Wellspring:  Achieving its mission!

Wellspring cares deeply about its members’ experiences in our centres. We want members to feel welcome, be treated with compassion and respect, and receive the support they seek when coming through our doors. To assess the degree to which Wellspring is meeting high quality and impactful outcomes, members were sent a survey last December asking them about their experiences.

It is a pleasure to present the results of the survey.

Results from questions:

Wellspring set a high minimum standard.  To be considered a high quality outcome, members must have answered Strongly Agree, or Agree, to the survey questions.  Slightly Agree, or responses in the Disagree range, do not meet Wellspring’s minimum standard.

The following results show the response rate for Strongly Agree, or Agree (rounded to the nearest whole number):

Wellspring is warm and welcoming.   97%

Wellspring is a safe and confidential place.   94%

Centre staff are knowledgeable and helpful.  96%

Program leaders are knowledge and helpful.   94%

I am comfortable talking with the Wellspring centre staff, program leaders and volunteers.  93%

I received the support I needed.    89%

I am treated with compassion and respect.   94%

I feel supported and cared about.   92%

Wellspring helps me feel less isolated.   85%

Programs at Wellspring help me understand how cancer has impacted my life. 79%

I have gained skills and knowledge to address my needs.  84%

I feel better prepared to manage going forward.  81%

I have a better understanding of what to do to maintain or improve my well-being.   83%

I have gained skills and knowledge to maintain or improve my well-being.   82%

I can express my needs and feelings better.    72%

I am more accepting of my situation.   74%

I manage stressful situations better.    72%

I am able to cope better.   76%

 

Results from comments:

In addition to the questions, the survey also asked members to:  ‘Please offer any additional comments about Wellspring that you would like to share.’

Members who responded to the survey offered an impressive total of 430 comments.  Although most were very positive and complimentary about the centres, people and programs, some themes emerged which will require Wellspring’s attention and further consideration.  These included:

• Opportunities to continue accessing programs once they are done (particularly for Cancer Exercise, although a few other programs were mentioned as well)
• Program availability, especially from members who have returned to work
• Parking costs are a concern particularly for members of Wellspring Westerkirk House
• Frequency of program access, and the wait times for some programs, were noted as a concern
• Consideration was requested regarding program availability for bereaved members, and limiting the size and composition of the Bereavement Support Group

A number of other “one-off” comments were made.  Although not reported in this summary, each and every comment will be reviewed.

Next steps:

The survey results are being shared with members, program leaders, volunteers, and Wellspring’s Board of Directors and its committees.  We are seeking input and analysis from each of these groups of individuals.  The collective feedback, together with the survey results themselves, will inform strategies and plans that aim to improve Wellspring’s mission impact even further.

Watch your email for more request for input!  We may need more feedback from members on individual items under consideration.

Thank you!

Thank you to all members who took the time to respond to the survey.  Your input is key – our mission is all about you and your needs and the experiences we deliver.   The survey results were very informative, and we would obviously not have this advisement without your feedback.