Peterborough care provider named one of top 10 health care companies to work for in UK

Neurological care specialists PJ Care are ranked 9th in the category in the ‘Best Companies’ awards which recognise organisations whose staff are engaged. By asking staff to respond to survey questions, it measures how much pride they have in what they are doing and how much faith they have in those around them.

More than 50% of PJ Care’s staff took part in the survey. They rated PJ Care on factors such as how much they enjoy working for the company, how beneficial training is and the sense of family in their team.

A total of 88% of staff felt proud to work for PJ Care and 83% said they love working at the company’s Eagle Wood neurological care centre in the city, as well as its two in Milton Keynes. Of those who responded, 85% believe they can make a valuable contribution to PJ Care’s success and 78% felt a strong sense of family in their team. 74% said they were happy with the balance between their work and home life.

The results give the company an ‘outstanding’ rating and two-stars – one higher than in 2019. They also mean the company ranks 56th in the best companies to work for in the east of England and 36th in the south east.

PJ Care’s chairman Neil Russell said; “We are delighted with the results, especially considering our staff were asked to complete the survey in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic.

“This was the most challenging period the care sector has ever faced and to know that our staff felt so strongly about working for PJ Care, about the difference they make to our residents and about the atmosphere we’ve created here, makes me incredibly proud.

“We are always looking at ways we can provide support, career and personal development for our staff. The pandemic increased that focus because of the pressures it put on all of us so we introduced a monthly survey to make sure we were aware of how everyone was feeling and what they needed.

“As a result, we made a number of changes such as providing beds for staff working nights to sleep in on their breaks, additional lighting for the car park, creating areas staff could safely remove their masks for a break and providing tablets for staff to do on-line training.”

Over the last 12 months, the company has seen its apprenticeship scheme develop to include more than 12% of all staff, at every level of the business, and rewards for staff include quarterly ‘champion’ awards, recognition for charity work and a loyalty reward for those who’ve been employed for more than two years.