St Leger Homes of Doncaster – Championing an Ageing Community – Free workshop

St Leger Homes of Doncaster recently won Business in the Community’s prestigious ‘Championing an Ageing workforce’ Award for their New Directions programme.

As with many other organisations, St Leger’s workforce is increasingly made up of people aged 50 and over. Although many older employees want to keep working they sometimes struggle with ill health or physically demanding elements of their work. Many find they have increased caring responsibilities for elderly parents or grandchildren and need to work reduced or more flexible hours. St Leger Homes’ recognise the immense contribution that older workers are able to make and introduced their New Directions programme to support them. Older workers are encouraged and helped to retrain and work flexibly so that individuals are not forced out of employment. The New Directions programme includes several initiatives with the overall aim of maintaining and supporting their older workforce, including:

• Regular ‘career conversations’ promote opportunities and support available.
• Flexible support to retrain, enabling people to change career changes and stay in employment longer.
• Redeployment Register for those staff requesting alternative employment.
• Flexible retirement scheme for employees who would like to reduce their working hours but don’t wish to take full retirement.
• Work experience scheme for tenants facing age as a barrier to employment.

By taking a flexible and supportive approach, St Leger Homes enables their older workers to continue earning and learning new skills. This helps to deliver an improved quality of life, builds confidence, and contributes to the local economy. St Leger Homes has also saved an estimated £26k in recruitment costs by supporting older employees to continue working.

Susan Jordan, St Leger’s Chief Executive, and Linda Keeling, Head of HR, will host a free workshop at their offices on Wednesday 5^th October, 1.30 – 3.30pm, to give more information about the New Directions Programme, the benefits they have derived from it and their learning along the way.  

If you’re interested in attending this free workshop, please contact Leandra Graham-Hibling to book a place: Leandra.Graham-Hibling@Stlegerhomes.co.uk

Find out more about the programme using the link below:

http://www.bitc.org.uk/our-resources/case-studies/st-leger-homes-doncaster-new-directions-programme