1. HR Voluntary Sector Forum
Retention in the
Voluntary Sector
Victoria Knox
2nd May 2019

2. Background Perceived challenges in Social Care Anecdotal information
2016 Benchmarking report – ranges in retention up to 35%
2016 Scottish Government Report - 79% experienced difficulty, either regularly or occasionally, in retaining care or support workers
Some of the main factors:
Competition from other sectors / Pay & conditions
Antisocial hours / Workload
Registration / qualification
Management & leadership
Training & development
Retention Pilot January 2017
Delegates to fill in attendance sheet.
Hand out the Manual Handling Manuals.

3. Project Scope April 2017 – March 2018 Benchmarking Track reasons
Track movements
Develop processes
Analysis of information
Consideration of retention strategies
Consider longitudinal study
Delegates to fill in attendance sheet.
Hand out the Manual Handling Manuals.

4. Benefits Use as a best practice example Collaborative working
Consistency across the sector
Improved reporting to Board/Mgt Teams
Use of data as a sector
Generation of accurate data as opposed to anecdotal data
Delegates to fill in attendance sheet.
Hand out the Manual Handling Manuals.

5. The Pilot 8 voluntary sector organisations = total w/f 7,500 approx.
CCPS / Strathclyde University
Standardised exit interview template
Mapped to Scottish Government report
Agreed to include relief/sessional staff
Conducted a 6 month review
Delegates to fill in attendance sheet.
Hand out the Manual Handling Manuals.

6. Key Findings Leavers 66% female
Highest proportion from the East of Scotland (29%)
Majority (36%) 3+ years service
Lowest proportion (9%) 0-3 months service
26% left the sector
55% FT, 32% PT, 8% Relief
84% enjoyed their job – only 7% did not
73% enjoyed working for their org – only 13% did not
60% would consider re-employment

7. Key Findings Relationship measures
79% believe managers communicate and follow policy and practice
59% stated that managers respond to issues promptly
But
Relational issues exist
inconsistencies in the treatment of staff, approachability, trustworthiness and ability to listen characterised negative evaluations of line managers and supervisor performance

8. Key findings +
“Working with service users and other staff and stakeholders. Great sense of job satisfaction, sense of making a difference. Role of liaison worker and speak out as I felt I was empowering service users.”
“Genuine sense that the work we do is valuable and effective. Direct work with service users.”
“Being able to make a difference to people's lives. Using focused work to effect change.”

9. Key findings - “No longer "person centred" more "money centred“
“Volume of work can impact on job satisfaction”
“I felt I was not supported & none of the issues have ever been resolved”
“Difficult to strike a balance between support and office workload often felt pulled between the two roles”

10. Top Reasons for Leaving
Other – retirement, change of career, end of contract, lack of support, other responsibilities - such as education and personal circumstances
Working hours.
Lack of career progression.
Salary
Relationship with line manager
Lack of job satisfaction
Morale within the team

11. Recommendations
Reforms to job design: reasonable hours for front-line in terms of pattern and length of shifts
Evaluation of career paths and opportunities for progression
Importance of supervision
Develop supervisors and line managers in areas such as communication, coaching and team building
Awareness of the balance of Managers’ scope of work and responsibility against having adequate people management time
Voice of the worker: needs to be heard!
Policy forum to develop guidance on good practise.
Continue to collate data and analyse

12. Thank You
Ian Cunningham, Joanna Butler and Dora Scholarios - Department of Work, Employment and Organisation, University of Strathclyde
Participating Organisations
CCPS

13. Questions ?