HSC L2 Ch22 online (1)

Unit HSC 2032 Working as part of a team in health and social care or children and young people’s settings This unit is worth 2 credits What are you finding out? This unit will help you to develop and demonstrate your knowledge about working as part of a team in health and social care. Teamwork is an essential part of providing health and social care for people using services. Without effective teamwork, care will become disjointed and people will not receive the level of service they should. By the end of this unit you will: 1 Understand teams and teamwork in the workplace 2 Understand the principles that underpin effective teamwork 3 Understand the effect of conflict within teams 4 Be able to work as part of a team. 1 Level 2 Health & Social Care Diploma LO1 Understand teams and teamwork in the workplace AC 1.1 Define what is meant by the terms ‘team’ and ‘teamwork’ The need for teams and teamworking is an essential part of providing health and social care. Teams, as opposed to individuals, have the potential to bring together the skills, experiences and disciplines required to support people using services. What is a team? At a very simple level, a team can be defined as a group of people who have been organised to work together. They are a group of people who are united by a common purpose and are committed to achieving common objectives. Working in teams allows people from different areas, with different roles and perhaps from different organisations, to work together. Within health or social care you will probably work with a multidisciplinary team. A multidisciplinary team is a group of health or social care workers and professionals who are members of different disciplines, each of which provides a specific service to service users. An important part of multidisciplinary team work and providing health or social care services is multi-agency working. Multiagency working is about different services, agencies and teams of professionals working together to provide the services that fully meet the needs of people using the service. What is teamwork? Teamwork can be defined as the process of working collaboratively with a group of people in order to achieve a goal. Team working encourages and helps teams to succeed. Teamwork is a crucial part of health and social care because it is necessary for colleagues to work well together to ensure people using the service receive the support and care they require. 2 Figure 21.1 It is important to apply the principles of teamwork to your relationship with individuals. Key terms A team is a group of people who have different skill and work together to achieve a common goal. An objective is something that we aim to achieve. Teamwork is the process of working together with a group of people in order to achieve a common goal. Evidence activity 1.1 Teams and teamwork In your own words define what is meant by the terms ‘team’ and ‘teamwork’. AC 1.2 Describe how the work of teams supports the achievement of workplace objectives Workplace objectives are specific goals that an organisation or a department sets out to achieve in a specified timeframe. Put another way, objectives are statements that explain how goals will be achieved. Objectives must be measurable and quantifiable; they must also be realistic and attainable within a specific timeframe. Teamwork is about striving to accomplish a set of common goals and objectives. For teams to be effective they need to have clear, shared objectives that contribute to the Unit HSC 2032 Key terms Quantifiable means that something is capable of being measured or counted. Collaborative working is team working, where two or more agencies work together to achieve a common goal. Evidence activity 1.2 Teamwork and objectives Describe how the work of teams can support the achievement of workplace objectives. Think about your own team. What evidence is there that you work together to meet objectives? Does your organisation have a ‘mission statement’ about team working? effectiveness of services for service users. These objectives provide a framework for the team to measure progress, recognise potential risk and identify opportunities for collaborative working. Team members have two distinct roles. Primarily they have to achieve the goals and objectives of the team, and second, they have to maintain effective working relationships with each other. These two elements are interlinked because if the objectives are not met, this will put pressure on the day to day working relationships within the team. Good, collaborative team working supports the achievement of workplace objectives. AC 1.3 Explain lines of reporting and responsibility in the team It is important to know who you should go to if you have a concern within your organisation. You should therefore have some knowledge of the structure of your organisation and the responsibilities of these people within the team. This information should be included within your job description, but you should also have a policy that explains lines of reporting and the responsibilities of each person in the team. Depending on where you work, you may have an organisational chart that represents the structure of the organisation in terms of rank. The chart will show the managers and sub-workers who make up the organisational team, as well as the relationship between staff in the organisation. Again this will depend on where you work and whether there are different departments within your organisation. The relationships between staff in the organisation can be: ● ● ● ● linear – this shows a direct relationship between someone in a higher position and someone in a lower position lateral – this shows relationships between different departments on the same hierarchical level (see next page for definition) staff – this shows the relationship between a managerial assistant and other areas. The assistant will be able to offer advice to a line manager, but they have no authority over the line manager’s actions functional – this shows the relationship between specialist positions and other areas. The specialist will normally have the authority to ensure that a line manager puts in place any of their instructions. In larger organisations such as the National Health Service (NHS) the structure can be large and extremely complicated and is therefore dissected into smaller charts for each individual department within the organisation. In addition to showing the structure of the organisation in terms of relationships among personnel and departments, the organisational chart represents lines of authority and responsibility. It is important that organisations are structured so that lines of authority along with individual duties and responsibilities can be understood by every company member. 3 Level 2 Health & Social Care Diploma Directors Management Team LO2 Understand the principles that underpin effective teamwork AC 2.1 Describe why teams need: ● ● Area Manager Registered Manager Assistant Manager Senior Care Staff Care Staff and Other Workers Figure 21.2 Examples of HSC organisational charts You need to understand the importance of working within the boundaries of your job role. There are many different job roles within health and social care and it is important that each member of the team has a job description that clearly spells out the boundaries of their role. Your job role is made up from the different tasks or activities that you need to be able to carry out to get your job done and this should be explained within your job description. This job description will form part of your contract and should explain to you: ● ● ● ● ● Key term Hierarchical relates to the ranking within an organisation. Evidence activity 1.3 Lines of reporting and responsibility Explain lines of reporting and responsibility in your team. Draw a ‘family tree’ which represents the organisational structure of your organisation. Explain each role and the responsibility attacked to the role. Time to think 1.3 Organisational chart Make an organisational chart for your team and fill in the lines of responsibility and reporting. 4 clear objectives clearly defined roles and responsibilities. ● the responsibilities of your job role where you will undertake your role who you will report to any staff that will report to you your rate of pay the hours you will work. The boundaries of your job role should also clarify what you must not do. This could include activities for which you have yet to be trained; activities that you are not capable of doing, for example because of your health status or lack of seniority or experience; or activities that your age, gender and understanding prevent you from carrying out, such as helping someone of the opposite gender with personal care needs. If you step outside of the boundaries of your roles and responsibilities that have been set by your job description, you could run the risk of putting the health, safety and emotional well-being of service users, yourself or your colleagues at risk. See unit HSC 025 for more information on the role of the health and social care worker. Unit HSC 2032 The scope of your job role will be used to measure your performance and whether you are meeting the objectives of the team, so it is important that you are consulted about what is expected of you. Informal supervision, such as observation, enables your supervisor to identify your strengths, points of development and chat with you about your performance. Formal supervision, such as appraisals and one-to-ones, gives you an opportunity to resolve your limitations by discussing concerns and suggestions you have: ● ● ● ● ● your understanding and performance improving your learning and performance adapting activities to make them more successful situations you find difficult to handle personal, resource and operational difficulties that impact on your performance. The aim of supervision is to reach a mutual agreement about the scope of your job role. You should come away with a clear understanding of what you can and cannot do, greater understanding of your work activities and how you can improve your performance, and an updated continuous professional development (CPD) plan that describes your learning and performance needs and how and when they will be met and how they can be used to meet the objectives of the team. Time to think 2.1 Roles and responsibilities Are the objectives, roles and responsibilities of your team clearly identified in your organisation? How does this impact on the dynamics of the team? Your understanding and performance Personal, resource and operational difficulties that impact on your performance Improving your learning and performance Formal supervision should cover : Situations you find difficult to handle Adapting activities to make them more successful Figure 21.3 Formal supervision 5 Level 2 Health & Social Care Diploma Evidence activity 2.1 Evidence activity Clear objectives, roles and responsibilities Describe why teams need clear objectives and clearly defined roles and responsibilities. Consider your role and responsibilities and that of your manager. Why is it important to know about each other’s roles? Talk to colleagues who do the same job as you. How do they view their roles and responsibilities? Make a note of their answers and compare it to your job description. Does it match? 2.2 Identify what supports positive and effective communication between team members. Describe some examples of ways that support positive and effective communication in the team. What are the barriers? ● AC 2.2 Identify what supports positive and effective communication between team members Positive and effective communication can help to keep team members motivated and working at their best. Communication is the greatest single influence on an organisation. Almost everyone has worked or will work in a team at some point in their lives. Within those teams, positive and effective communication is crucial between all team members, regardless of the role each person plays. Positive and effective communication skills are vital in helping teams to work effectively, build solid relationships and prevent misunderstandings. Positive and effective communication can be supported by the following: ● ● 6 Listening: good listening is integral to good communication. Communication is about exchange, and this is especially important in the health or social care environment. Listening can help ensure that everyone in the team knows what everyone is thinking. When someone is speaking, it is important to focus on their face rather than letting your eyes wander. Empathy: in order for teamwork to be effective, it is important to be open to the opinion of others and to understand their position on any given issue. It is about give and take. Empathy is about putting yourself in someone else’s shoes and is often a good way to improve workplace communication skills. Make a point of asking how people are feeling. Positive and effective communication ● Patience: if we rush what we say, others may find it difficult to understand what is being communicated. Similarly, if we come across as impatient when others are trying to get their point across, we are more likely to lose focus and not hear what they are saying. For good communication, it is important to be methodical. Take points one at a time, both when talking and when listening. Positivity: maintaining a positive attitude at work is not always easy, but anger and bitterness are not only negative emotions, they can contribute to misunderstandings and conflicts. It is important to try to view problems and difficulties as challenges, and look at ways of overcoming them, rather than letting them become a major, on-going burden. AC 2.3 Define confidentiality within the context of teamwork Confidentiality is not about keeping secrets, it is about protecting an individual’s right to privacy. At its simplest, confidentiality can be defined as protecting information from unauthorised disclosure. This simply means that as an employee within the health service, you must strive to keep service user and business information private. Throughout your working day you will come across private and personal information relating to service users. This information may come from service users, their families or professionals you work with. As a health or social care worker, you have a duty to: ● maintain confidentiality by keeping personal information about people who use your services private Unit HSC 2032 Research and investigate 2.3 Confidentiality Locate a copy of your organisation’s confidentiality policy and identify the main points. How do these points relate to your role as a health or social care worker working in a team? What is expected of you in relation to maintaining confidentiality within your team? ● ● only share information about service users with those who have a right to know obtain permission from people before sharing information about them. Your employer will have a confidentiality policy that sets out the procedures you must follow when sharing information. This policy should be accessible and depending on where you work, a paper copy may be kept in the office or an electronic and version controlled copy may be stored on your organisation’s computer system or on their intranet. It is important that you read this policy and that you follow it throughout your daily practice. Maintaining confidentiality Maintaining confidentiality is a vital aspect in building trust between people working in the health sector and people using services within the health and social care sector. This trust is dependent on the service user being confident that personal information they disclose will be kept private. This relates not only to verbal communication but also to written information. People who work in health and social care environments have a duty to protect confidential information. In addition there is a legal requirement to keep personal records confidential under the Data Protection Act 1998. The right to confidentiality means that personal and medical records must be kept secure and that information stored on a computer is password protected. However, there will be many occasions in your day-to-day work when you will need to share information about service users in order to ensure they receive the support and care required. This information can be shared with your work colleagues without breaching confidentiality because it is shared on a need-to-know basis. This means that everybody in the team knows what they need to know about each service user. In your day-to-day work you can promote and demonstrate confidentiality by: ● not talking about service users in areas of the organisation where you can be overheard by non-staff members ● not disclosing confidential information about one service user to other service users ● using service users’ initials only when discussing or writing up your observations about them ● storing written records about service securely and making sure they are put back after using them ● password protecting computers that contain information about service users ● ensuring personal records can be accessed only by people who are authorised to access them ● referring the relatives of service users to the service user’s key worker when they request information relating to their relative ● not giving out personal information over the telephone ● not sending personal information via fax or email ● ensuring the person you are sharing information with is authorised to access it. See unit HSC 028 for more information on confidentiality. Maintaining confidentiality out of work It is just as important to maintain confidentiality outside of work as it is inside of work. If you are not careful, you could breach confidentiality without realising it. One of the most common ways in which confidentiality can be broken is by chatting about work with friends and family. You can ensure you maintain confidentiality outside of work by not talking, gossiping or complaining about the people you work with when you are at home or when you are socialising with your friends. This is a serious breach of confidentiality that could lead to disciplinary action by your employer. 7 Level 2 Health & Social Care Diploma Key term Time to think Disciplinary action relates to the steps taken by an organisation when a member of a profession or organisation has done something wrong or has breached their code of conduct. 2.4 Evidence Activity 2.3 Organisational values Think about the values of your organisation. How do you and your colleagues demonstrate these values to the different people you come into contact with on a daily basis? These people may include other colleagues or members of the multidisciplinary team, service users and their family and friends. Confidentiality and teamwork Define what is meant by confidentiality within the context of teamwork. Look for the policies about confidentiality in your own organisation. What is the guidance in terms of staff conduct? Evidence activities 2.4 Values and your team Describe how the values of your organisation influence the working of your team. AC 2.4 Describe how the values of own organisation influences the working of your team Values are unique to each organisation. Organisational values are the standards that guide the conduct of teams that work within that organisation. Values should set out to represent the culture of an organisation. They define how we will behave towards each other within the organisation and towards external stakeholders. When we understand the organisational values we can begin to incorporate them into our ways of working. When organisations build a common set of values they affect the team in so many ways – for example, they can help teams to build on respect, resolve conflict and establish trusting relationships. Key terms Values are a set of beliefs that are shared within a team or an organisation. For example the Care Quality Commission’s (CQC) values are: ● Excellence ● Caring ● Integrity External stakeholders are the people outside the organisation that influence and are influenced by an organisation but are not a member of it, for example suppliers of equipment. 8 LO3 Understand the effect of conflict within teams AC 3.1 Describe how conflicts may arise in teams Conflict happens when people have opposing needs, ideas, beliefs, values or goals. Conflict can therefore happen when there is a clash of perceptions, goals or values in any organisation where people care about the outcome. Conflict can often be good. It may bring out new ideas and raise new issues. However, because teams contain a variety of people, all with differing opinions and experiences, sometimes this can get out of hand. Comments can become personal and time is spent settling old scores instead of getting on with the task in hand. This can lead to unhealthy conflict, one of the biggest barriers to effective team performance. Healthy sources of conflict may include: ● ● ● Legitimate differences of opinion about a tasks Differences in values and perspectives Different expectations about the impact of decisions. Unit HSC 2032 Case study 3.1 Can cause stress within the team Mr Crossley Mr Crossley has been undergoing tests to see whether he has bowel cancer. He has expressed a wish that if the results come back positive, he does not want treatment and he does not want his family to know. Mr Crossley’s wish was miscommunicated to all members of the team. When the results come back they are confirmed to be positive. Sandra, a new staff member telephones Mr Crossley’s daughter to come into the home, as she does not want him to be alone when the news is broken. ● ● ● What different types of conflict could arise from this sort of situation? Where might conflict arise within this situation? What would be the cause of the conflict? Evidence activity 3.1 Conflict Describe a situation where a conflict may arise. Recap the definition of conflict. What are some of the positive and negative aspects of conflict within teams? Unhealthy sources of conflict may include: ● ● ● ● ● Competition over power or resources Conflict between an individual and the goals of the team Poorly-run team meetings Personal grudges from the past Miscommunications. AC 3.2 Describe how conflict can Negative aspects of conflict Time spent in conflict takes away from other important matters Figure 21.4 Negative aspects of conflict personally and professionally. However, if it is not resolved properly, the results can be damaging. Conflicting goals can rapidly turn into personal dislike; teamwork breaks down; talent is wasted as people disengage with the team; and when this happens in a health and social care setting, it is service users who suffer as they fail to receive appropriate care and support. Benefits of conflict ● ● ● affect team effectiveness Because teamwork requires individual people and agencies to set aside their own agendas and work towards a common goal, there is always a risk of conflict. Conflict is not necessarily a bad thing. If it is dealt with effectively, we can learn from it and develop Can lead to lower productivity because resources are redirected into the conflict and away from the objectives of the organisation ● ● Conflict promotes growth through learning to overcome challenges. Conflict promotes creativity and innovation as solutions are suggested to overcome the differences between various members of the team. Conflict promotes the development of interpersonal skills, as individuals strive to get on with each other in spite of their differences. Conflict can help to create a mutual understanding of different values, aspirations and cultures. Conflict promotes social change and progress. 9 Level 2 Health & Social Care Diploma Time to think Key term Think of a time when conflict has arisen within your team. What was the cause of the conflict? Conflict resolution is a way of resolving disagreements between two or more people. Evidence activity 3.2 Conflict and team effectiveness Describe how conflict can affect the effectiveness of teamwork. ● Give some examples of how conflict in the team can affect: ● the worker ● the individual the team ● ● the organisation. AC 3.3 Give examples of how effective teams may deal with conflicts The guiding principles behind successful conflict resolution are mutual respect, effective communication, an open mind, a desire to understand different points of view, enthusiasm to work co-operatively with others and a willingness to consult, negotiate and compromise. Five steps to conflict resolution Step 1: Effective communication Effective communication is far more successful at resolving conflict than aggression. People who are involved in a conflict must be given an opportunity to express their perception of the problem, and active listening ensures that they are heard and understood. ● ● 10 Show that you are interested in what the other person is saying, for example by maintaining eye contact. Show that you are trying to understand their point of view by mirroring their facial expressions and tone of voice, by using ● appropriate body movements, such as nodding, and by making affirmative noises such as ‘mmm’ and ‘yes’. Check your understanding by asking questions, paraphrasing (rephrasing in your own words what someone else has said) what they tell you and summarising what you understand them to have said. Make sure that when you talk, you are calm, courteous and assertive rather than confrontational and aggressive. Step 2: Gather information/Research Everyone has their own interests, needs and concerns. Conflict arises when someone feels that theirs are being ignored or not taken into account. Try to understand how the partnership’s way of doing things is impacting on an individual. For example, is it affecting their work performance, disrupting teamwork, hampering decision-making? Or is it affecting the way an individual feels cared for or supported? Be objective – focus on work issues and leave personalities out of the discussion. Step 3: Identify the problem Everyone needs a clear understanding of the problem. As you read above, different people have different needs, interests and concerns, and as a result they perceive problems differently. You need to reach an agreement about what the problem is before you can find a mutually acceptable solution. Step 4: Negotiate a win–win solution If everyone is to feel comfortable with the way a problem is resolved, they need to be involved in identifying possible solutions. Involvement means being open to all ideas, including the ones they hadn’t thought of. Unit HSC 2032 If agreement cannot be reached, consider making a compromise. Step 5: Problem-solving Action the agreed or compromise solution and monitor it to ensure that it does resolve the problem. Be prepared to try out any of the other proposed solutions to see whether they might prove more effective. Time to think 3.3 Conflict resolution For the conflict you have identified earlier, explain how it was resolved within your team. What was the cause of the conflict? every other member of the team is so essential. This understanding of the role should include the purpose of the role, together with the levels of accountability, authority and responsibility associated with the role. This level of understanding is important at an individual, team and organisational level in order for the team to function effectively. It means that individuals within the team will: ● ● ● ● Research and investigate 3.3 Teamwork Choose someone you are currently supporting and research their interests, needs and concerns. Then apply this information to working as a team (as shown in step 2). Evidence activity 3.3 Dealing with conflicts Identify skills and approaches needed for resolving conflicts. Produce a poster for display in the staff room, entitled ‘Conflict resolution’, which describes the skills and approaches that effective teams need to get to the bottom of and settle a conflict. LO4 Be able to work as part of a team AC 4.1 Identify own role and responsibilities in the team AC 4.2 Fulfil your own responsibilities within the team The importance of each team member being clear about both their own role and that of ● ● ● understand the level of autonomy that comes with their job description and where applicable their professional registration understand the authority they hold for decision-making delegate appropriately be clear about the expectations of their performance feel supported and valued use their initiative grow and develop. Lack of understanding around these boundaries can lead to mistakes being made, mistrust, confusion, inappropriate or no delegation, poor use of resources, increased stress levels and lack of motivation. If team members are not clear about their roles and responsibilities or do not appreciate the roles of others, this can lead to conflict, so paying attention to your role and the roles of others can go a long way in reducing the risk of conflict within the team. Key terms Accountability is concerned with a person or an organisation being answerable for anything they do or fail to do. Authority gives a person the power or the right to give orders or make decisions. Responsibility is concerned with having the authority to deal with something or have control over a person. To delegate means the trust to undertake a task is given to another person – this is usually someone less senior than the person who is delegating. 11 Level 2 Health & Social Care Diploma ● Time to think 4.1 Your contribution What particular contribution do you make within your team? Evidence activities 4.1 and 4.2 Roles and responsibilities Identify your role and responsibilities within your team. From the responsibilities you identified in evidence activity 4.1, make a diary to detail how you fulfil those responsibilities on a daily basis within your team. ● ● Role of the nurse Nurses form the largest group of staff in the health sector and are a crucial part of the health care team. Nurses work in every sort of health setting, from accident and emergency right through to working in service users’ own homes. Nurses assess, treat, care for and support patients in hospitals and nursing homes. They may be involved in: ● AC 4.3 Identify the contribution of other team members to the team AC 4.4 Seek support and advice from other team members Different members of the team will have different responsibilities and will contribute different skills and knowledge within the team. The extent of the team you work within will differ depending on the organisation you work for. For example, if you work in a care home that provides personal care only, the diversity of the team you work within will not be as great as if you work within a hospital. We will now explore some of the contributions other team members bring to a health or social care team. Role of the health care assistant Health care assistants (HCAs) can work within hospital or community teams and can work within health or social care. Within a health care environment HCAs will work under the direct guidance of nurses. The role of the HCA might include: ● ● ● 12 supporting service users with personal care supporting service users to eat and drink making beds generally assisting service users with overall comfort monitoring the condition of service users by taking temperatures, pulse, respirations and weight taking blood from service users. ● ● ● ● discussing, planning and carrying out nursing care to improve patients’ health monitoring service users’ conditions and recording important change giving and monitoring medications and intravenous medication educating service users and families about health needs arranging for service users to have treatment and/or care after they have been discharged from hospital. Role of the Physiotherapist Physiotherapists help and treat people of all ages with physical problems caused by illness, accident or ageing. Many Physiotherapists work within hospitals where they are needed in most departments, from out-patients through to intensive care, where intensive chest physiotherapy can be vital to optimise oxygen therapy. Physiotherapists also identify and maximise movement potential through health promotion, preventive health care, treatment and rehabilitation. Physiotherapists can also work in the community setting, where many are employed by General Practice (GP) fund holders. Unit HSC 2032 Key terms Case study To optimise simply means to make the best or most of something. 4.3 Mr Sadique is recovering from a hip operation following a fall he had a week ago. He fractured his hip and is being nursed in a community hospital. As part of his rehabilitation he is receiving care and treatment from the following team members: Oxygen therapy is the administration of oxygen. Preventive healthcare is concerned with the measures taken to prevent /stop people from developing diseases. ● Rehabilitation is a course of treatment aimed at helping a person to regain as much function as possible. ● ● ● ● GP is a family doctor commonly known as a general practitioner. ● ● ● ● His doctor The ward nurses The Physiotherapists The Occupational Therapists A social worker. Do some research to find out what each of these team members would bring to the team to assist Mr Sadique in his rehabilitation and recovery. Role of the speech and language therapist Speech and language therapists (SaLT) work in a variety of settings, including: ● Mr Sadique Evidence activities 4.3 hospitals community health centres mainstream and special schools assessment units and day centres service users’ own homes. Contributions Make a note of all the different professionals that work within your team. Then identify the contribution that each of these people bring to your team. 4.4 Seeking support and advice The role of a speech and language therapist is to assess and treat speech, language and communication problems in people of all ages to enable them to communicate to the best of their ability. They may also work with people who have swallowing difficulties. For this activity you need to seek support and advice from other team members. Over the course of 2 weeks make a note of all the times you have done this. Make a note of the reason you needed to seek support and the support that was received. How has this support helped you to develop within your role? Overall, it is important that you seek advice and support from other members of the team as and when it is needed. AC 4.5 Communicate effectively with Research and investigate 4.3 Roles and responsibilities In addition to the roles that have been outlined in this unit, do some research to identify the roles of the following people: ● ● ● ● Social worker Dietician Doctor Occupational Therapist. other team members Effective communication with colleagues is an essential part of your role in a team working environment. Communication with colleagues is more likely to be effective if you: ● ● ● establish appropriate working relationships with each of your colleagues show that you respect your colleagues’ skills, abilities and professional approach towards their work role talk clearly and directly to your colleagues, using positive body language and giving them enough time to absorb what you are saying 13 Level 2 Health & Social Care Diploma ● ● ● ● ● always listen to your colleagues’ points of view, making sure you are polite, professional and constructive when you disagree check that colleagues understand what you are trying to communicate when you are passing on important information clarify any points or ask questions where you don’t fully understand what you have been told or are being asked to do demonstrate that you understand and respect confidentiality and the feelings of your colleagues by communicating about sensitive, personal or private issues in an appropriate private place ask someone to check any emails, letters or notes that you write on behalf of the care setting to ensure your language and presentation are appropriate and professional. Effective communication with work colleagues is based on establishing a friendly but professional working relationship where you can give and receive support. Communication with colleagues should always revolve around your shared goal of promoting the health and well-being of the people you provide care and support for. Time to think 4.5 Effective communication and your team How do you ensure you communicate effectively with the members of your team? Evidence activity 4.5 Effective communication Ask your colleagues for feedback on the way you communicate with them. Ask for feedback on your written communication as well as your verbal communication. Make a note of the feedback. What do you do well? Where could you improve your communication skills? 14 Figure 21.5 How do you ensure you communicate effectively in your team? AC 4.6 Offer support to other team members Good team players help their colleagues. They are fully engaged in the work of the team and do not simply sit passively as their colleagues struggle. It is important to look beyond your own work and search for ways in which you can contribute to the team’s overall work. As well as asking for support from other members of the team when you need to, it is important to recognise the value of offering your support as and when it is needed. This is a vital element of effective collaborative teamwork. Unit HSC 2032 Case study 4.6 Kelly Kelly is a nurse who works in a 30-bedded nursing home. She is responsible for administering medication to the service users at breakfast time. There are three nurses and they each have responsibility for 10 service users. You have been allocated to Kelly’s team, along with another health care assistant. You can see that Kelly is busy administering the medicines. Buzzers are ringing, the breakfasts have arrived and people are asking to go to the toilet. How could you and your colleague help Kelly as she continues to administer the medication? likely to be a strength in your current role – it may be that it is necessary for everyone to have this knowledge. Strengths Weaknesses It is here where you identify your strengths, for example: What do you do well? It is here where you identify your weaknesses or barriers to achievement, for example: What unique resources can you draw on? In what areas could you improve? What do others see as your strengths? What do others see as your weaknesses? Evidence activity 4.6 Offering support Maintain a diary over the course of a week or two to demonstrate the number of times you have offered and given support to other team members. Try to reflect on the support given and how it impacted on the team. AC 4.7 Review own strengths and weakness in working in the team One method of analysing strengths and weaknesses is by undertaking a SWOT analysis in order to summarise your: ● ● ● ● Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats. What makes a SWOT analysis beneficial is that it can also be used to identify opportunities and by identifying your weaknesses, you can look at ways to manage or eliminate any threats that might otherwise limit your ability to develop. It is important to think of your strengths in relation to the people around you. For example, if you are very knowledgeable about tissue viability and pressure ulcers and the people you work with are just as knowledgeable about this area, then this is not Where do you have fewer resources than others? Opportunities Threats It is here where you identify positive external conditions that you do not control but of which you can plan to take advantage, for example: It is here where you identify negative external conditions that you do not control but the effect of which you may be able to lessen, for example: What opportunities are open to you? What opportunities could you take advantage of? How can you turn your strengths into opportunities? What threats could harm you? Is your job or are the demands of the job changing? Are any of your colleagues competing with you for roles? What threats do your weaknesses expose you to? Evidence activity 4.7 Offering support Using the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats table, undertake a SWOT analysis of your own to review the strengths and weaknesses within your team. 15 Level 2 Health & Social Care Diploma Legislation Data Protection Act 1998 Useful resources Websites Care Quality Commission www.cqc.org.uk Skills for Care www.skillsforcare.org.uk Royal College of Nursing www.rcn.org.uk Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE) www.scie.org.uk (There is a useful presentation on teamworking on this website). 16