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Podcast Episode 252: RSPCA- with Caroline McCague

14 hours ago

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4 min read

This Episode: `RSPCA- with Caroline McCague`

Lucinda is joined by Caroline McCague, the Director of People and Culture at the RSPCA, to discuss her inspiring journey and the unique challenges of working within a 200-year-old charity.

Caroline shares insights into the RSPCA’s broad mission of animal welfare, including their rescue operations, advocacy work, and the importance of governance in the charity sector. She reflects on her transition from professional services to a purpose-driven organisation, and talks about the significance of employee well-being and inclusivity in achieving the RSPCA’s goals.

Key Takeaways

Working at the RSPCA emphasises a strong connection to purpose, with employees motivated by a shared commitment to animal welfare. This intrinsic motivation fosters a culture where everyone is focused on making a positive impact.
Transitioning from the private sector to a charity organisation can be challenging due to preconceived notions about industry experience. However, skills from professional services can be valuable in the charity sector, and organisations should be open to diverse backgrounds.
Understanding charity governance is crucial for effective leadership in the nonprofit sector. This includes working closely with a board of trustees, who provide oversight and guidance, similar to non-executive directors in the corporate world.
Investing in employee well-being is essential for organisational success. By prioritising the mental and emotional health of staff, organisations can enhance their ability to care for the animals they serve, creating a sustainable model for both people and animals.

Best Moments

“Ultimately, the central premise for us is about animal welfare. It’s making sure that we inspire everybody around us to create a better world for all animals.”

“I think my biggest challenge has been myself… I had to really be brave about making decisions.”

“We’ve been changing that narrative… it is important that we invest in our people just as much as we invest in our caring of animals.”

“I think the skills can work, transfer both ways… People just can be very close-minded about what they feel a person can adapt to.”

Valuable Resources

Find out more about Actus solutions:

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HR Uprising Mastermind – https://hruprising.com/mastermind/
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Additional free HR Resources

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About The Guest, Caroline McCague

Introducing Caroline McCague, a distinguished Human Resources professional with extensive experience in both the professional services and charitable sectors. Caroline is proficient in the strategic and operational facets of HR, adept at aligning people strategies with business objectives. Her exceptional skills in relationship management enable her to influence, coach, and support senior leadership effectively. As a leader of HR teams, Caroline is committed to fostering their development and driving their success. Her notable achievements include implementing advanced HR information systems, managing seamless cultural integrations post-mergers, and advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.

Connect with Caroline…

Her LinkedIn- https://uk.linkedin.com/in/caroline-mccague-70005026/

About The Host

Lucinda Carney is a Business Psychologist with 15 years in Senior Corporate L&D roles. Lucinda, for over 10 years as CEO of Actus Software has worked closely with HR colleagues helping them to solve the same challenges across a huge range of industries. Certainly, it was this breadth of experience that inspired Lucinda to set up the HR Uprising community to facilitate greater collaboration across HR professionals in different sectors, helping them to ‘rise up’ together.

“If you look up, you rise up”

How To Be A Change Superhero – by Lucinda Carney