What do Sapphire Streams do?

Sapphire Streams operates in the residential care sector and until recently, just operated the Plas-y-Mor care home in Rhyl, with around 37 colleagues caring for adults with long-term mental health issues. Sapphire Streams has been an Investors in People accredited client since August 2018. Inspection reports from Care Inspectorate Wales have also been positive.

What have been the Covid-19 challenges and impact so far?

In April 2020, Sapphire Streams has opened a second care setting, The Oaks, in Shotton. This is in commercial partnership with Flintshire County Council, in order to provide a ‘step-down’ facility for the local NHS, enabling hospitals to focus on the COVID-19 response.

Sapphire Streams has commented that this has been, ‘Incredibly hurried and quite stressful, but we are doing okay.’ Additionally, they have asked their Practitioner to advise the organisation on this second care setting, in due course.

What has been the response to these challenges?

Clearly this is an incredibly challenging and pressurised time for everyone in the care industry. A few things have helped us – having leads who read, reflect and apply the ever-changing guidance, sit on calls with local government etc.; having an interim Covid-19 Policy – and spending time training staff on that policy (including putting on and off PPE); ensuring our managers provide clear and calm leadership (not showing too much stress – it makes a massive difference to the staff).

The biggest win so far has got to be the launch of our second setting The Oaks – as a direct response to Covid-19. The other big win is the fact that staff have pulled together in these very hard times.

Our Investors in People approach and experience has been really helpful. We’ve applied all of our learnings –

– communication is key (calm tone & clear messages)

– taking a different approach to our normal practice – we’ve had to halt team meetings for the time being, instead we’ve changed the format – so a written note is sent out (but keeping with the same headers as would have been discussed in the meeting itself)

– application of the Values throughout everything we do (we’ve recruited over 25 people in the space of 6 weeks) using values-based recruitment, including a number of people ‘new to care’

We’re not perfect, but we are doing our best!

How have you looked after wellbeing?

We’ve done our best to focus on wellbeing in this period.

Team spirit and our application of values has been very important. We’ve set up a ‘WhatsApp’ support group – not for critical or confidential messages, but for more supportive and positive communications such as pictures, funny videos, offers of help etc.

Our monthly newsletter has a section on well-being – with references to our existing Employee Support Programme (a paid for, external organisation – 24×7 telephone support line); and other useful websites such as the Mental Health Foundation’s Covid-19 pages ‘How to look after your Mental Health’.

Helping our staff feel valued and supported – Social Care Wales announced a digital card, we’d already produced a form of ID, so together our staff feel like they have evidence if they are ever stopped by police etc when coming to work; and also get to go to the ‘NHS hours’ in supermarkets.

Fun stuff – we’ve tried to ensure that it’s not all pressurised Covid-19 stuff all of the time, we’ve had BBQ parties in the car park; afternoon tea and Easter crafts in the courtyard garden; baking sessions etc.

Practitioner insights

The Practitioner for Sapphire Streams, Stephen Stirk, has consistently provided advice and support, as he is an expert and published author on person centred practice, providing thought leadership in this sector. Combining this advice with their own significant innovation and highly effective leadership and management, the organisation has been successful in growing and improving their services through the contribution of its people.

Stephen has been invaluable in lots of ways. One of the key pieces of advice from Stephen in our last audit was in relation to Company Values. We followed Stephen’s advice (his book ‘Creating Person-Centred Organisations’ was very helpful for this!) and got the staff (during two workshop sessions) to create their own values, including ‘what the values mean to me’. We’ve used these values during the last few weeks very heavily – really helpful in values-based recruitment, as we’ve just increased our staff levels substantially.

We also spent time at the end of 2019, applying guidance from Stephen’s book, to understand the leadership team more – we had a workshop followed by a lovely Italian dinner together, understanding each other more, including ‘This is me’ and discussing how they like to work – the ways of working they enjoy, and the ways of working they found annoying or stressful. I think that helped in a couple of ways – it helped people understand each other more, and it cemented relationships. That’s definitely helped us in the last few weeks – that team have stepped-up incredibly.

Pa fath o sefydliad yw eich cleient?

Mae Sapphire Streams yn gweithredu yn y sector gofal preswyl ac yn ddiweddar, wedi sefydlu yn nhŷ gofal ‘Plas-y-Mor’, Rhyl, gyda thua 37 o gydweithwyr yn gofalu am oedolion gyda materion iechyd meddwl hir dymor. Mae Sapphire Streams wedi bod yn gleient achrededig Buddsoddwyr mewn Pobl ers Awst 2018.

Heriau ac effaith Covid-19 hyd yn hyn.

Yn Ebrill 2020, agorodd Sapphire Streams ail leoliad, The Oaks, yn Shotton. Mae hyn yn bartneriaeth fasnachol gyda Chyngor Sir y Fflint, er mwyn darparu cyfleuster ‘camu i lawr’ ar gyfer y GIG leol, gan alluogi ysbytai i ganolbwyntio ar ymateb Covid-19.

Mae Sapphire Streams wedi nodi bod hyn wedi bod, ‘Yn frysiog ofnadwy ac yn rhoi i ni bach o straen, ond rydyn ni’n gwneud yn iawn’. Hefyd, maent wedi gofyn i’w Ymarferydd gynghori’r sefydliad ar yr ail leoliad gofal hwn, maes o law.

Ymateb y sefydliad

Yn amlwg mae hwn yn gyfnod heriol ac yn ddigon o straen i bawb yn y diwydiant gofal. Mae ychydig o bethau wedi ein helpu ni – cael arweinwyr sy’n darllen, myfyrio a gweithredu? chymhwyso’r canllawiau sy’n newid yn barhaus, eistedd ar alwadau gyda llywodraeth leol ac ati; cael polisi Covid-19 dros dro – ac anfon staff hyfforddi amser ar y polisi hwnnw (gan gynnwys rhoi PPE ymlaen ac oddi arno); sicrhau bod ein rheolwyr yn darparu arweinyddiaeth glir a digynnwrf (heb ddangos gormod o straen – mae’n gwneud gwahaniaeth enfawr i’r staff).

Y fuddugoliaeth fwyaf hyd yma oedd lansiad ein hail osodiad The Oaks – fel ymateb uniongyrchol i Covid-19. Y fuddugoliaeth fawr arall yw’r ffaith bod staff wedi tynnu at ei gilydd yn yr amseroedd caled iawn yma.

Mae ein dull a’n profiad linP wedi bod yn ddefnyddiol iawn. Rydym wedi defnyddio ein holl ddysgiadau-

– mae cyfathrebu’n allweddol (tôn ddigynnwrf a negeseuon clir)

– cymryd agwedd wahanol i’n harfer arferol – rydym wedi gorfod atal cyfarfodydd tîm am y tro, yn lle hynny rydym wedi newid y fformat – felly anfonir nodyn ysgrifenedig allan (ond gan gadw gyda’r un penawdau ag y byddai wedi’i drafod yn y cyfarfod ei hun)

– cymhwyso’r Gwerthoedd trwy bopeth a wnawn (rydym wedi recriwtio dros 25 o bobl o fewn 6 wythnos) gan ddefnyddio recriwtio ar sail gwerthoedd, gan gynnwys nifer o bobl ‘newydd i ofal’

Nid ydym yn berffaith, ond rydym yn gwneud ein gorau!

Sylw ar les

Rydym wedi gwneud ein gorau i ganolbwyntio ar les yn y cyfnod hwn.

Mae ysbryd tîm a’n cymhwysiad o werthoedd wedi bod yn bwysig iawn. Rydym wedi sefydlu grŵp cymorth ‘WhatsApp’ – nid ar gyfer negeseuon beirniadol neu gyfrinachol, ond ar gyfer cyfathrebiadau mwy cefnogol a chadarnhaol fel lluniau, fideos doniol, cynigion o help ac ati.

Mae gan ein cylchlythyr misol adran ar lesiant – gyda chyfeiriadau at ein Rhaglen Cymorth i Weithwyr presennol (sefydliad allanol y telir amdano – llinell cymorth ffôn 24×7); a gwefannau defnyddiol eraill fel tudalennau Covid-19 y Sefydliad Iechyd Meddwl ‘sut i ofalu am eich Iechyd Meddwl’.

Helpu ein staff i deimlo eu bod yn cael eu gwerthfawrogi a’u cefnogi – Cyhoeddodd Gofal Cymdeithasol Cymru gerdyn digidol, roeddem eisoes wedi cynhyrchu math o ID, felly gyda’n gilydd mae ein staff yn teimlo bod ganddyn nhw dystiolaeth os ydyn nhw byth yn cael eu stopio gan yr heddlu ac ati; wrth ddod i’r gwaith; a hefyd mynd i ‘oriau’r GIG’ mewn archfarchnadoedd.

Stwff hwyliog – rydyn ni wedi ceisio sicrhau nad yw’r cyfan yn bethau Covid-19 dan bwysau trwy’r amser, rydyn ni wedi cael partïon barbeciw yn y maes parcio; te prynhawn a chrefftau Pasg yng ngardd y cwrt; sesiynau pobi ac ati.

Mewnwelediadau ymarferwyr

Mae Ymarferydd Sapphire Streams, Stephen Stirk, wedi darparu cyngor a chefnogaeth yn gyson, gan ei fod yn awdur arbenigol a chyhoeddedig ar ymarfer sy’n canolbwyntio ar yr unigolyn, gan ddarparu arweinyddiaeth feddwl yn y sector hwn. Gan gyfuno’r cyngor hwn â’u harloesedd sylweddol eu hunain ac arweinyddiaeth a rheolaeth hynod effeithiol, mae’r sefydliad wedi llwyddo i dyfu a gwella eu gwasanaethau trwy gyfrannu ei bobl.

Mae Stephen wedi bod yn amhrisiadwy mewn sawl ffordd. Roedd un o’r darnau allweddol gan Stephen yn ein harchwiliad diwethaf mewn perthynas â Chwmni Cymru. Fe wnaethom ddilyn cyngor Stephen (roedd ei lyfr ‘Creu Trefniadau sy’n Canolbwyntio ar yr Unigolyn’ yn ddefnyddiol iawn ar gyfer hyn!) A chael y staff (yn ystod dwy sesiwn gweithdy) i greu eu gwerthoedd eu hunain, gan gynnwys ‘beth mae’r gwerthoedd yn ei olygu i mi’. Rydyn ni wedi defnyddio’r gwerthoedd hyn yn ystod yr wythnosau diwethaf yn drwm iawn – yn ddefnyddiol iawn wrth recriwtio ar sail gwerthoedd, gan ein bod ni newydd gynyddu ein lefelau staff yn sylweddol.

Fe wnaethon ni hefyd dreulio amser ar ddiwedd 2019, gan gymhwyso arweiniad o lyfr Stephen, i ddeall y tîm arweinyddiaeth yn fwy – cawsom weithdy wedi’i ddilyn gan ginio Eidalaidd hyfryd gyda’n gilydd, gan ddeall ein gilydd yn fwy, gan gynnwys ‘Dyma fi’ a thrafod sut maen nhw yn hoffi gweithio – y ffyrdd o weithio maen nhw’n eu mwynhau, a’r ffyrdd o weithio roedden nhw’n eu cael yn annifyr neu’n llawn straen. Rwy’n credu bod hynny wedi helpu mewn dwy ffordd – roedd yn helpu pobl i ddeall ei gilydd yn fwy, ac roedd yn cadarnhau perthnasoedd. Mae hynny’n bendant wedi ein helpu yn ystod yr wythnosau diwethaf – mae’r tîm hwnnw wedi camu i’r adwy yn anhygoel.