At the end of September, the Foyer Federation brought together leaders from across the youth homelessness and housing sector for our first ever Connecting Leaders event. In the beautiful setting of the Royal Foundation of St Katherine, in London, leaders were able to reflect, connect and learn from each other.
Our guest speaker Phil Kerry, CEO of the New Horizons Youth Centre, shared his expertise through a powerful talk called: "Six lessons from six years of mayhem." Phil’s honesty and authenticity, alongside his valuable insights, set the tone as participants reflected on their own journeys as leaders in the youth homelessness sector. “Phil Kerry was excellent,” said Lisa Waring, from Centrepoint.
What does an engaged workplace look like?
In the afternoon session, Leadership Coach Emily Lomax dove into what it truly means to build a highly engaged team. Cross-sector housing leaders also shared their perspectives, outlining what an engaged workplace looks like. Here’s what they said:
- Commitment and motivation: Employees who are committed and motivated are at the heart of engaged workplaces. Teams that understand the “why” behind their work, and align with the organisation’s purpose, tend to feel more driven and focused.
- Flow and natural engagement: When an employee’s work feels natural, they find themselves in a “flow state”. Employers with engaged workplaces succeed in creating environments where staff feel at ease and aligned with their roles.
- Recognition and value: Contributions should be recognised to ensure that all individuals feel valued. When people know their work matters, they are more likely to stay engaged and continue to contribute.
- Shared belief in goals: People become engaged when there is a common understanding of – and commitment to – organisational goals. When everyone shares the same belief in what they are working towards, and are able to measure whether they are doing it effectively, the team’s unity and focus is strengthened.
- Active participation and empowerment: Engaged workplaces are places where everyone participates and feels empowered to influence decisions. Team members should feel present, able to contribute and confident that their voices are heard.
The session created a space for leaders to reflect on their current practices, share insights and think creatively about how to further engage their teams in meaningful ways.
“The most useful part of the day was sharing our thoughts, ideas and opinions” - Arlene Walker, Enfield Foyer
Moving forward
The Connecting Leaders event was just the beginning of what we hope will be an ongoing conversation around how to effectively unite youth homelessness leaders. By sharing our experiences and learning from each other, we can continue to create environments where staff feel connected, motivated, and empowered to do their best work – and ultimately support young people to truly thrive!
A massive thank you to Phil Kerry (New Horizon Youth Centre) and Emily Lomax for speaking, and a shoutout to everyone who joined – Centrepoint, Depaul UK, YMCA Fairthorne Group, The Clock Tower Sanctuary Brighton, YMCA London City and North, Curo, mhs homes, Connexus, WRKWLL, YMCA MILTON KEYNES.
The Connecting Leaders event was proudly supported by Serveco.
