See it. Say it. Send it.
Quick tips to keep the people we support safe.
Keep an eye out for how care and support is being provided. You’ll know some people’s support plans better than others. Help your team stick to the plan.
New team members in particular need support to follow and remember the support plan. Let’s support each other by noticing when things have been done well, and when some of us might need some support to remember what someone’s plan says.
Noticed that a colleague has done a really good job in following someone’s support plan? Say it – let them know what you’ve seen them do and why it’s been so helpful. Be specific – for example “I noticed that you gave John’s food exactly how his care plan says it should be given. That’s great”, or “When Julie is upset she needs some space from others – her PBS plan says what to do in these situations – it’s worth taking a look at it”.
If you’ve noticed something that could cause a serious risk to the person’s safety, let your colleague know and say why there's a problem. Tell the person in charge of the shift straight away.
It’s amazing how much of a difference it makes if we let each other know we’ve done a good job – it’s easy for everyday good work to get ignored.
Share everyday good practice with the rest of the team - get to know who is involved with the person’s care and tell everyone what you noticed and why it was good. If you've got time, drop an email to them, copying in the whole team, saying thanks and well done.
If you notice any major failure to deliver care safely, whether it’s an eating or drinking plan, or the way we prevent someone becoming distressed, make sure that you let the whole team around the person know – send them an email as soon as you can. Include the senior management of the service so they can ensure any risk you’ve noticed is reduced.
This isn’t about blame; it's about making sure that we pick up on anything that might be a safety risk to the people we support. It's the whole team's job to make sure everyone knows about the plan!
We know that people in our care are safer and happier when the whole team follows their plans, and when we all take responsibility for making sure that things are done right. Let's focus on making sure we always tell each other when things are going well or something hasn't been done correctly. Let’s all help each other to keep the people we suport safe.