We are delighted to announce that Savista Developments and our sister company, Hallmark Care Homes have launched an inter-company leadership and innovation programme, the Care Accelerator.  The programme is designed to equip participants with leadership skills by enabling them to develop and implement their innovative ideas.

The Care Accelerator programme is believed to be the first of its kind in the social care sector.  Its 17 participants have been recommended for inclusion by senior management and will work on three projects to position our companies’ care homes and development sites for the best possible future in terms of relationship-centred care and reduce carbon footprint.  The projects will focus on ways to recruit, retain and develop nurses, to operate care homes in an environmentally sustainable fashion and to provide building operations that are carbon neutral.

The programme will consist of six sessions which will give the participants the leadership skills to progress an idea into an opportunity. It will be supported by Barclays Eagle Labs and Codebase and will include speakers such as Dr Lianne Taylor from Norwich Business School at the University of East Anglia.  The programme will culminate in a final presentation from the participants and a graduation ceremony in June.

Chair of Hallmark Care Homes and Care England and CEO of Savista Developments, Avnish Goyal, commented: “At Hallmark Care Homes and Savista Developments we pride ourselves in never standing still which is why I’m so excited about this programme where we are leading the way on protecting the environment and working on ways of delivering better quality care for residents.

“The Care Accelerator programme will not only develop some amazing talent within our teams but help us to implement some of the creative suggestions and solutions that are put forward during these sessions.

“I would like to take the opportunity to thank Barclays Eagle Labs, Codebase and Dr Lianne Taylor for all their support with this programme so far. Their knowledge is invaluable and we are very grateful to be working with them.”

Head of Innovation at Hallmark Care Homes and Savista Developments, Claire Johnsen, said: “Innovation needs leadership to progress great ideas into a great future.  This inaugural Care Accelerator hits a real first: melding innovation and leadership acceleration.”

Head of Learning and Development at Hallmark Care Homes, Claire Collen, said: “We are delighted to bring 17 inspirational team members together in this unique learning environment where their talent and potential for personal and organisational growth can truly flourish. I look forward to working with them over the coming months as they challenge boundaries so that what is believed to be purely aspirational becomes the art of the possible.”

Jennifer Estherby, Health Innovation Lead at Barclays Eagle Labs, agreed: “We are delighted to be a partner of the Care Accelerator programme and are excited to see how the teams develop their ideas throughout the programme. We’re passionate about supporting and promoting new and emerging technologies designed to improve independent living and being part of this programme will give us a unique insight into how we can help further.”

Dr Lianne Taylor CPsychol said: “Hallmark Care Homes and Savista Developments seek to combine their core values with innovative and traditional practices; it is that interplay that can make companies sustainable as they provide seamless personalised care.  It is a pleasure to be part of the journey.”