In a time when health and care systems are stretched and facing growing complexity, the quality of relationships remains one of the most powerful drivers of meaningful outcomes. At the heart of our service are people who bring compassion, curiosity, and skilled support to those facing some of life’s hardest challenges. But this isn’t a happy accident - it’s by design.

Recruiting with Purpose

We start as we mean to go on. From the very first interaction in our recruitment process, we make it clear that working with us means working in a relational way. We don’t just look for qualifications or experience, we look for people who genuinely believe in the power of human connection, and who are motivated to support others in achieving change that matters to them.

To test for this, our process includes a live scenario with an actor playing Peter, a fictional character whose circumstances reflect many of those we serve: involved in the criminal justice system, living with long-term health conditions and poor mental health, navigating temporary housing, and carrying the trauma of past suicide attempts. Peter is understandably disengaged and mistrustful of services. Applicants are invited to engage with him as they would a real person, in a personalised care and support planning conversation. We observe not only the skills they bring, but their mindset: do they listen, show empathy, avoid fixing, and hold space for Peter’s story?

To further refine our recruitment decisions, we recently introduced a personality and trait preference assessment, helping us identify candidates who are not only capable, but more likely to thrive in our values-led and emotionally demanding environment. A group activity that asks applicants to collaboratively problem solve and then individually reflect on their contribution, provides us with the breadth and depth of data we need to recruit the best fit for our work and our organisation.

Built on Behaviour Change Expertise

Our entire workforce is trained in motivational interviewing (MI), a structured and evidence-based way of having change conversations that prioritises autonomy, empathy, and collaboration. This goes well beyond technique: we build mindset and skillset together.

Our MI training includes: 

► The spirit of MI: partnership, acceptance, compassion, and evocation

► Recognising roadblocks to engagement and resistance

► Listening for and reinforcing change talk

► Core skills (OARS): Open questions, Affirmations, Reflections, Summaries

► A structured conversational framework for engaging those reluctant to change

Staff also engage in reflective practice to continuously learn from their work and refine their approach.

When someone says, “your team just gets it,” what they’re really recognising is the result of a deliberate design. A commitment to building a workforce that leads with humanity, backed by the evidence of what works.