Signature Ingredients for Sustainability, Growth & Stability

It feels like we’ve been living in the ‘Hard Times’ era for a very long time – we even referenced it in our last annual report 2023-2024, and the effect it has on the day to day running of the organisation. 

The now infamous “government austerity programme”; a phrased coined by the Coalition and Conservative governments between 2010 and 2019, was followed seamlessly by COVID and the “Cost of Living Crisis” which we’re still enduring to this day. Successive attempts to implement “trickle – down economics” appear to have been consigned back to theoretical economics textbooks; it’s impact seemingly having no effect whatsoever on growth, stability or sustainability. 

At C-Change, the antidote to all of this is to create a workplace environment that nurtures and recognises talent, gives appropriate training and support, gives meaningful feedback and provide flexibility for colleagues. In short, making C-Change a great place to work so that training, support, flexibility and retention are at the very heart of the organisation. 

We caught up with colleague and Personal Development Worker, Dave Watson, who has been with the organisation for 10 of these lean years, to find out more about the reasons why he has worked with C-Change for so long. 

10 years, Dave. What’s kept you at C-Change for so long? 

I don’t really know. Time really has escaped me here. I suppose it’s just the culture and the organisation. Over those ten years I’ve been offered a lot of opportunities and have been involved in lots of different projects which I’ve really enjoyed.  

What kind of projects have you been involved in? 

The most recent one was the ‘Bring your own device” (An initiative to make any personal devices used at work more secure and protected from cyber-attacks.)  

I’ve also been involved with the finance team (FaB), training, and lots of other technical things – it’s really good. It’s very varied. And the people, you know, I’ve got a great manager called Mags. They’re all good people and I’ve been very fortunate with that. I have this worry that I wouldn’t experience that elsewhere and that’s one of the reasons I’ve stayed for so long. 

What was your initial experience of working with C-Change? 

The first gentleman I supported lived in Cardross which is where I stay. It felt like fate when I joined the organisation. It was in my local community and the commute was super easy. It was a sleepover service, and I worked for that gentleman for 2 years. 

Had you worked in this sector before? 

I’d never been involved in the care sector before. All my family are, and I felt I had the attributes needed. My beliefs and values are aligned to those of the organisation, and even though I went into it with my eyes wide open, there was still a period of adjustment. 

I’d suffered from anxiety, and I had a long period of unemployment before I joined C-Change, so returning to the workplace was daunting. I got great support from my manager, Mags, and my family were great too. 

Where did you go after the first 2 years? 

For the last 8 years I’ve been working in Glasgow East for the same gentleman, Robert. I’d worked for him briefly before, so I was really looking forward to it. He’s a real character. 

Do you feel you’ve developed and grown into that role? 

Absolutely! You’re like a piece of plasticine – you mould yourself and strike up a good working relationship with the person. I find it’s much better not to have a fixed mindset. I approach everything with an open mind, and I give the person I work for the time and space to communicate as they want.  

What kind of flexibility do you have in your role? 

I’m currently contracted to work two, 24-hour shifts per week. The rotas are scheduled one to two months in advance, so I always know beforehand when I’m working and I find it very flexible. It gives me time to pursue other interests. 

You mentioned earlier about being involved in technical projects, could you explain a bit more about that? 

The tender process for a new I.T. provider was quite an exciting one for me. I wouldn’t ever have thought that I was important enough to be involved. I was asked to go along. It was really interesting to see all these I.T providers come in and pitch their services and what direction they wanted to take C-Change in. It was also really great spending time with the senior management team. 

Did you feel your input was valued during this process?  

Yes, absolutely. I was invited for my opinion on several occasions, and I was definitely made to feel like my views really mattered. I felt really happy about that at the time. It was excellent and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I’d love to get more involved in the technology side of the organisation in the future; maybe something will come along down the line as it’s all contracted out at the moment. 

What are your thoughts for the future? 

I’m happy with the quality of work and support I’m providing to Robert. After 10 years, I’ve learned to strike a balance for what works for me. I know there’s flexibility within the organisation if I want to make adjustments to my work/life balance. 

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Supporting good lives is at the centre of everything we do. This applies equally not only to the people we work for but for colleagues as well. All our work is framed from a human rights-based approach as we strive to support people to be their best. Hopefully Dave will continue to thrive as well, as we collectively navigate the next ten years. 

To quote Dickens, it’s fair to say that we’re trying to “Do the wise thing and the kind thing too, and make the best of us and not the worst.” 

#BetterIsPossible