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| Jemma Clayton, Kerry Hill and Xana Welch have been appointed as directors of Caremark Thanet |
The Duties of Leadership
I have recently been in the proud and privileged position to
appoint three directors to Costain Care Limited, a domiciliary care company
founded by my wife, Jayne, and I in 2012, which trades as Caremark Thanet. I am
proud because being able to do this is the achievement (the pinnacle of
achievement) of one of the principal goals that we had when we founded the company:
to create career opportunities for local people. I am privileged because we and
only we were in a position to make this happen.
We talk a great deal about human rights these days. A world
ordered by respect for human rights is, undoubtedly, a better world than one where
a human rights discourse is absent. Where there is a right there is a
correlative duty that allows that right to be enforced. I find it difficult to
conceive of circumstances where there is a right without some correlative duty.
However, the reverse situation – where there are duties without any connecting
rights – is more than conceivable.
Leaders have innumerable duties imposed upon them. Many of
these duties are imposed by law and are connected to rights. However, I should
suggest there exist certain duties that leaders have that are not connected to
rights in any way. This means that they are duties that are unenforceable. They
are duties that, should leaders wish, can be ignored. They are duties that I
call privileged duties.
One such duty is a duty to create opportunities for people –
particularly for employees - to develop: to develop professionally and personally;
socially and culturally; in their competencies and education. Opportunities,
though, must be seized. The leader’s duty ends where the duty is offered. The challenge
with opportunities, certainly the opportunities that I try to create, is that
they involve something for something not something for nothing, a quid pro quo
not a gratuity, an exchange not a gift. For this reason, opportunities are
often turned down. There is a fabulous quote attributed to Douglas MacArthur
which sums up perfectly what I am talking about: “There is no security on this
earth: there is only opportunity.” Spot on!
Opportunities come with risks, not guarantees. Once seized,
opportunities involve hard work. Indeed, there is a great deal of hard work
required just to be in a position to be offered an opportunity.
What Are Privileged Duties?
I use the word privilege here to mean an advantage granted
to someone (people in positions of leadership in the context of this article)
that is not available to anybody else. I use the word duty to mean a moral
obligation.
Thus, I believe I have a privileged duty to create
opportunities for employees. It is a privilege because I am in a position to
act on this duty and create opportunities and only I occupy this position, at
this particular time, with regard to this particular group of people.
It is a position of advantage because I am the only person
in the world who can do this act for this group of people. It is a duty, but
one that is unenforceable. I can walk away from it. I can ignore it. The world
will probably be no worse if I ignore it. However; the world generally, my
community more particularly and the group of people to whom my duty is owed
more especially still, may benefit from my acting on my duty. My acting for the
benefit of others – and in the circumstances outlined I am the only person who
can act in this way and bring about this benefit – benefits everyone, including
me. It adds something to the store of individual and community well-being. And being
able to do that, indeed, is a privilege.
Caremark Thanet appointed three new directors from the 1st of
December 2019. The company has been providing domiciliary care services to the residents of
Thanet for over 7 years. During this time, it has developed an enviable
reputation for the quality of the care it provides, the way it engages with its
community and the career opportunities it creates.
I wanted Caremark Thanet to be a harbour
for ambition, where talent can flourish and hard work and loyalty are
rewarded. I wanted to create opportunities. The three people appointed to directorships
have made a significant impact on the performance of the company. They have
worked their way up through the company and with each step in their progress they
have met head on Douglas MacArthur’s dictum and dealt with it with competence
and confidence.
Xana joined Caremark Thanet in
November 2016. Xana has quite
a varied CV. She was a foster carer for six years - 2 years with Kent County
Council and 4 years privately; before joining Caremark Thanet, she had worked
in care for eleven years and has also worked as a bar manager. Xana
initially joined Caremark Thanet as a supervisor. Xana is appointed to the post
of Director of Education and Innovation. In addition to this, Xana has been
appointed as the Registered Manager for Caremark Dover.
Kerry
joined Caremark Thanet in March 2017. Kerry brings vast care experience with
her. She worked in both residential and domiciliary care for over 15 years as a
care and support worker, supervisor and care co-ordinator. Kerry also spent
short periods working in retail and hospitality. Kerry initially joined
Caremark Thanet as a Care Co-ordinator. Kerry is appointed as the Director of
Safeguarding and Compliance. In addition to this, Kerry has been appointed as
the Registered Manager for Caremark Thanet.
Jemma joined Caremark Thanet in October 2016. Jemma has an
artistic background and gained a degree in Fine Art. She has run her own
business, making and selling jewellery. Jemma also worked in education
administration for a number of years. Jemma joined Caremark Thanet as the
Business Development Manager. Jemma is appointed as the Director of Business
Development and Marketing.
And so, the challenge continues. There are, of course, risks,
but these risks are monumentally outweighed by the opportunities. For me, one
of the most interesting opportunities is that there are now three people in
leadership positions who will have their own chances to discharge their own
privileged duties.
