We’re in 2024, and yet people are still giving out Employee of the Month certificates. If you’re really lucky, you might get a bouquet of flowers to go with it. A quick snap for the company’s socials, and back to your £12 an hour, 12-hour shift you go.

Call it a cop-out, a shortcut, or the cheap option – whatever –  but trying to make someone feel valued with a piece of paper is the 90s equivalent of getting a notification on your phone. It’s cheap dopamine that fades as quickly as it hits.

But here’s the thing: making people feel valued shouldn’t be your primary goal. That’s just a happy consequence. The real goal? Creating an environment where employees naturally feel confident, secure, and supported.

Your job as a care provider is to focus on the well-being of your workforce, which in turn fosters a positive work-life balance.

When you build this environment, employees will naturally feel valued. And when they feel valued, their performance improves. That’s your real goal.

Even with the financial challenges in social care, there are simple, cost-effective ways to create a workplace that boosts well-being, enhances performance, and, yes, leads to employees feeling valued.

First, toss out those Employee of the Month certificates. They’re out of touch and ineffective, especially in smaller organisations where recognition can easily turn into a gimmick. In larger companies, it might still have some impact – being recognised out of 1,000 people can feel significant – but in a smaller setting, it’s pure tokenism.

Instead, let’s focus on two simple, cost-free changes you can implement today that offer real value to your team.

1. Implement a 12-month rota

Most providers today use some form of a rolling rota, typically spanning two or four weeks. Now, take that schedule and extend it across the entire year. Just copy and paste it for a full 12 months.

Why does this matter? It gives your team the maximum ability to plan their lives, swap shifts with colleagues months in advance, and live with a sense of certainty. For you, the provider, it offers a clear view of potential staffing needs well ahead of time.

Sure, things will change. But that’s no reason to avoid giving people a 12-month template as a starting point. It provides security, certainty, and clarity all in one. You’ve already done the hard part of creating your rolling rota…

2. Rethink your disciplinary process

Take a hard look at your disciplinary records. How many resulted in a positive outcome for the person on the receiving end? If your answer is zero, you’re not alone.

Disciplinary procedures are expected in health and social care, and regulators demand them. But never forget that you, the provider, control your HR practices. You decide whether disciplinary actions are used as a governance tool or if there’s a better way.

We’ve all said it: “Mistakes are a learning opportunity.” But how can they be, really, if job security is threatened by the possibility of punishment?

It’s time to amend your disciplinary process. Use it only when absolutely necessary. Anything short of gross misconduct should be treated as a learning opportunity without the threat of formal proceedings.