Introducing Our New Employee Wellbeing Lead, Adele Burton

Adele Burton, Employee Wellbeing Lead

“I am so excited and feel proud to have been given the new role of Employee Wellbeing Lead for Springfield Healthcare, Care Villages.”

Why do you feel that this new role is important at Springfield?

Employee wellbeing in the workplace is extremely important and I am delighted that our directors at Springfield have recognised the need for this role. They understand how this investment will add benefit and value to our teams and ultimately for our residents.

The last few years have been incredibly difficult for all due to the ongoing Covid pandemic, especially for those who work within the care sector. The care sector has been at the frontline during this time and care professionals have all been impacted in some way. Many of us feel tired, burnt out and fragile due to the ongoing mental health impact that will be long term. Add to this the uncertainty due to war in Ukraine and financial difficulties due to the ongoing cost of living crisis, there is no wonder many of us are struggling in some way.

So, what is the purpose of your new role and what do you hope to achieve?

I believe that my role, primarily, is to raise awareness of what employee wellbeing in the workplace is. I want to tackle any issues that cause poor wellbeing, both physically and mentally and I strive to introduce new initiatives to improve employee wellbeing across the group.

I want our teams to have trust and confidence in their managers so that they are able to approach colleagues and talk to others when things are not okay. The phrase ‘it’s okay to not be okay’ is a message that we want to consistently convey to our teams. I want them to be able to approach us in confidence, with worries and concerns, and to know that we will do all we can to help and support.

We want to break the stigma attached to needing and asking for help. We all need help and reassurance without any prejudice from time to time.

What are your short and long term goals within this role?

I have many exciting ideas and initiatives that I will be introducing over the coming months. These will demonstrate that we do listen to our teams, we genuinely care about their wellbeing and that we take their concerns and suggestions seriously. I will be visiting all our homes on a regular basis to offer support to the teams and to roll out the exciting new initiatives.

My ultimate goal is for everyone to be happy at work, to have the confidence to say when they are not ok, to be supported and to love what they do. This will result in a better working environment for all and therefore, better care for our residents.

Working together, we can and will achieve this.