Month: August 2016

Teamwork, good food and lots of fun are all ingredients that make a successful event, and it was this combination that brought staff, service users and respite care guests together to give the garden at Oak Trees a much needed makeover.

Oak Trees, which offers respite care for adults with a learning difficulty, has a good-sized garden but it was looking tired and in much need of some TLC. It was touch and go, however, as to whether the day would go ahead at all due to torrential rain first thing in the morning. But a few black clouds weren’t enough to dampen the spirits of everyone who took part on the day.

From grass mowing and weeding, to fence painting and general garden DIY, everyone rolled their sleeves up and got stuck in to the job in hand and the work was soon done.

A barbecue for the workforce, some upbeat music and a swing ball tournament not only provided much needed respite during those ‘time out’ moments, but created the perfect setting for new friendships to be forged between service users and residents who had travelled from the Young People’s Services projects in North Norfolk to help out on the day.

A massive thank you to everyone who gave their time to ensure the day was a huge success. To see everyone smiling and to receive comments from both guests and service users from the respite and supported living services like “I have had a lovely day. I loved the food and enjoyed meeting new friends”, “The best day ever” and “Can I have the day off tomorrow – I like this better than work”, certainly made our day and meant that all the hard work that went into the event was definitely worth it.

 

We are always on the lookout for talented people to come and join us. So, as part of our ongoing commitment to staff, we have introduced ‘Refer a Friend to Work’.

So how does it work?

‘Refer a Friend to Work’ forms part of our ‘We value you’ benefits package for Empanda employees. It’s a way for us to cast our nets wider in the search for the right person for the right role, as and when vacancies arise. And in return, our staff can benefit too!

When a ‘live’ vacancy is advertised internally, as long as an employee meets the scheme criteria they can put forward a friend or family member who they think meets the person specification criteria and possesses the relevant experience and qualities required for the role. If the person they have referred is subsequently appointed, the staff member will receive a two-stage incentive. Simple, but effective.

Sally Hanlin, Empanda’s Managing Director says, “There are many benefits of introducing such a scheme. Many of our staff team will know someone with the right skills who are looking for a new job and can ensure they get the opportunity to put themselves forward should a suitable vacancy arise. Not only is it a great way to incentivise and reward staff, it also provides a cost effective alternative to advertising. It’s a win-win!”