Unique Villages for Later Life

In his first CEO role, David Williams has spent the last 3 years leading St Monica Trust which has been operating for close to 100 years. Providing Retirement, Home and Residential Care services across 5 large villages/care homes, the organisation employs over 500 staff supported by a volunteer team of 700 people. David is candid and engaging when discussing strongly held views and his learning through hindsight. Key observations:

Simplify and listen (but not to the Gurus)
St Monica Trust stands for making people better off- staff and clients alike, they remunerate above market rate because it makes commercial sense and delivers significant commitment and recognition:

• Develop a relationship with staff beyond the master – servant. Recognize any synergies between business needs and staff personal issues. Bringing the 2 together when possible drives rapid and real change.
• Stand back, listen, interpret, check, implement – it works with clients and staff.

Self-reliance
Government will never give you what you want, and funding increasingly will become tougher. The Care sector “moans” far too much about workforce issues.

• Develop your own short/medium/long term strategies to ensure needs are met;
• Build a career development process for your staff;
• ‘We should not be competing with Aldi’.

Community engagement
Their Intergenerational strategies, such as the ‘Old people’s homes for 4-year old’s’ are building significant momentum even though their start was fortuitous.

• Integration of volunteers into the workforce – critical part of service delivery and experience. 20% of their workforce come through the volunteer network.
• Working to make health and social care ‘sexy’. Show the real impact of the job as well as career options.

Relationship centred approaches

• Build relationships staff/ clients as well as other stakeholders.
• “What matters to me program”. Listen to staff if you expect them to listen to their clients/residents.
• Value and support staff and residents; engage proactively to do this. Simple things often the most meaningful.

​Being genuine, showing a preparedness to engage and not being afraid to make mistakes are central themes in David’s strategy, at a personal and company level.