A day in the life of…our Business Development Manager, James MacLeod-Birch

Our Business Development Manager, James MacLeod-Birch, is the latest team member to feature in our ‘day in the life’ series.

James joined the Care Connection Partners family in August 2022 after working in hospitality for 25 years, including co-owning and running his own restaurant with his wife, Beth, our General Manager.

James’ passion is looking after people, which makes him perfectly suited to the role.

Let’s hear more from James…

“The key focus of my role is to bring in new business for the company and build relationships with our partners and staff – but there is so much more to it.

The most effective way to grow the business is performing well and doing a good job.

I’ve gone from beginning a partnership with one care home in West Yorkshire in 2022 to dozens more across this area, Hull, South and North Yorkshire, and Lancashire.

Gone are the days when you’d come into the office and start hammering the phones – that’s like banging your head against a brick wall and care home managers and leaders in the care sector don’t have time or want that.

When I was a business owner, it was commonplace to say: ‘Please can you put it in an email’, which simply doesn’t work.

People do business with people and, let’s be honest, people don’t often like change. There’s always a gatekeeper for every business who can stop you reaching the right person.

I focus on partner relationships – that’s my strength. People move jobs and, if you’ve done a good job, those people will often come back to you. It takes the hard sell out of the equation.

When I start to form relationships with new partners, it’s about providing reassurance we are what we say we are and we will deliver on our promises.

The proof of the pudding is in the eating – you have to be authentic, trustworthy and deliver.

Never over-promise and be honest about what you can and can’t do.

One of the reasons I joined Care Connection Partners was for the company’s values and beliefs, which has grown into our #feelthelove ethos.

It’s about looking after people properly. I believe if you look after others they will look after you, which means colleagues, staff and partners. If they feel valued, they’ll go the extra mile.

The ultimate focus is on the service user and it’s about engendering trust.

We can’t always cover every shift that comes our way – but its vital to be honest about it.

Part of my role is checking to see where staff are, keeping an eye out for anyone moving to other companies, and if there are any potential opportunities for us to support them, following this up and making sure we’re ready to supply staff.

We pride ourselves on listening to staff too. If it’s their child’s birthday, or they have a key milestone in their lives, we recognise that and we ask about it, which shows we genuinely care.

I regularly visit our partners and I’m not pushy. One of the worst things you can do is turn up on the doorstep unannounced. I arrange regular catch-ups, make sure I’m responsive, act accordingly and do our due diligence.

When we partner with a new care home or organisation, I listen to what their specific needs are and match our staff and their personalities and skills to their teams.

I manage our on-call phone at least one week per month, so I need to know our staff and where they’re best placed.

We’re not making a product – we’re working with real people and we have to get it right. On the very rare occasion we get it wrong, we have to make it right very quickly.

Partners and staff give us feedback and positive feedback makes me so proud, knowing I’ve played a part in making sure the care is right. I love looking after people and I have great relationships with the managers of the services I look after.

We don’t throw arms and legs at shifts and our staff are not just numbers on a spreadsheet, which is why our staff turnover compared to other recruitment agencies is very low.

We still have staff on our books from the very beginning.

I’m proud that my colleagues in the office often come to me for advice and we all pull together to do what needs doing.

I am also working towards being able to deliver our first aid and moving and handling training, so my role is constantly evolving, and we all know each other’s roles to ensure everything runs smoothly.

I help with recruitment, I support Beth with Martha, our therapy dog who visits care homes, and I’m a listener. If someone has a frustration, I listen and plan the way I address it with reassurance and confidence that it will be dealt with properly.

Listening and responding proactively and honestly is key.”