Musical aspirations
As a child I was involved in a musical at the local theatre. My parents were proud I had a duet with another slightly older child, and the older child was given responsibility for the microphone.
It went sour
Our duet began and we played our parts well. But I wasn’t keen on playing ‘second fiddle’ to the older child, and took the moment to display my dislike of her. A quick punch to the stomach and a grapple for the mike…
T.E.A.M
So why am I telling you this? TEAM is what your service is all about. It is important to pick up signs of dysfunctional relationships before they impact the service you provide.
The inspection
I remember assisting an inspection of a large service. There were multiple buildings across a scenic spot. Policies and procedures were firmly in place, and the corridors and rooms were impressively decorated but…
Resentment bubbling
Through the documentation and conversations that were had it became clear there was more than a little resentment between the units. Team meetings were heated and the manager barely spoke to the units.
Key ingredient
Harmony is a key ingredient in a well-run service. Without it often jobs are left undone, service users can feel the tension and staff will leave and your CQC rating will show this.
Take your services pulse
As management you should know what is going on in your service.
- Tools such as staff surveys can give you a good reading of what is going on if you ask the right questions QCS can provide these for you
- Take notice of what your service users are saying. If they feel uncomfortable or have concerns these should always be fully investigated
- Make sure your teams have regular 1-1s and team meetings to express concerns
- High turnover can also be an indicator in certain departments. Ensure you give those wanting to leave an opportunity to speak about their reasons.
- Make sure you undertake intentional walk arounds as manager and spot checks
- Check out CQC’s Key Lines of Enquiry for your service.
Putting it right
- Good recruitment including behavioural and competency based approaches should help highlight where people are coming from before you employ
- Ensure staff are aware of the zero tolerance policy to Bullying and Harassment
- Lead by example – be seen, be approachable and behave in a manner that encourages good relationships
- Create team building activities to cement relationships.
You may be wondering how my singing career went after that performance…it didn’t, but I am glad to say my father filmed the whole thing for posterity (ashamed emoji).
