The Three Links Care Society has identified recruiting, retaining and nurturing high quality professionals at all levels of the organization as one of the organization’s top strategic priorities. Maintaining a quality team of staff, volunteers and professional contractors has a positive impact on the quality of life for the seniors and families we serve.

To help guide these efforts, Three Links established a dedicated Wellness Committee in 2018 to oversee and help coordinate Three Links retention, recognition, training and professional development policies.

This strategic focus on wellness has proved to be very beneficial throughout the pandemic. Little to no staff attrition has occured during this difficult time and sector-wide human resource crisis.

Three Links Wellness Committee

Chaired by the Three Links CEO, the Wellness Committee meets at least once a month and includes senior staff, volunteer and recreation program coordinators. Since being established, the Three Links Wellness Committee has promoted and developed series of activities, including:

• Training and Professional Development Policy

• Long Service and Volunteer Awards Program

• Peer nominated Credit Card Rewards Program

• Organized Regular special events

• Offered coaching, home finance and counselling services for staff and their families

• Conducted regular wellness and satisfaction surveys

• Story-telling videos

• Regular participation in Safe Care BC activities

• Ongoing professional training on-site

Committee has remained active during the pandemic and outbreak.

Among other things, the Wellness Committee promotes team wellness through an annual calendar of recognition, education and appreciation events and activities. You can learn more about these events here: Nurse Recognition,Team Unity, Credit Card Reward.

Three Links strives to continually improve itself and has been dedicated to making changes in accordance with our Strategic Plan. Section two of the plan revolves around a quality team, and while our staff is one of the best around, the organization was forced to ask itself, what could we be doing better for our team?

In order to find out, staff surveys were undertaken, gauging respondents job satisfaction and feelings about working for Three Links. Results indicated that overall, our team was quite satisfied with the steps we had previously taken to better their work experience, however one issue stuck out. Due to the stressful nature of the job, some members of our team expressed a difficulty in balancing their work and private lives.

As a direct response to this, Three Links has decided to focus on team wellness, with the hopes of bettering the experience of all our team members. Along with care standards, professional accreditation and capital improvements, wellness was selected as a key component of the strategic plan, thus focusing on team wellness as it not only benefits the staff, but also aligns with the goals established by the organization.

The second aspect of our program is increased investment in workplace safety.

Including our Safety Month events held every May, Three Links is dedicated to team safety, and ensuring no injuries are sustained by the residents, or the staff.

This means increasing training, and ensuring access to the latest equipment in safety technology.

Finally, the program must have a focus on wellness. To that end, Three Links has established a Wellness Committee to create safe, healthy, and supportive working conditions. This committee meets bi-weekly to coordinate activities and promote services currently available to staff, while actively developing new initiatives to promote quality of life and work.

Team members who are interested are encouraged to join the committee and invited to check out the Wellness Committee Mandate for additional information!

Wellness Committee Project Overview

Wellness Committee Air Miles Reward Program Policy

Training & Professional Development Policy

Recovery and Renewal

With the COVID-19 pandemic and our outbreak in October, November and December 2020, our entire team was traumatized going into 2021. With the risk of second COVID-19 outbreak at the Care Centre through third and fourth waves the entire long term care system remains under severe stress.

In response, the Three Links Leadership Team declared 2021 as a Year of Recovery and Renewal. Shortly after, they published a comprehensive four-phase work plan in February 2021. Click here for a copy of the plan.

Team Surveys

The Recovery and Renewal Plan, and the activities of the Three Links Wellness Committee are guided by regular team surveys. Here are links to our most recent survey results:

·2020 Survey

·2019 Survey