Bert Tann – who you may ask is Bert Tann? To me it’s a name evocative of the 1960s. Bert Tann of course died in 1972. He was the Bristol Rovers manager for 18 years from 1950 to 1968 At one point he was the longest serving manager post-war. His accomplishments as Bristol Rovers manager were in relative terms considerable. Bristol Rovers finished 6th in Division 2 in 1956 and 1959. Quite an achievement. Yet even his life’s work has been eclipsed by Sir Alex Ferguson who far exceeded Burt’s tenure and his accomplishments were even greater. Sir Alex’s rein endured for some 26 years!
Longevity in organisations can be a very positive thing. A safe and trusted pair of hands and continuity are vitally important factors. I do appreciate that the link/parallel between Sir Alex Ferguson, Bert Tann and myself is stretching credibility a smidgeon but how ever tenuous that link might be, it is still one that I want to make.
Some of my readers will know I have now been working for Nightingale Hammerson (Nightingale House) for 40 years and I have been the Chief Executive for 16 years. That’s quite a long time. Indeed, I started work at Nightingale House just a year after Bert died (no direct connection there!). I will now be stepping down from the role of Chief Executive of our Charity and will take on a new role as an external ambassador focussing on fundraising and representing the organisation within the community and the care sector. I am very much looking forward to this exciting new role.
One wonders whether the changes over the next 40 years will be as significant and as far reaching as those in the past 40years. Whilst 40 years is a very long time, it sometimes can be difficult to project forward more than 3-5 years, never mind 40. There are however a number of givens. There are going to be more older people. The “baby boom” generation will become old. At some point they (we) will need care. Many of them having been used to some of the good things in life will also be quite demanding in their expectations when it comes to care provision. It is therefore vital that the care sector is prepared in terms of accommodation and the level and nature of services and facilities it has on offer. I won’t bore you on the issue of the need for the government to be prepared from a funding point of view – it is quite evident that this simply will not happen.
Over the years needs change and expectations change and as a provider of care Nightingale Hammerson needs to ensure as do other providers that they are fully geared up and prepared for the future. This will mean in our homes substantial redevelopment and upgrading of facilities in order that we can meet this anticipated future demand. Investment for the future is essential. Indeed, doing nothing is simply not an option.
When building for the future, the need is to try and “future proof” as much as is possible – albeit one cannot possibly know what technological developments there are to come in the future. Hence the need for us to carry out as much research as we can on current and future trends and to use the very best research that already exists out there in planning and designing our buildings. If we are to live in them, we want them to be comfortable and user friendly and we want them designed to meet all of our requirements. Time moves fast!
