22 Nov Be Caring Highly Commended for Employee Ownership Culture at EOA awards
Bronwyn Burgess, Chair of the elected trustee board (VOICE), collected the ‘Highly Commended’ award on Tuesday 19th November. The annual awards, run by the Employee Ownership Association and sponsored by Baxendale, recognised Be Caring’s commitment to EOA values.
Brownyn, VOICE Chair, along with elected Trustees Wendy McIntyre and James Lafferty, attended the awards dinner on Tuesday night. As part of the EOA annual conference, the VOICE Trustees also attended seminars and workshops covering all aspects of Employee Ownership best practice.
Sharon Lowrie (Chief Executive) and Cheryl Garthwaite (Director of Comms. and Engagement) also represented Be Caring. Sharon presented in a seminar on “mutual solutions for mutual problems”, focusing on building strategic partnerships from a foundation of strong values. The 2019 conference marked 40 years of the association and the largest in EOA history. Over 700 cross-sector delegates attended aiming to strengthen opportunities for employee owners.
Overall winner of the Employee Ownership Culture Award was John Lewis and Partners. So, it was fantastic to see Be Caring share the stage with such a prestigious and iconic employee owner company.
“Be Caring recognises the need to value our incredible workforce who are delivering fantastic outcomes for people in their homes every day. Giving our colleagues a voice, working in partnership with our clients and commissioners and creating a culture of continuous improvement is driving the quality of our service delivery. We are still on this journey but we are delighted to be highly commended by the EOA and to share the stage with John Lewis.”
Sharon Lowrie, Chief Executive
Bronwyn Burgess, says “It’s a privilege to be part of an employee owned organisation that uses its values to drive forward. I’ve been with Be Caring for more than two years and it really feels like we’re living our values. Sometimes it’s difficult because of the nature of what we do; but feeling you have a team that pulls together when times are hard is amazing”.
The elected Trustee board (VOICE) is instrumental in supporting and promoting initiatives for improved colleague wellbeing. Be Caring launched an Employee Assistance Programme in October to assist with occupational health. It’s accessible to all colleagues 24/7 and free to use, offering advice on health, wellbeing, consumer issues and more. In 2020 VOICE looks forward to getting involved with #EODay where the EOA celebrates employee-owners across the UK.
