Starting a new job at the beginning of a pandemic has been a fascinating experience. On 1 April 2020 I became chair of Brighter Futures for Children, an arms-length company delivering children’s services on behalf of Reading Borough Council. I moved immediately into a world of virtual meetings, virtual induction and webinars.
At Brighter Futures for Children, we have not only embraced virtual meetings but have used the learning from the pandemic to accelerate our commitment to an agile way of working. The pandemic forced us to think differently and accelerated the flexible working we had planned but hadn’t yet rolled out. We realised during the first lockdown that standard “office hours” didn’t always fit with our employees’ own lives. Home schooling, living alone or in a tight space with a large family, all present challenges. Working flexibly and being trusted to do so can mean staff cope better personally and deliver a better service for children and families.
Register Now to Continue Reading
Thank you for visiting Children & Young People Now and making use of our archive of more than 60,000 expert features, topics hubs, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:
What's Included
-
Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month
-
Email newsletter providing advice and guidance across the sector
Already have an account? Sign in here
