Burnout among Home Managers is a growing concern, especially highlighted during the recent Mental Health Awareness Week. Home Managers play an essential role in the Social Care sector, and addressing their stress levels is crucial for maintaining their well-being and the overall stability of care homes.

The Role of Home Managers: A 24/7 Commitment

Being a Home Manager is a highly demanding and rewarding job. These dedicated professionals manage everything from staff rotas and resident care to regulatory compliance and family communications. While the high expectations and extensive responsibilities can be challenging, it’s important to focus on supporting Home Managers to ensure they continue thriving in their vital roles. By recognising and alleviating the pressures they face, we can help retain these valuable workers in the sector.

The Mental Health Impact and Sickness Rates

Data from the Health and Social Care sector reveal worrying trends in sickness rates. There is a clear correlation between high sickness rates and increased turnover. In the 2020/21 period, turnover rates were significantly lower for employees with up to six days of sickness (26.0%) compared to those with more than 30 days (31.6%). Poor mental health among Home Managers is a major contributing factor to these statistics, as the stress and demands of their role lead to more frequent and prolonged absences.

Consequences of High Turnover

The high turnover rate among Home Managers has severe consequences for the sector. It often results in deputies being promoted before they are fully ready, further straining an already dwindling talent pool. Retaining experienced managers is crucial to maintaining the quality of care and ensuring the stability of care homes. The loss of seasoned professionals not only affects the immediate functioning of care facilities but also the long-term development and training of new team members.

Strategies to Address Burnout and Retain Talent

1. Prioritising Health and Wellbeing

Prioritising the health and wellbeing of Home Managers can significantly improve their engagement, job satisfaction, loyalty, and performance. Implementing wellness programmes and providing robust mental health support are essential steps in this direction. By creating a supportive environment, organisations can help managers cope better with the stresses of their role. Many groups have now introduced the mental health first aiders to support their teams at times of challenge. This both demonstrates that the company recognises mental health as important and shows a commitment to develop and train team members into these roles.

2. Career Path Diversification

Offering career path diversification can help retain experienced Home Managers by allowing them to transition into roles such as Sales, Marketing, or HR within the sector. This not only reduces burnout but also ensures that their valuable experience remains within the industry, contributing to its overall strength and stability. We have clients retaining homes managers in quality support roles, groupwide commissioning, sales and marketing, along with moving across into HR, training and development positions.

3. Enhancing Team Capability and Capacity

A skilled and capable team can significantly alleviate the burden on Home Managers. Ensuring high-caliber team members in supporting roles through comprehensive training and development programmes is essential. When the broader team possesses the right skills, it reduces the overall impact on the Home Manager, allowing them to focus on critical aspects of their role. Many providers we work with have clear career pathways and training opportunities to ensure all those who are seeking professional development are able to grow within the group. This has included specialist dementia training programmes, supporting qualified nurse training and upskilling with Care Practitioner training.

4. Measuring and Improving Employee Happiness

Measuring employee happiness through turnover rates, sickness levels, and employee satisfaction surveys provides valuable insights into workplace satisfaction. Using this data to make informed decisions can help improve the work environment and reduce burnout. Organisations should regularly assess these metrics and implement changes that foster a positive and supportive workplace culture. Skills for care point to measuring employee happiness as one the best ways to understand how employees are feeling https://www.skillsforcare.org.uk/news-and-events/blogs/how-data-can-help-you-think-about-your-staffs-health-and-happiness we have seen this working well with our clients who have introduced an employee wellness app for employees to log how they are feeling at work, and as often as they like. It’s a simple set of faces green, amber and red to share how the day is, in collating the responses the leadership team can quickly indicate where additional help maybe needed real time.

Addressing burnout among Home Managers is crucial for retaining talent and ensuring the stability of the Social Care sector. By prioritising their health and wellbeing, offering career path diversification, enhancing team capability, and measuring employee happiness, we can create a more supportive environment for Home Managers. This will not only reduce burnout but also retain the valuable experience these professionals bring, ultimately benefiting the entire sector.