Amsta provides care to older people, individuals with dementia, those with learning disabilities, and other Amsterdam residents in need of temporary support. The organisation plays a vital role in the daily lives of its vulnerable clients.
Increasing pressure on healthcare
Like manyother care providers, Amstafaces a growingdemandfor care and a persistent shortage of staff. Financial resources are alsounderpressure, as risingcostsforpersonneland care suppliescoincidewithlimitedbudgetary scope.
Preserving quality and job satisfaction
To maintainboth the quality of care and staff satisfaction, change was needed. The board posed a fundamental question: how can we work smarter, eliminateunnecessarytasks, and give staff more autonomy—so they have time for what truly matters: creating meaningfuldays for residents and clients?
The Solution
Amsta launched the Steeds Beter programme, together with Conclusion (delivery was led by Morgens Conclusion). Its aim: to work smarter, better and more enjoyably on a structural basis. The programme was built around three pillars:
Leadership Through training, inspiration visits and internal “peek over the fence” sessions, Amsta developed a leadership profile that encourages continuous improvement and gives teams more decision-making space. Managers learned how to empower staff and actively support improvement initiatives.
Projects Ten organisation-wide improvement projects were initiated, led by internal project managers. Using Amsta’s own approach—Analyse, Mobilise, Start, Monitor & Conclude—and targeted training, inefficiencies were tackled, such as duplicate registrations and cumbersome procedures. Each project was supported by baseline and impact measurements.
Teams In workshops and later peer review sessions, quality nurses and support workers learned how to drive improvements on the ground. Teams actively identified bottlenecks and waste, for example through observation rounds on the work floor. This led to a wide range of local improvement initiatives.
At the heart of the approach was ownership: managers, project leaders and teams took charge of the changes themselves—supported by Conclusion, but with a strong emphasis on learning by doing.
Results
Within eighteen months, the programme delivered measurable improvements:
Process improvements in care Numerous procedures were simplified for both clients and staff. Examples include replacing care agreements with a warm welcome letter, giving staff more choice in e-learning modules, and allowing competent informal carers to carry out double medication checks.
Room to experiment Locations were given the mandate to freely experiment with task distribution and work processes. This quickly yielded practical insights and new ways of working.
A better start for clients The admissions process was redesigned, significantly reducing administrative pressure on the first day. There is now more attention and guidance, partly through better use of clients’ personal networks.
Structural time savings The ten projects together saved over 10,000 hours structurally—excluding additional local initiatives by teams.
Visible impact on residents More efficient processes created space for fresh cooking, for example. Residents gained an average of over two kilos, had improved appetites and required less supplementary nutrition.
What began as a programme has evolved into a permanent way of working: continuous improvement is now part of the organisational culture. Staff are better equipped to turn frustrations into improvement initiatives, and the management team has fully embraced the philosophy.
Future-proof and meaningful care
At Amsta, enhancing job satisfaction and care quality is central—exactly what this programmedelivers in practice. With Steeds Beter, Amsta has laid a sustainable foundation for smarterworking and giving staff more space to focus on the essence of theirprofession. The programme shows thatprocess improvement, leadership and team ownership directlycontribute to future-proof care and meaningfuldays for residents and clients.
Care Partner
Amsta
Amsta is a care organisation operating from around 30 locations in Amsterdam, offering care, support and daytime activities to older people and individuals with learning disabilities. With over 2,600 staff and more than 450 volunteers, Amsta is a key player in the Amsterdam care sector.
