?

“I used it for some positive reinforcement! In my job as Compliance Manager I make sure that we've documented everything and all notes are completed on each visit and medications done. I was fed up of chasing people to do this and it was becoming a bit of a nag all the time. So I switched round what I was doing. I was still chasing people, but I started singing praises for the people who hadn't missed any notes or medication. And I was sending them little cards saying “your ace! Well done. You smashed it. Carry on the hard work”. Stuff like this. And it was quite funny in our community of carers. There was always, “did you get a card from Stacey? I got one. Did you get one?” And it become like a bit of a battle each week who had a card and who didn't. And they all wanted to be in this executive team of getting cards. So, it worked well then because I think it gave them another reminder. Got to get the notes done!”

Brilliant example! In your view, how valuable is it to have carer appreciation tools for a community-based care team?

“Working in homecare, it's not like being in an office and you've got your manager here with you. You're out in the community. You're working essentially on your own. I know you've got the interaction with service users, but then you open your app and this little thing pops up and it's nice, isn't it? 

“I think we can be very quick to ask why wasn't this done? We also need to remember the guys that do it every single time, rock up on time, do the job, absolutely ace it. We need to put some time into recognising and valuing them as well.”

Stacey Hibbert
Compliance Manager, Gleberry Support

Sound good?

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