Want to stay informed about our latest news and events?
Sign up to our newsletter

Juno's Blog June 2020

Rose Road's CEO

Stories from the Backline

We hear so much these days about the importance of frontline staff – those who go out every day and work directly with patients or members of the public at this challenging time.

NHS staff, carers, supermarket teams, take away delivery people, teachers, public transport staff, delivery staff, cleaning staff and many, many more – so many industries are keeping us all going, and have been throughout the pandemic, and we are deeply grateful to them.

And, ironically, they tend to be paid less than those in other careers.

Let’s hope that, going forward, these brave and hard-working people receive more of the attention and support that they deserve – let’s not let them slip back into the shadows.

But also – let us not forget the managers.

Anxious and weary folk who sit on the backline orchestrating, supporting and coordinating the frontline to the very best of their ability.

Being judged for the decisions that they make when they are trying to keep their footing in the shifting sands of changing guidance.

Trying to maintain the calm-smiling-public-face that is essential to maintaining a balanced workforce in a time of global pandemic.

Juggling the day to day essentials with the huge raft of additional work that has to be done at this time.

Keeping a handle on the financial situation underpinning their organisations and ensuring that they do not inadvertently double claim for those extra face masks or those furloughed staff. The words ‘fraudulent claim’ looming large in the revised contracts that they have had to sign too hurriedly to read properly in order to access the financial relief to which they are entitled.

Managing the expectations of those they support, answering the same questions day in and day out – but not always being able to give the same answers one day to the next.

Re-engineering insurance policies that are no longer fit for purpose as insurers head for the hills at any sniff of a COVID related claim.

Then lying awake at night wondering if the professional indemnity policy covers you for confusing an FFP3 mask with an FFP2 mask.

And cybercrime – yes as if we did not have enough to handle we now have e-terrorists phishing for information and trying to use the massive increase in home working staff as a chance to slip through the cybernets that protect us. This eats into any remaining hours that we might have preserved for our sanity in the evenings and the weekends.

Rose Road has a dedicated and committed band of managers, they have continued to manage throughout COVID supporting and serving their staff so that their staff can support and serve our families.

They are unique – resilient, positive, forward thinking and committed.

They take every new change of direction with a smile and an ‘ok – wish me luck!’ and then crack on and do their jobs and manage their staff in new ways.

There is more laughter here than ever before and a new sense of team, there is not one Rose Road manager who has not had to work harder and differently and they have all risen to the challenge.

I am beyond proud to serve this cracking bunch of people.