Happy Birthday to Bristol Community Health

01 October 2013 Written by Julia Clarke

Two years ago today – October 1, 2011 – Bristol Community Health span out of the NHS to become an independent social enterprise and community interest company.

The last two years have been busy and challenging as we've worked through a packed agenda to develop from a fledgling company into a maturing, commercially astute business. Although it has been a challenging time, it has also been rewarding and the organisation is now in a very different place than it was in 2011.

Since launching as a social enterprise we have had to regularly assess our challenges and our position and think carefully about the direction we want to take the organisation. We challenged assumptions which were present when we first span out and have developed and launched our organisational strategy to give staff the framework to take the organisation in the right direction.

It was our vision to create and develop a not-for-profit community company that is fully owned by its staff, who would in turn work and deliver on behalf of its community. And, in the last two years, staff involvement in Bristol Community Health has really taken root. We now have a fully embedded programme of employee ownership, with more than 600 staff owning shares in Bristol Community Health and taking an active involvement in the direction of their organisation. Similarly, we have a dynamic and engaged staff council representing the views of our employee shareholders and are now about to welcome the first staff council director onto our Board of Directors. This year 88% of staff told us, through our first staff survey, that they believe their job makes a difference to the community, which is fantastic to hear and shows that our vision is really beginning to take shape.

Our status and profile externally in the local health community is also significantly greater now than in 2011. We have launched, and worked to embed our own brand; we've successfully bid for new business opportunities and have registered six successful CQC inspections. But, perhaps most importantly, we have recorded high levels of patient satisfaction, with 92% of our patients telling us they would recommend our services.

This short reflection does not do justice to all the fantastic work which has been done at Bristol Community Health in the last two years by staff on the frontline, in operational management and in central support services. I would like to acknowledge the magnificent effort and commitment shown by all staff over the last two years.

Here's to celebrating many more of these milestones at Bristol Community Health.

Last modified on Monday, 14 October 2013 13:01
 
 

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