Developing our staff for the long-term
10 Aug 2026
-23 min read
- Learning and development
- Retention
We hear from New Directions Rugby about how they develop their new and long-term staff to develop long-standing careers in social care.
At New Directions Rugby, over the last year or so we have been referred to as an ‘organic adopter’ of the Pathway. The reason for this label is that we have thoroughly embedded throughout the organisation several of the key principles that make the Care Workforce Pathway effective and can demonstrate that these principles in action have a real impact upon our workforce that is truly felt.
As a self-confessed data-geek, there is nothing that I love more than being able to compare and contrast a KPI or evidence a steady trend as a result of a shift or change in how we approach things, often relatively small changes but always a result of a team effort:
- achieving the lowest staffing vacancy levels since the pandemic over the last year
- improving our retention rates
- reducing our agency usage costs within 12 months by over £230,000.
All of these changes have been made by investing in our staff and our processes.
Unsurprisingly the statistics and trend data around our workforce that are the most meaningful are often those that come from the views of our staff themselves. We have been able to accumulate clear trend data through our staff surveys that evidence how what we are doing is improving our recruitment and retention, and that it also has a direct impact upon how our staff ‘feel’;
- 91% of our 200 strong staff team say they are proud to work for us and
- 99% say they feel supported to learn and develop.
It is this last statistic that speaks to our investment in training and developing all of our staff. Since appointing John Weekes as our Learning and Development Manager over five years ago, we began a significant shift-change. From introducing more face-to-face training, radically redesigning our induction programme and working with all of our managers to create ownership and compliance levels never seen before, we have strengthened the culture of the organisation and I’m proud to say as I write this that we can evidence 100% compliance in each piece of our mandatory training for every single one of our staff members.
It is at induction that, as CEO, I first meet each of our new starters. We open the floor to questions and more recently, the focus from new-starters is very often on what support, continuous training, qualifications and progression opportunities they can expect to receive in order to be able to develop within their role.
At this point we speak to our progression structure, the opportunity to take on ‘acting’ roles to develop experience, the comprehensive training we have in place and the excellent relationship we have with our external assessor. What lands more though is our ability to cite the numerous staff who have worked for us for years, decades and in some cases more than 30 years, who have developed through the organisation and form part of the fabric of our culture, and the energy and passion of the staff who have joined us within the last few years, keen to follow in their footsteps and develop a career in social care.
The long-serving perspective
Emma Daffey is Operations Manager for Residential Services at New Directions Rugby and has worked for us for over 35 years. Having started as a care worker at the age of 17 following a placement at a day service the people we support attended on a Youth Training Scheme (YTS), Emma has seen the organisation grow and develop and during the same time her career, knowledge and experience has grown with it.
Over the time she has been with New Directions Rugby, Emma has held and progressed through the roles of Care Assistant, House Leader, Deputy Manager, Registered Manager and Operations Manager. Emma had the privilege of being invited to Windsor Castle earlier this year for a Royal reception with the King and Queen, reflecting her long and distinguished career with New Directions Rugby.
Emma says:
I have been given the opportunity to develop both professionally and personally throughout my years working at New Directions by continuously building my skills and knowledge .In that time I have seen many changes and growth within New Directions and the people we support. Knowing we have supported people to live with dignity, independence and opportunity makes me feel proud to be part of the journey.
The new-joiner perspective:
Chantelle Jackson has been with New Directions for 18 months and works within our Day Opportunities Service as a Support and Activity Worker.
Chantelle says:
For many years, I held back from changing jobs because I had been with my previous employer for 13 years. The thought of starting somewhere new was frightening, it was the fear of the unknown. Looking back, I only wish I had known then what I know now that it would turn out to be one of the best decisions I could have made. After hearing about the excellent local reputation of New Directions, I was excited to join the team. Now, instead of worrying about trying new things, I genuinely look forward to them. The support I've received has been fantastic, it's given me the confidence to embrace new opportunities and challenges. No two days are the same, and there is always something new to learn. The team is so supportive, encouraging and committed to helping staff to develop. Most of all I love the fun, laughter and positivity we experience every day.
The ‘developing-leader’ perspective
Chris Rawlings joined New Directions Rugby nearly 2 years ago and recently took the step up to team leader within one of our Supported Living services. Chris says:
Before joining the care sector, I worked as a chef for three years and then a kitchen manager for over six years. While I enjoyed my time in hospitality, I felt ready for a new challenge and wanted a career where I could make a real difference to people鈥檚 lives. Joining New Directions in supported living was the best move I ever made. Every day is different, and it鈥檚 incredibly rewarding to support people to live as independently as possible and achieve their goals. The role has given me a real sense of purpose, and I鈥檝e met some amazing people along the way. The opportunities for development have also been fantastic. In just two years, I鈥檝e progressed into a team leader role, which shows that if you鈥檙e passionate, committed and willing to learn, there are genuine opportunities to build a career in care. If you鈥檙e thinking about moving into the care sector, I鈥檇 absolutely encourage it. It鈥檚 challenging at times, but the rewards far outweigh the challenges. Knowing you鈥檝e made a positive difference to someone鈥檚 day is something that鈥檚 hard to match in any other profession. What I like most about working at New Directions is the support team and guidance. It has a nice family feel, which is nice to be part of. We really are like one big family. The jump was worth it and I have never looked back. It doesn鈥檛 feel like a chore going to work.
The ability of any care provider to attract new talent is absolutely critical to future success and using the Care Workforce Pathway can help to strengthen what is already in place and to develop clear progression routes, skills development opportunities and even new roles that make attracting the next generation of social care talent easier. At New Directions Rugby, we’ve focused upon key areas that we knew would help us to attract, develop and retain new talent in the organisation whilst also ensuring that our culture, which has enabled us to retain dedicated staff for decades, is protected and enhanced.
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