INTERVIEW
Terry Hawkins, CEO of Crossroads Care Surrey, gives us an insight into his experiences heading a charity
CARING ABOUT CARERS What drove you to change your career path to work in the care sector as a whole and from this, were there any major challenges that you had to overcome in the changing work environment? Having enjoyed success with other leading charities across the UK supporting people, I was asked to join Crossroads Care Surrey in January 2020 with a view to making transformational change. As you can imagine, what I wasn’t expecting was a global pandemic just nine weeks into the role. As you will be aware, Coronavirus landing on UK shores impacted the health and care sector enormously. Our primary concern was for our beneficiaries. We needed to suspend our core care service in the home and our community activities. A dire situation, which required us as a business to react quickly to ensure we could continue to provide services to support our beneficiary base and sustain the charity’s financial viability.
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We diversified our offer of providing other suppor t ser vices including befriending calls and outreach support. Bizarrely, we found ourselves in a position where we were providing help to not only our existing carers but to those most vulnerable and older people living alone who could not get help from their regular support services. Has your reason for working shifted now that you work with a not-for-profit? If so, in what way, and have you seen any changes to the way you approach your work? In working for a non-profit, the biggest reward is seeing the tangible outcomes, the distinct difference you make for the people you are supporting. In my long career in a commercial environment, I was driven by improving products and
The biggest reward is seeing the tangible outcomes, the difference you make ❜❜
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services for commercial business, generating income for the board and shareholders. Success and profits were great, but there is always an expectation to deliver more, especially in a fast-moving business like publishing. In the three main charities I’ve worked for, I’ve very quickly become passionate about each cause, I could see the demonstrable impact of the work we were doing to transform people’s lives and it feels good to know you’ve been part of something special. In this sector, many people who work for charities do so because they have a desire and belief that they can help the people they are supporting. So as a manager, you must take a different approach to how you work within that culture, especially when introducing transformational change. There is a need to take a subtle and controlled lead, ensuring that you take the team with you across every step of the journey, ensuring they are comfortable and that they understand the reasons that you are making the change.
