Month: November 2023

Carrington Care CEO Raad Richards, Village Co-ordinator Carla Upfill, Executive Assistant Emma Johnson, Hotel Services Co-ordinator Cathy McDonald, Volunteer Co-ordinator Alison Vella, Property Services Manager Rob Cutajar and Property Services’ Chris Dolman have busy day jobs at the provider of community care, aged care and retirement living services in Sydney’s southwest.

The Not For Profit’s only fund-raiser is the annual Carrington Fair, which has been held for over forty years.

This year’s Fair exceeded all expectations, emerging as a resounding success. The picturesque grounds and first-class facilities at Carrington were showcased to a record-breaking crowd, reaffirming the community’s enthusiasm and support for the fair.

Numerous residents from the Carrington village actively participated in the fair’s organisation, forming a crucial part of the committee. Special recognition goes to Jill De-ath, Graham Shelley-Jones, Jane Whelan, Barbara Handley, Carol Saunders, Robyn Thompson, Ken Long, and Virginia Crompton for their dedicated contributions.

The fair received substantial support from local businesses affiliated with Carrington Care, with over $20,000 in donations. Funds raised from the fair are utilised for purchasing items from the Carrington Wish List, which has a positive impact in our Carrington Community.

Participating stall holders played a pivotal role in enhancing the overall experience of the fair. Carrington’s residents had their own stalls including cakes, jams, craft, woodwork, books, trash and treasure, and much more. The external stall holders had a diverse array of products which contributed to the vibrancy of the fair.

The fair attracted thousands of people, including residents from the Retirement village, aged care facilities, and their families and friends. The success of this fair not only celebrates a day of joy, but also contributes meaningfully to the ongoing well-being of the Carrington Care community.

We are sometimes so focused on our residents that we forget the other important relationships we have within our communities – our staff.

Ask yourself, what is your relationship like with your team?

Every year Gartner run a webinar on the top priorities for leaders in the year ahead. The webinar looks at the top HR trends and priorities based on the results of Gartner’s annual survey of over 500 leaders in Human Resources.

This year, we sat in on the webinar and it was interesting to hear the theme that was emerging, especially after our most recent Professional Development Day series where we the DCM Institute team was able to connect with so many managers and leaders in our own sector.

Overwhelmingly, the top trend reported during the webinar by leaders was an unsettled employee-employer relationship, with productivity anxiety and mutual mistrust identified at alarming levels.

Productivity Anxiety in simple terms, is a feeling of stress or unease that comes from worrying about the constant pressures to meet the high expectations of the business and the customers, and in turn to keep up with the demands of work and life.

According to the survey, 58% of organisations are confident that they can meet their performance targets in the coming year. That said, 45% of employees were worried that can’t sustain their current level of performance next year.

Mutual Mistrust arises when the relationship between individuals in the business is strained, and it manifests in scepticism and uncertainty in the workplace. Gartner reported that 63% of organisations said they trust their employees however only 53% of employees trust their organisations.

Now, its important to note at this point, this was a global survey. It doesn’t stop us from asking if this is something you are seeing in your own organisation with your own team.

When looking at this sort of research and reporting and reflect on our own learnings in the sector over the past year with 2 out of 5 Village Managers indicating they won’t be in the sector in three years’ time.

The Gartner webinar is a timely reminder that as leaders we need to also be considerate of our teams, how they are responding to the demands on their productivity and support them to succeed.

As leaders, we need to be both mindful and proactive. We need to ask ourselves as leaders within our own businesses how we can continue to keep our teams motivated and focused on the outcomes that result in great resident outcomes.

Something we will be exploring at our upcoming Village Summit event, where Matt Church will be presenting on leadership and motivation.

On 11 November 1918, the guns of the Western Front fell silent after four years of continuous warfare. With their armies retreating and close to collapse, German leaders signed an Armistice, bringing to an end the First World War.

On the first anniversary of the Armistice (11 November was known as Armistice Day until after WWII), King George V asked all the people of the British Empire to observe two minutes’ silence at 11am. 

It’s a tradition still honoured today during Remembrance Day services as we remember all who have served in the Australian Defence Force, in WWI and in all wars, conflicts, and peacekeeping operations since.

WHAT YOU CAN DO AT YOUR VILLAGE?

OBSERVE A MINUTE’S SILENCE AT 11AM.

Wherever you are on 11 November, remember to remember at 11am. 

Set a reminder in your calendar or phone, switch your phone to ‘do not disturb’, and pause for just a minute in memory of the fallen. It’s a simple action that means so much. 

WATCH OR LISTEN TO A SERVICE ONLINE OBSERVE

No matter where you are on Remembrance Day, you can tune into a commemorative service via ABC TV, ABC Radio, the ABC listen app and ABC iview.

WEAR A POPPY OF REMEMBRANCE

 Wearing a red poppy on Remembrance Day is a simple way to show your support and commemorate those who have served. It’s customary to pin your poppy to the left lapel of your shirt.

You may also choose to wear a purple poppy (beside the traditional red poppy) in remembrance of animals who died while serving.

WHERE TO BUY POPPIES FOR REMEMBRANCE DAY

You can usually buy a Remembrance Day poppy through RSL Sub Branches. Poppy merchandise is also available at Military Shop.

You can also support RSL Australia’s Poppy Appeal by planting a poppy in the virtual Remembrance Garden. Your donation supports veterans and their families, and you can dedicate your poppy in someone’s name.

In Flanders Field

It was a Canadian doctor, Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae, who penned In Flanders Fields – the poem that first associated poppies with remembrance. Devastated by the death of a close friend and fellow soldier, LCol McCrae wrote the poem during the second battle of Ypres in 1915. LCol McCrae sadly died later in the war. However, his words are still recited by millions each year on Remembrance Day:

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie,
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe: 
To you from failing hands we throw 
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

Lest we forget