Sunnymead Residential Home
Amanda Leitch, Home Manager
“The essential skills training really helped improved staff confidence and competence in their individual job roles as well as developing them as ambassadors for Sunnymead’s service. On the back of the training, participating in Made Not Born has given us the potential for networking and promoting Sunnymead to various other businesses, as well as facilitating shared learning.”
| Size | 55 staff |
| Sector | Residential House |
| Location | Co. Armagh |
| Status | Completed MAP programme Participants in INTRO |
The Organisation
Sunnymead Residential Home has been in business since 1988, providing services to older people assessed as needing residential care. The business was purchased in 2001 by Linda and Andrew Nesbitt and now operates as a family run business employing 55 staff.
Linda, a chartered physiotherapist, takes a hands-on approach to the business and has dedicated the past 10 years to providing high quality residential care and “empowering residents to live happy, fulfilled and purposeful lives.”
The Sunnymead team is led by the Home Manager, Amanda Leitch, a registered nurse with many years experience of management in the health care sector.
The Challenge
Amanda recognised that the climate of local health care had changed in recent years, with the sector becoming more business focused. Therefore in order to secure Sunnymead’s success in the future, Amanda identified that the management team must move with changing times and actively seek out methods to improve leadership skills and business acumen.
“The management team firmly believes that the success of the company lies with the staff and the service they provide. Therefore we wanted to make sure that each employee shared the businesses’ vision and understood the opportunities for development we offered,”
said Amanda Leitch.
With this in mind Amanda contacted the Department for Employment and Learning with the aim of exploring development opportunities under the Made Not Born Management and Leadership programme.
The Strategy
DEL arranged for Sunnymead to have a visit from one of its consultants who identified gaps within the management and leadership of the organisation. Based on this insight, Sunnymead was referred to the Management Analysis and Planning (MAP) programme. Sunnymead was then matched with a dedicated MAP advisor who assessed the development needs required to improve the business and discussed the funding streams available for this training. As part of its programme, Sunnymead received training in the essential leadership and management skills required for the team.
“The training really helped improve staff confidence and competence in their individual job roles as well as developing them as ambassadors for Sunnymead’s service,”
said Amanda.
An INTRO to Successful Business Management
As health care professionals, Linda and Amanda needed to fill the gap in terms of their knowledge of human resource management and so were referred to INTRO - a direct support programme under Made Not Born.
This programme provided them with a graduate for a 20 week work placement- as well as facilitating Amanda and Linda to complete an Advanced Diploma in Business Management Practice.
“Participating in INTRO was a fantastic experience which reinforced the value of having sound management systems in place,”
said Amanda. “Our INTRO graduate was a great addition to the team, so much so that we have kept her on following her placement.”
The Results
According to Amanda, the benefits of participating in Made Not Born are clear to see. “MAP enabled us to develop management skills in our senior care assistants, which in turn increased efficiency in their job roles and throughout the business- for example implementing financial systems which improved our budget management.”
“Additionally, we were able to avail of funding through DEL. As a small business in the current financial climate, we simply could not have afforded this level of training without its support- so we are very grateful for this.”
Aided by DEL’s funding Sunnymead was able to carry out elements of the training programmes in-house, thereby allowing maximum attendance- another huge benefit to the business.
Linda Nesbitt, Sunnymead’s proprietor, says that “MAP and INTRO helped us nurture management and leadership skills, and for us, as a small business, this was priceless. Throughout the whole process, the support was excellent and systems were easy to follow.”
“On the back of the training, DEL asked us to participate in the Made Not Born Roadshows – a great opportunity for networking and promoting Sunnymead to various other businesses, as well as facilitating shared learning.”
“There is no doubt that participating in the training has required personal commitment- however we see this as a well placed investment in the future of the business,”
concluded Linda.
In July 2010, Sunnymead was successful in gaining the Investors in People Standard. The assessor said “The management team showed leadership and enthusiasm in taking the home forward, leading by example and proving that getting involved is vital.”
Additionally Sunnymead recently won the Royal College of Nursing award for excellence in the care of older people.
Amanda concludes, “By participating in Made Not Born, I’ve learnt that even managers with years of experience need a little help in developing and improving their leadership style, in order to get the best from their people and to achieve success.”
