Carr Gomm Staff Initiative: Futures
Futures gives staff members a chance to make suggestions or requests that could help to improve their work or service, with no suggestion being too big or too small. Futures suggestions are open to all staff. Ideas that help stomp out loneliness and isolation for people we support or in our communities across Scotland are funded by fundraised money to help people and communities throughout Scotland.
Successful Futures applicants are decided through the Futures Group, comprised of colleagues from different roles and levels throughout Carr Gomm. The group meets every 2 months to discuss Futures suggestions and work to come up with ways to implement them.
Funded through generous donations, Futures has spent over £25,000 on projects and initiatives that have helped to bring people together.
For more information on successful Futures projects, see below.
Ongoing Futures Community Projects
Below is a selection of some of our Community Projects that are operated using fundraised money.
For more information on our other community projects, click here.
LGBT+ Network
Erin Barker, Forth Valley West service, suggested we start an organisation-wide group for people looking to champion and talk about LGBT+ issues.
Healthy Kitchen Group, Dundee
The group encourages local people we support to learn more about nutrition, plan healthy meals, learn to cook more and get involved in growing their own food.
Club Fun, Forth Valley
Club Fun is a project led by people we support in Forth Valley. It tackles loneliness and isolation by offering opportunities for people to come together, build friendships and experience new things.
Men In Sheds
Our Men in Sheds project is a dedicated, friendly, and welcoming meeting place where local men experiencing loneliness and isolation come together to share skills, build self-esteem, and forge friendships.
Craigmillar Community Grows
Our community growing projects use gardening and outdoor activities to actively tackle health and social inequalities.
Keep Warm Boxes
As a response to the cost of living crisis, Keep Warm Boxes were assembled and delivered to residents across Argyll and Bute to help people keep warm in emergencies.
Successful Futures Ideas
Futures has supported a variety of different activities, groups and events throughout the years.
Below is a small selection of ideas that received funding.
Time to Shine Futures Award
All your submissions to Futures are eligible for the Time To Shine Futures Award. At the end of each year, the Futures Group looks back on all your ideas, creates a shortlist and then votes on the most impactful, innovative and bold idea. See our previous winners below.
Time to Shine Futures Award Winner 2022: Taylor Stocks
At the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, Taylor Stocks (Edinburgh-based Support Practitioner) wrote to Futures with a bold and impactful idea in response to a very real and current staffing issue.
Taylor proposed “Extra Incentive/Pay for Overtime, Cover and Weekend Shifts… as a temporary to possibly permanent measure as a result of recent staff shortages throughout Carr Gomm.”
Taylor explained that “a lot of cover shifts or overtime has been asked for/required as of late and as a result of a staff shortage, with several members I’ve talked to (including myself) struggling to find the incentive to take on extra hours – especially for those of us working full-time. A few of my colleagues and I have discussed the possibility of a temporary pay increase of time and a half or double pay to be paid to those who pick up urgent shifts, cover shifts or weekend shifts. I believe this would encourage staff to take on more shifts during times when services are short-staffed and likely provide a welcome bonus to full-time staff taking on overtime or weekend work. I believe the extra pay would be easier to budget during staff decreases as a result of fewer staff members being paid throughout.”
In particular, “the idea is to pay time and a half (1.5x the normal pay rate) or double time (2x the normal pay rate) to staff members who are taking on urgent cover shifts – alternatively, weekends if paying extra during weekdays isn’t possible. This would encourage staff to take on more shifts as a result of the extra money. This would be useful not only while there are staff shortages but while regular staff or on annual leave or staff are short for any reason in specific services.“
Taylor believes that “the ultimate outcome of this idea is to prevent strain and stress for those looking for urgent cover shifts as well as ultimately encourage staff to take on urgent shifts with the incentive of a pay increase. Staff turnover may also be slightly improved as a result of a pay increase during general staff shortages.”
Following discussions at the Exec and the Board, it was agreed to introduce enhanced payments for additional hours worked, as follows (quoting Lucy):
“From 1 April, we are introducing overtime payments of ‘time and a half’ for support practitioners working hours in excess of full time (37.5hrs/wk), as recognition for the commitment and dedication of those colleagues that cover extra shifts due to absence or short staffing… “
“Continuing to uplift and enhance salaries and benefits is an indication that we are managing the organisation prudently and that we continue to develop and undertake new work. At a time like this, our careful management really pays off, and we can withstand a challenging environment.”
This outcome, of course, benefits individual support practitioners, teams, management, and ultimately the people we support. The Futures Group is delighted to award Taylor’s idea as the one that stood out for us as a bold one with a true organisation-wide impact, benefitting both staff and people supported.
Time To Shine Futures Award Winner 2019: Caroline Barnes
It was hard to choose just one winner from about 40 brilliant new Futures submissions, but in the end, Caroline’s idea stood out in two important ways: It would have the biggest organisation-wide impact, and it was ambitious.
Caroline suggested that we “include ‘compassion’ in our principles and values” to “address the current deficit within our values which communicate ‘kindness/caring’ aspect of our support services and staff” – “in line with the new Health and Social Care Standards”.
This sparked a conversation about our organisational values and quickly developed into a plan for an organisation-wide Big Conversation About Our Values. Following a year of deep conversations among all staff, people we support and other interested parties, Carr Gomm added both “Compassion” and “Kindness” to our values.
This is testament to Carr Gomm’s commitment to receiving and acting upon bold suggestions from the workforce. Through the Futures programme, Carr Gomm employees truly have the voice and power to steer the organisation to new frontiers.
Time To Shine Futures Award Winner 2018: Barbara Rush
Barbara noticed that she relies on her well-practised listening skills in her support. She suggested that Carr Gomm offers specific training on Active Listening to support practitioners. What’s more, Barbara developed the PDG herself – including the presentation, notes and handouts!
Through this award, we celebrate Barbara’s talents and generosity in sharing them with all of us.
Big Carr Gomm Challenge
As part of our 25th birthday celebration, Carr Gomm is asking you to take part in the Big Carr Gomm Challenge to raise £25,000 for community projects throughout Scotland.
Every penny raised will go to Futures projects and help to fight isolation and loneliness across the country.
For more information and to get involved, visit the #BigCGChallenge page.
Alternatively, you can make a donation here.