3. Things That Help Our size helps us:
Big enough to offer security and opportunity
Small enough to know everyone, for senior management to be visible and to be able to respond quickly
CQC Report
Purple Balm Training Ltd

4. Why Do People Choose Care Work?
Meaningful Work, I can make a difference
Fits with Lifestyle
Personal Experience of Caring for Family or Friends
Degree of Autonomy
Relatively easy to get a job
Training Provided – career opportunity
Convenient and Flexible working hours

5. Methods We Use Word of Mouth and refer a friend incentives Radio
Local Press
Website
You tube
Adverts in shop windows
Employment Agencies
Open Days
Conferences

6. Recruitment: What We Do
Genuinely believe in the Service we offer and that here is a good place to work
Pay Living Wage and above
Offer free comprehensive training and career support
Manage incumbent’s expectations
Keep Purple’s profile high
Offer guaranteed hours where we can
Manage our recruitment pathway actively

7. What We Don’t Do  Make false promises
Take staff who are borderline in meeting our requirements
Offer paid travel time

8. What We Can’t Control  The Local Labour Market Applicant Pool
Competitors in the same market
Unemployment
How long DBS takes to come back
Personalities!

9. Retention: What We Do Treat our staff as our customers
Listen and Acknowledge contributions and concerns
Plenty of Tough Love
Be fair and act as a team
Respect people’s strengths and weaknesses and play to their advantage
Regular appraisals and constructive Feedback
Organise rotas considerately and well
Encourage Brand Identity and Purple Pride 

10. And….. Keep telling them how great THEY are (and how great WE are)
Give them additional responsibilities as and when we can
Know them – keep it personal
Say thank you often
Staff satisfaction surveys and we tell them what action we are taking based on their responses
Communicate, communicate, communicate………

11. What We Don’t Do Overstretch our resources Abuse YES Have favourites
Make false threats
Forget: things like birthdays, personal life events, previous helpful behaviour, compliments
Tell – we ask
Allow them to be isolated
Electronic Monitoring
Try not to forget why they chose a career in care

12. The Carer Voice
We have all become adept at listening and responding keenly to our clients’ voice. We need to listen equally to our carers’ voice. Our staff are our best asset.