Helen Crombie
Directorate Manager for Medicine & Elderly Care
North Cheshire Hospitals

The Windmills programme has been very different because it gave us the opportunity to have time out, away from the workplace and actually think about us as individuals. Normally work based training is very much around work, this wasn't, it was person centred. It actually acknowledges that you are someone who's got a life that impacts on how you work.

The staff that participated in the programme started off quite bristly but they came around quickly, they've become more focused. The programme has made a real difference about how my team works its made us more effective, and improved our aspirations. We have introduced a way of working together that allows each of us to do the bits that we want to do, it also highlighted where our gaps were and we've been able to explore and develop those areas.

Participation in the training has influenced how I've approached certain things especially doing appraisals with members of staff. It has actually made me think about what's important to them, what's their purpose and therefore how is that impacting on their work and how do we want to tie the two together and that's been quite effective.

I would describe Windmills to other managers as a programme that actually looks at where you are now and where you want to go and what makes you as an individual somebody who can change your life, that therefore impacts on how you work, it's a very different programme, it's also very effective but you have to take it seriously.

I think the organisation has benefited from having people who are effectively working in a team and our particular team can influence the organisation greatly if we get things wrong the organisation sees the impact from a negative point of view so equally so if we get things right then the organisation benefits and certainly the ways in which we have changed our working structure has meant that the organisation will see that we are now working differently.

Maintaining motivation and maintaining an interest in what your doing can be difficult and I hope that the organisation will see that is what's been achieved.

I think if an organisation allowed a greater number of their staff to go through the programme I think what they would see is a motivated and enthusiastic workforce, because you've got to stay interested, you've got to stay excited about what's the next thing round the corner and if you can manage a win:win situation then the organisation benefits but also the individuals do and if you are happy at work then your happy at home which makes a real impact on how you are performing.