Published on: January 29, 2025
A four-day induction for over 70 new Compass employees was all about instilling the values and beginning the practical support to help children and young people.
Sue Berry, Assistant Director – Operations, at Compass, said: “What we’re trying to give them in induction is the tools and the values to do the job really effectively with children and young people.
“They’ve looked at what the Compass values might mean to them and how they use experiences from their past, to bring good things into Compass culture.”
In all, 72 new recruits for our teams in Birmingham and Derbyshire attended the induction as part of the government’s 12th wave of Mental Health Support Teams (MHST Wave 12). The number also included inductees from our Central Services teams.
Rachel Bundock, Compass CEO was present at the last, corporate day of the induction, along with other members of our charity’s senior management. The event was held at the Lea Marston Hotel near Birmingham.
Rachel delivered the final presentation about the organisation’s mission, values and vision. She covered its beginnings in 1986 and how it is has evolved over the years and the values it has upheld.
Sue explained: “We want children and young people to experience those values in our interactions with them. So, they feel good about themselves.”
New Birmingham service manager, Jorine Beck said: “It’s a really big team with lots of knowledge and expertise and I think there’s going to be lots of learning from each other and I’m going to feel quite supported, I think, in developing this new team.”
She said staff had come to Compass from “many different backgrounds and with different experiences”; this would help propel the service forward.
The new staff had begun with three days’ induction in their local service hubs. There, the itinerary covered IT, health and safety, Compass history, the Compass MHST model, People Team information, Information Governance, Incidents management and communications. They had also enjoyed team building activities.
Key partners Derby University, presented on the Educational Mental Health Practitioner (EMHP) it conducts for our trainees. Commissioners for both Derbyshire Birmingham attended to present on their role with the MHSTs.
On the fourth and final day, at the hotel, Operations Director Jan Smith spoke about Compass Culture and Quality Assurance Lead Sue Cody briefed on Clinical Governance before the mission, vision and values speech by the Chief Executive. The inductees enjoyed a buffet meal at the hotel and there were also more team building games.
Sue Berry said: “I’ve never worked in an organisation that tries to embed the values in such a way, in everyday interactions and particularly during induction.
“People have absolutely had a fantastic time and contributed brilliantly. We’re really excited moving forward with, for wave 12, both in Derby, Derbyshire and in Birmingham, can deliver for children and young people.”