The same resident committee make this comment:
“C2.2 From our experience, we would like to see something added to prevent operators from
changing management staff at too frequent intervals. We have had a number of complaints
about this happening in our village. Two years is far too short a time for a VM to get to know a
village, let alone its residents; residents end up feeling demoralised and give up trying to
know the names of the staff – whose salaries are paid by residents!!!”
We agree. Common sense says that it takes at least one year to understand the full operations of a village and to understand not only the residents but the budget.
The second year allows the manager to make improvements that will benefit the village in the longer term – the next couple of years.
At the same time the village manager builds a real appreciation for each resident and their journey, plus supports new residents that join in large part because of the reassurance the village manager provides that their welfare will be respected and nurtured.
Supporting the resident committee statement, our survey in January this year of village managers showed that 50% stay in the job for three years or less.
We regard this as a very telling statistic. Either the wrong people are being selected as village managers or they are not receiving the support and reward they deserve and need to provide a fulfilling career.
Again, your thoughts?