Company
Dovehaven Care Homes
Headquarters
Southport, UK
Industry
Social Care Sector
Challenges
Learning to reach and engage a deskless workforce
Solutions
Kallidus Learn LMS
Business Result
Increased appetite for learning
Dovehaven operates in the social care sector, an industry often considered a close relative to the NHS in the UK. However, it differs significantly in terms of funding and focus. Social care is long-term and encompasses all aspects of life, not just medical needs, which presents unique challenges and opportunities for learning and development. Further, Dovehaven is an example of a deskless workforce company where most team members do not sit in front of computers and rely on handheld devices to access company information.
In a recent interview with the Dovehaven L&D team, we discussed their challenges, why they chose Kallidus to help, and their expectations for partnering with the Kallidus team.
The Need for a Robust LMS
Most of Dovehaven’s workforce is patient-facing, with around 90% of employees not having regular computer access. This presents a significant challenge in delivering training and development programs. A flexible, robust, and user-friendly LMS was paramount to effectively reach their workforce, many of whom are on various shifts, including night shifts.
Further, the previous LMS was unstable, resulting in a lack of trust in how L&D was managed and a reluctance to use the system for required training. Dovehaven sought a flexible system to look and feel more like a social media platform. Since their employees mostly use handheld devices, they were familiar with how social media apps work and appreciated their stability, notification systems, and personalization. Dovehaven wanted to provide a similar experience with learning.
Finally, Dovehaven was searching for a smart system that could quickly assess employee knowledge and test them for what they had mastered and what still needed to be developed. With a patient-facing workforce, Dovehaven wanted their team members to efficiently use their time to develop so that their primary focus could be on the patient and resident.
Kallidus: The Right Fit for Dovehaven
With an LMS already in place, Dovehaven wasn’t only looking for a new solution to do what the old system could do. Dovehaven sought a solution to meet their compliance training needs and support their staff’s development and career progression. Kallidus stood out for its stability, user-friendly interface, and features such as learning pathways, workflows, automation, reporting, and reminders, which were crucial for engaging a largely deskless workforce.
“We noticed our learners were spending a lot of time in the current LMS. The problem was that the time was not well spent. Instead of learning new things, they repeated the same subjects, maybe three or four times, even though they were already masters. Kallidus tests for what they know, so there is little repetition and a level of respect for the learner’s knowledge,” shared Simon Mawdsley, Dovehaven
Speaking of respect, Doverhaven maintains a highly intelligent workforce. Their emotional and industry intelligence is top-notch. When asked to spend time developing skills, Dovehaven felt it was patronizing to their team members to present them with cartoon-like e-learning content or to force them to take courses they had already mastered. Kallidus’ off-the-shelf courses and assessments changed all that. Their team members were now invited to intuitive, well-designed learning experiences.
By presenting team members with a more robust experience that compliments the span of experience they possess, they are more inclined to come back to the system to consume and learn more. This evolution from essential training requirements to career development has spurred the foundation for learning pathways. The Dovehaven team is now using Learn LMS to design these pathways to support team mobility.
“Our team members can visually see their journey on the platform. It feels tangible. They can see their path forward and feel part of a journey. It’s no longer that we are just ‘saying it’; they can see it, and we can support it. It’s just become real,” says Wayne McPartland, Training Manager, Dovehaven
Benefits and Outcomes
The transition to Kallidus is expected to streamline the learning process, reduce repetitiveness in training content, and engage employees more effectively. The social media-like interface of Kallidus is anticipated to spark curiosity and encourage self-driven development among employees. Additionally, the manager dashboard’s clean and concise design is set to save valuable time for managers in running reports and analyzing training progress.
Dovehaven is just beginning its Kallidus experience; however, the partnership with Kallidus is poised to enhance compliance training completion rates and foster a culture of continuous development. The LMS’s ability to create clear career pathways is particularly exciting for Dovehaven, as it aligns with its staff retention and talent development goals.
