Lead and manage a team within a health and social care

Explain what is meant by effective team performance and what challenges may be experienced by developing teams and established teams. Explain how these may be overcome.

An effective team is a team that can work well together they have developed and share the same goal and they are working towards a common aim. A team needs to have competent team members, they need to be able to work well together, communicate well and clearly understand their roles within the team and how it impacts on the effectiveness of the other team members and the overall team effort. A team needs to have clear agreed measurable goals that they are all working towards, they need to understand the why, how and the importance of the goals they are working towards. They need to know and understand each other’s strengths and weakness to enable them all to best utilize each other’s skills. They need to be able to trust and rely on each other there needs to be a common aim towards continuing improvement learning and commitment. They need to have a strong support network.

Teams need strong team players to perform well. Teams need people who speak up and express their thoughts and ideas clearly, directly, honestly, and with respect for others and for the work of the team. That’s what it means to communicate constructively. Such a team member does not shy away from making a point but makes it in the best way possible — in a positive, confident, and respectful manner. Good listeners are essential for teams to function effectively. Teams need team players who can absorb, understand, and consider ideas and points of view from other people without debating and arguing every point. Such a team member also can receive criticism without reacting defensively. Most important, for effective communication and problem solving, team members need the discipline to listen first and speak second so that meaningful dialogue results. Good team players share. They’re willing to share information, knowledge, and experience. They take the initiative to keep other team members informed.

Much of the communication within teams takes place informally. Outside of discussion at organized meetings usually on the floor, team members need to feel comfortable talking with one another and passing along important news and information day-to-day. Good team players are active in this informal sharing. They keep other team members in the loop with information and expertise that helps get the job done and prevents surprises. Cooperation is the act of working with others and acting together to accomplish a job. Effective team players work this way by second nature. Good team players, despite differences they may have with other team members concerning style and perspective, figure out ways to work together to solve problems and get work done. They respond to requests for assistance and take the initiative to offer help. Teams often deal with changing conditions — and often create changes themselves. Good team players roll with the punches; they adapt to ever-changing situations.

They don’t complain or get stressed out because something new is being tried or some new direction is being set. In addition, a flexible team member can consider different points of views and compromise when needed. He or she doesn’t hold rigidly to a point of view and argue it to death, especially when the team needs to move forward to make a decision or get something done. Strong team players are firm in their thoughts yet open to what others have to offer — flexibility at its best. Strong team players care about their work, the team, and the team’s work. They show up every day with this care and commitment up front. They want to give a good effort, and they want other team members to do the same. Teams, of course, deal with problems.

Sometimes, it appears, that’s the whole reason why a team is created — to address problems. Good team players are willing to deal with all kinds of problems in a solutions-oriented manner. They’re problem-solvers, not problem-dwellers, problem-blamers, or problem-avoiders. They don’t simply rehash a problem the way problem-dwellers do. They don’t look for others to fault, as the blamers do. And they don’t put off dealing with issues, the way avoiders do. Team players get problems out in the open for discussion and then collaborate with others to find solutions and form action plans. Team players treat fellow team members with courtesy and consideration — not just some of the time but consistently. In addition, they show understanding and the appropriate support of other team members to help get the job done. They don’t place conditions on when they’ll provide assistance, when they’ll choose to listen, and when they’ll share information.

Good team players also have a sense of humor and know how to have fun (and all teams can use a bit of both), but they don’t have fun at someone else’s expense. Quite simply, effective team players deal with other people in a professional manner. Team players who show commitment don’t come in any particular style or personality. In fact, they may even be soft-spoken, but they aren’t passive. They care about what the team is doing and they contribute to its success — without needing a push. Team players with commitment look beyond their own piece of the work and care about the team’s overall work. In the end, their commitment is about winning seeing the team succeed and knowing they have contributed to this success. Winning as a team is one of the great motivators of employee performance. Good team players have and show this motivation.

The beginning and building of new teams undergoes the processes of forming, storming, norming and performing. The key challenges that new teams face would include role conflicts, unclear team goals, lack of communication and lack of team structure and definition. To increase teamwork teams require careful awareness of behavioural differences, identifying potential areas of cultural conflict ahead of time and most importantly developing shared understanding and commitment to overall team goals .A team goes through five stages of development. Each stage of team development presents its own special challenges to a group of people striving to work together successfully by forming a cohesive team. The team and the organization can take specific actions at each stage of team development to support the team’s success in accomplishing the team mission.

A mission is your expression of what it is that your organization does. Your mission tells a customer, employee, or interested job candidate exactly what you are trying to do. Each employee’s actions should demonstrate the mission in action at each stage. The behavior of the leader must be adapted to the changing and developing needs of the group. The ability of the leader of a group of people to develop positive relationships is very important and requires the ability to communicate effectively with people. Forming: a group of people come together to accomplish a shared purpose. They are unsure of each other and their purpose roles are unclear there is a strong reliance on the team leader for direction approach at this point is very important for the success of the team. Storming: Disagreement about mission, vision and approaches combined with the fact that team members are getting to know each other can cause strained relationships and conflict. Personality clashes and differences of opinion occur this may be blamed on the team leader who may be used as the scapegoat.

Because you are different from the rest of the team. Although this stage can be uncomfortable it is a most important stage. Norming: The team has consciously or unconsciously formed working relationships that are enabling progress on the team’s objectives. The team begins to find some mutual direction. Ideas start to come together evolving in a more harmonious state. The team should start to feel more positive. Performing: Relationships, team processes, and the team’s effectiveness in working on its objectives are synching to bring about a successfully functioning team. Team members start to apply themselves to the job and get on with the work that needs to be done. They know each other well and start to feel confident in working together.

Transforming: The team is performing so well that members believe it is the most successful team they have experienced; or Ending: The team has completed its mission or purpose and it is time for team members to pursue other goals or projects. Not every team moves through these stages in order and various activities such as adding a new team member can send the team back to earlier stages. The length of time necessary for progressing through these stages depends on the experience of the members, the support the team receives and the knowledge and skill of the team members. The depth of the commitment of team members to work together effectively to accomplish the goals of the team is a critical factor in team success. The relationships team members develop out of this commitment are key in team building and team success. Do team members want to participate on the team? If not why not. Do they perceive that they had a choice about working on a particular team?

Work on finding solutions to the problem. Tapping into an employee’s commitment is much easier if they are participating by choice. Even participation on a mandatory team is likely to gain more commitment when the employees on the team are empowered to set direction, establish goals, and make choices, have the resources and training to develop the skills needed to do their job. Constructive feed back to the team is important to the effectiveness of the team. Identifying the individual team member’s skills and utilizing the skills for the benefit of the team. Teams need to have clear guidelines and rules to work by this will encourage participation commitment and trust. Teams should enjoy working together this can promote bonding as a team. Team building days are an effective way in which to bond teams.

Once a team has become established the next challenge is to ensure they continue to work well as a team and that they continue to work towards the goals that are set out. As a manager this will require a manager to have a good knowledge and understanding of the individuals within the team, the type of person they are and their strengths and weakness. It’s about gaining the trust and respect of the team and helping them to trust and respect each other, understand each other and how each other works. A manager needs to be able to recognize the differences and similarities in the team member’s and help the others to be able to recognize the differences and similarities in each other. A manager once they have identified these should be able to use the differences and similarities for the benefit of the team by utilize these and helping the team to work together more effectively. Belbins research 1981 on the various roles needed in an effective team showed that by determining how problems could be predicted and avoided in teams aided controlling the dynamics of the group.

The results showed that the difference between successes and failure for a team was not dependent on factors such as intellect but more on behaviour. The nine team roles are: The shaper, the implementer, the completer finisher, coordinator, team worker, resource investigator, plant, monitor evaluator, specialist. Each role has its strengths and weakness and by being aware of the roles each of your staff exhibit and assigning them duties that fit the role a more effective performance can be assured. All people have various skills that others may not be able to do as good once this has been identified it would make sense to utilize the skill for the benefit of the team, thus building their confidence also others may learn different things that they have not been able to do from them, some people will get along better than others this may be due to similar interest or personalities again it makes sense to encourage them to work together to gain the best from them.

It would not make sense to have people working together on certain tasks who did not feel confident in doing this. Identifying a person’s skills and weaknesses as soon as possible makes it more beneficial for all of the team certainly if the team have to work together on the same goals, it would not be practical to give a person a task that they are not capable of completing due to the lack of having the right skills if there is someone on the team with the skills to do the job more efficiently. A good team is one that supports each other and is aware of each other’s abilities to do various jobs and were they lack the ability to do certain jobs. They complement each other in the roles they undertake within the team and are managed and lead in an efficient way.

A manager’s day can be spent in negotiation with other people, it can become an almost unconscious thing. It may be setting up meetings or planning care with a member of staff but the way in which this is all carried out can mean the difference between an effective outcome and a failed one. Consideration for the following points when addressing any challenge to the team effectiveness could be; Empathy can we remember what it feels like to be in the same position of the particular team member with a problem, can we remember the frustrations when things go wrong. Seek clarification to make sure we understands the other persons position problems and need.

Do we remain calm or are we taking things personally. Can we support and explain our case? Can we stick to the point and not allow ourselves to be side-tracked or taken down a different route. Can we compromise? Working as part of a team with colleagues is often vital to getting a job done efficiently and well. Teamwork can increase productivity and motivation as well as colleagues’ enjoyment of a job. By cooperating and taking into account others’ opinions, a group can more effectively achieve its goals, and in turn contribute to the overall goals and objectives. Unclear Goals

It is fine to say that a team can work well together, but if its members are unsure what their goals or objectives are in the first place, the teamwork is essentially a nonstarter. Objectives for the group should be set out clearly and concisely. Ideally, the success of these goals should be easily measurable and set within a particular time period. Demotivation

A team can lose motivation for many reasons. If members have been performing poorly in the recent time period, it’s common for a team to take a “can’t-do” attitude and lose determination and belief in the team. Likewise, if a task is particularly challenging, frustration may kick in causing your team to lose motivation. If this is the case, a motivating pep talk and a little reminder of the team’s strengths may do the trick to get your team confident in its abilities again. Unclear Roles

Assigning roles within a group can be a key in successful teamwork. A team should understand and take into consideration its individual strengths and weaknesses and assign tasks accordingly. If team roles are unclear, this may result in confusion and lack of cohesion within the group, as more than one person works on the same task, wasting time and possibly leading to disagreements. Arrogance

There is always one person who struggles more than others with the concept of teamwork. While a strong leader can often be an asset to a team, somebody who considers his knowledge and skills superior to others can just as easily be a hindrance. This person won’t be able to resist the urge to take over proceedings and take charge of the group. This can cause friction and frustration within the group, particularly if others do not agree with the self-appointed leader’s opinions. Poor Communication

It is essential that when working as part of a team, colleagues communicate with each other regularly. It could be the case that a team is working on a long-term project. Weekly meetings are arranged providing colleagues to review each other’s progress. and set new targets for the week ahead. It could be that your team cannot meet weekly, and perhaps the team members prefer to communicate by email instead. Whatever way your team’s communication channels, ensure that the communication is regular and informative. Discrimination

Discrimination can happen for any number of reasons within the workplace. Factors contributing to discrimination can range from gender or race to class, education or experience at the role. The most important thing when working as part of a team is to always consider your teammates as your equals, and value their opinions and needs as you would your own.

It may be the team is unwilling or unable to consider alternative ideas or approaches. There is a lack of critical thinking and debate over ideas. This often happens when the team overemphasizes team agreement and unity. Ineffective leadership can be a problem. Leaders can fail teams by not defining a compelling vision for the team, not delegating, or not representing multiple constituencies.

Analyse how different management styles may influence outcomes of team performance.

On doing the Belbin Team Roles Questionnaires it would appear the style of management I have is a mixture of the Chairman and Implementer. The implementer being conservative, dutiful, predictable. The Chairman being Calm self-confident controlled and a good chairman. I believe that when performing my role as a manager in the home that I manage. The character traits that best suit the way in which I work are: To be honest and open. To try to be inspiring. To be forward thinking and try to inspire others to do the same. To be competent in what needs to be done but at the same time understand that no one person can be good at everything. To have a good understand and intellect. To be authorative without being demanding. To be willing to take others ideas in to consideration. To be organized and consciences. To be committed.

To be enthusiastic. To have a vision. To see the bigger picture and try to get others to do the same. To give others an understanding and skills to perform their roles efficiently. To see others strength’s and encourage them to use them. To be able to make immediate decisions with a good understanding of the need to do this and why. To be professional and encourage others to be the same. To be flexible. To be able to listen to all sides. Managers need to be able to lead by example be good role models and create enthusiasm and commitment in others they need to break down barriers and build trust in their ability to lead, Instil a good understanding and build on knowledge and capabilities of others. Management is concerned with process, developing systems which relate to the organizational aims and objectives. It is then communicating those systems across the home, staff, organization. There are varied Management and leadership styles. Part of a manager’s role is to encourage others to work effectively, whichever style a person adopts they need to rationalize why they chose that way to work.

The results of the way in which they work and the style of management they use will affect the way in which the team perform. Tilmouth et al., 2011 states in well managed team’s results are produced quickly and economically where there is a free exchange of ideas and information. It may be that the role a manager performs may need to be varied leading to a need to adopt different styles at different times and with different people to facilitate the group. At times a manager may need to be more assertive to address an issue, reduce anxiety within the team this would need to be done in a positive way.

When the team starts to work well and wishes to have more involvement a good manager should be able to recognize this and take a step back becoming more of an observer and advisor. As long as the team has the tools, resources, confidence, skills and support to do the job they should flourish. Kouzes and Posners 2003, model identifies that the character traits that are generally associated with good leaders are Honest, Inspiring, Forward looking, Competent, Intelligent, Dominance, Consciousness, Enthusiastic, Sense of humour, Integrity, Courage, Visionary. That good Managers/leaders are able to generate enthusiasm and commitment in others. They lead by example, with consistent values and break down barriers which stand in the way of achievement.

Analyse methods of developing and maintaining both trust and accountability.

The difference between a good and a poor working relationship between the manager and the work force is how this is achieved a lot is to do with trust and accountability. A manager’s role is an important one they are expected to deliver a high quality of care and for this to happen they need to have a work force that can trust the leadership. They need to make sure that staff morale stays high in the care service that is constantly changing. When you are in the role of a manager there is a distance between the manager and the staff. The manager is carrying out a different role to the staff. The manager who does not take the time to build relationships with the staff and who feel that the human element is not important will not be able to gain the trust of the staff and may find it difficult to hold a person accountable for their work. In the reflective work of Terry 1993 and George 2003.

Authentic Leadership is described as the following: focuses on whether leadership is genuine. The interest in authentic leadership is: Increasing in recent times due to social upheavals People longing for trustworthy leaders Identified earlier in transformational leadership research but not studied separately Needed evidence-based research of construct.

Intrapersonal Definition:
Leadership based on self-concept and how self-concept relates to actions (Shamir & Eliam, 2005) Relies on the life-story of the leader
Followers need to affirm leader’s legitimacy
Four Authentic Leadership Characteristics:
ALs exhibit genuine leadership.
ALs lead from conviction
ALs are originals, not copies
ALs base their actions on their values
Developmental Definition:
Leadership can be nurtured, and develops over a lifetime (Avolio & Gardner, 2005) Can be triggered by major life events
Leader behavior is grounded in positive psychological qualities and strong ethics Four authentic leadership components:
Self-awareness
Internalized moral perspective
Balanced processing
Relational transparency
Interpersonal Definition:
Leadership is created by leaders and followers together (Eagly, 2005) Leaders need to obtain “buy in” from followers
Intended outcomes achieved only when followers identify with leader’s values Leaders create change when they adapt their message to followers’ values Practical Approaches to Authentic Leadership
Robert Terry (1993) Action-centered model
Leaders should strive to do what is right
Two core leadership questions:
What is really, really going on?
What are we going to do about it?
Developed Authentic Action Wheel to help leaders frame problems Locate the problem on the diagnostic wheel
Strategically select an appropriate response to the problem
Bill George (2003, 2007) Leader characteristic model
Leaders have genuine desire to serve others
Five characteristics of Authentic Leaders
Understand their purpose
Strong values
Trusting relationships
Self-discipline
Act from the heart (mission)
Theoretical Approaches to Authentic Leadership
Recent research spurred by: Leadership summit publications (2005) Social upheaval and desire for leadership that serves the common good Need to explore meaning of authentic leadership and create theoretical framework Need to define the construct of authentic leadership

Definition of Authentic Leadership
A pattern that draws upon and promotes both positive psychological capacities and a positive ethical climate, to foster greater self-awareness, an internalized moral perspective, balanced processing of information, and relational transparency on the part of leaders working with followers, fostering positive self-development.”Walumbwa, Avolio, Gardner, Wernsing & Peterson, 2008 Basic Model of Authentic Leadership

FOUR COMPONENTS:
Self-awareness
Reflecting on one’s core values, identity, emotions, motives Being aware of and trusting your own feelings
Internalized moral perspective
Self-regulatory process using internal moral standards to guide behavior Balanced processing
Ability to analyze informational objectively and explore other people’s opinions before making a decision Relational transparency
Being open and honest in presenting one’s true self to others Factors that Influence Authentic Leadership
Positive psychological capacities
Confidence Hope Optimism Resilience
Moral Reasoning Capacities
Deciding right and wrong
Promoting justice, greater good of the organization or community Factors that Influence Authentic Leadership
Critical Life Events Positive or negative
Act as a catalyst for change
People attach insights to their life experiences
When people tell life stories they gain clarity about who they are Stimulate personal growth
How does AL theory work?
AL is a complex, developmental process
The practical approaches are prescriptive:
Terry (1993)– What is truly good for the leader, follower and organization? George (2003) – 5 characteristics leaders need to be authentic Theoretical approach describes what accounts for AL:
Four attributes
Attributes developed over lifetime, often through critical events Strengths
Fulfills society’s expressed need for trustworthy leadership. Fills a void in an uncertain world. Provides broad guidelines for those who want to become authentic leaders. Both practical and theoretical approaches provide a map.
Like transformational and servant leadership, AL has an explicit moral dimension. Unlike traits that only some people exhibit; everyone can learn to be more authentic. Can be measured using an established instrument (ALQ).

Criticisms
The theory is still in the formative stages, so some concepts in the practical approaches are not fully developed or substantiated. The moral component of AL is not fully explained. It’s unclear how higher values such as justice inform authentic leadership. The rationale for including positive psychological capacities as a part of AL has not been clearly explained by researchers. The link between authentic leadership and positive organizational outcomes is unclear. It is also not clear whether AL is sufficient to achieve organizational goals Application

People have the capacity to become authentic leaders. It is a lifelong learning process. Human Resource departments may be able to foster authentic leadership behaviors in employees who move into leadership positions. Leaders are always trying to do the “right” thing, to be honest with themselves and others, and to work for the common good. Leaders are shaped by critical life events that lead to growth and greater authenticity.

A good manager is one who does not just manage a team but gets to know their team builds up relationships with the people within the team and has some understand of the people in the team. A good manager can recognize when things are not quite right and is prepared to discuss the problems helps to find a solution. Passes on experience, shares permitted information, shares the same goals. Gives explanations for why things need to be done and in which way it is acceptable, explains why something is wrong. Does not demand but asks. Is prepared to assist when things get difficult. Remembers what it was like to do the job before they were a manager. A good manager is approachable. Will give the opportunity for others to broaden their experience and learn new skills. Builds others confidence. Thanks people for the good work they have done.

Be able to support a positive culture within the team for a health and social care or children and young people’s setting

Select the key features of the positive culture within you team and explain these. O2.1 Taking over a relatively established workforce posed quite a few problems. There were numerous issues to overcome. The staff were not trained had virtually no direction and were not informed. They did not work together as a team but all worked to their own agenda. After a period of time that involved retraining, setting standards to work by, Sharing information, introducing structure, regular supervision and meetings, allocating responsibilities, setting goals, raising expectations, building confidence, sharing skills, the staff team works far more productively They will now embrace training and understand the benefits of being more informed. They share the responsibilities more equally which means they achieve the goals much quicker. They come up with their own suggestions for improvement and discuss these with others. They will organize themselves equally sharing out the responsibilities fairly. They will discuss ideas and concerns. They are not wary of asking for advice or help or support when they need it. Utilizing each other’s skills means they are more involved with each. They work more as a unit rather than as individuals creating a more positive culture.

These outcomes will be observed by your assessor who will watch you carrying out your usual work activities O2.2, O2.3, and O2.4

Be able to support a shared vision within the team for a health and social care or children and young people’s setting

Identify the factors that influence the vision and strategic direction of the team and evaluate how this influences team practice. O3.1, O3.4

The factors that influence the vision and direction care works in the team are those imposed by legal and professional groups and changes which come about as a result of research and new development. The Department of Health provides guidance for health care and shapes the delivery of adult social care services through leadership and policy. Local councils and social services have a responsibility to commission services that meet the needs of their local population. The whole process shapes the delivery of care services and a managers and the team’s practise is directly influenced by theses. There are seven common principles to support self-care these specifically highlight the need for leaders and managers to have a clear vision and be committed to making a positive difference. Implementing the principles is a challenge for workers at all levels. It is important, therefore, that the principles are used and embedded in service delivery, appraisal, supervision and development planning. All of the principles apply to everyone working in health and social care; they should be taken and implemented as a whole. The principles

Principle One – Ensure individuals are able to make informed choices to manage their self-care needs Context: The worker’s practice is informed by the principles of respect, dignity, choice and independence for individuals. It encourages and supports individuals to make decisions based on the experience of their needs and enhanced by appropriate professional support and guidance. Practice is based on a shift of values from professionals knowing best to them supporting and empowering individuals to be in control of their needs. Principle Two – Communicate effectively to enable individuals to assess their needs, and develop and gain confidence to self-care Context: The worker uses communication and relationship skills which encourage and support individuals to work with professionals to identify strengths and abilities, as well as areas for development, and to find solutions together building on existing skills.

Principle Three – Support and enable individuals to access appropriate information to manage their self-care needs Context: The worker encourages and supports individuals in accessing appropriate information, and where possible provides the relevant and evidence based information in an appropriate manner, providing sufficient choice/options. Principle Four– Support and enable individuals to develop skills in self-care Context: The worker facilitates access to appropriate training and self-care skills development within or outside their organisation in order to develop and support individuals’ confidence and competence to self-care. The worker also delivers support to individuals in developing self-care/self-management skills. Principle Five – Support and enable individuals to use technology to support self-care Context: The worker ensures appropriate equipment and devices are discussed and when appropriate puts individuals in touch with the relevant agency from where they can procure the item(s), and where possible provides the relevant tools and devices.

The worker also engages with individuals to support and enable the use of technology. Principle Six– Advise individuals how to access support networks and participate in the planning, development and evaluation of services Context: The worker advises individuals about participation in support networks both to receive from and give support to others. The worker promotes and encourages involvement of individuals in the planning, development and evaluation of services they receive, and supports them to organise care packages to meet their self-care needs. Principle Seven – Support and enable risk management and risk taking to maximise Independence and choice

Context: The worker encourages and supports individuals to make choices about how to live their lives and manage any identified risks. The worker promotes choice and independence while supporting individuals to manage risks proportionately and realistically.

These outcomes will be observed by your assessor who will watch you carrying out your usual work activities

Be able to develop a plan with team members to meet agreed objectives for a health and social care or children and young people’s setting

Pick out what you regard as the key features of your teams objectives and analyse how the skills, interests, knowledge and expertise within the team can meet agreed objectives.

One of the factors that contribute to the success of the team is the incentives and rewards offered in developing team cohesion. The team is given the opportunity to choose future projects and make certain decisions based on their ability to achieve success, more emphasis and importance on team interaction can then be seen. The team members that are task oriented react very responsively to opportunities or incentives that will give them more initiative or influence on future decisions. Simple incentive programs that are relevant to the overall team’s goals and objectives have created a more focused approach to how the team members interact and respect each of their individual duties. Whether or not each of the team members have an equal position in the physical process at hand, each member feels a sense of placement and share of the team when recognition is given to the team as a whole.

One of the greatest effects of the team incentives that have provided evidence of the formation of long term team cohesion is the development of organization standards. As more and more incentives are implemented that are in line with the individual teams objectives, there is an increase of reward and visibility within the organization as a whole. This has created an atmosphere of creativity and success which over time has developed into what is understood as organizational or team standards. The team have access to an extensive pool of knowledge – whether this is their understanding of clients’ needs or the skills and experience of staff. The way in which this knowledge is shared amongst the team is central to its ability to develop successfully. Knowledge management can benefit everyone. Useful and important knowledge that already exists in the team can be found in: the experience and skills of the employees the files and documents (whether held digitally, on paper or both) the plans for future activities, such as ideas for new activities or services The employees have skills and experience that is used as an asset.

Having staff that are knowledgeable is invaluable. A Manager should make sure that their employees’ knowledge and skills are passed on to their colleagues and successors wherever possible, e.g. through brainstorming sessions, training courses team meetings and documentation. The understanding of what clients want, combined with the employees’ know-how, is regarded as the knowledge base. Using this knowledge in the right way can help the team work more effectively and exploit different opportunities to the full. The challenge is harnessing this knowledge in a productive way. Within the team there is a wide variety of skills to share. There are some employees wishing to learn new skills some of which they can learn from each other alternatively training can be resourced externally. Employees can also learn by the involvement of other professionals as well as setting objects by which to work towards..

These outcomes will be observed by your assessor who will watch you carrying out your usual work activities O4.3, O4.4, and O4.5

Be able to support individual team members to work towards agreed objectives in a health and social care or children and young people’s setting

These outcomes will be observed by your assessor who will watch you carrying out your usual work activities: O5.1, O5.2, O5.3, O5.4

Be able to manage team performance in a health and social care or children and young people’s setting

Explain how team members are managed when performance does not meet requirements. O6.4 When it has become apparent that a team member is underperforming this would initially be discussed with the person’s line manager to ascertain if or how this may have already been addressed. As on some occasions it may be a problem that can be rectified by having a private word with the person. They may just need some extra encouragement or assistance with a problem they may be having. Once this approach has already been attempted, but the person is still continuing to underperform. They would be invited to have supervision; this would be arranged for a suitable time for all concerned also allowing enough time to discuss the matter. They would be given the request to attend the supervision meeting in writing this would also give an indication of what the subject matter that was going to be discussed.

On the occasion of having to do such supervision it was started with a general conversation regarding how well they thought they were doing and why. If they had any concerns they wished to bring up, at this point they did have some concerns that they did wish to discuss around a difficulty they were having working with a certain client and being able to understand to them. They did say this had been worrying them as it was making them feel like they were not doing their job properly. It was then explained that this had been noticed by their line manager and this was one of the reasons for requesting a supervision as their line manager had expressed concerns regarding their performance. The concern they raised was discussed in full it was explained to them that although they were having a problem they should not let this effect the rest of their performance, It was explained to them that they would be put on further training to help them to overcome this problem and to give them a greater understanding.

It was also explained to them that it had been felt that they may benefit from shadowing one of the more experienced members of the team for a short period of time who work well with this person so that they can see the approach this person uses. Team members that are underperforming can be helped to improve their performance through mentoring. This has been used on occasions when it has become apparent they are lacking in understanding and knowledge. Introducing performance supervisions that are more frequent than the standard supervision is also another tool that is used to increase performance. Along with further training.

These outcomes will be observed by your assessor who will watch you carrying out your usual work activities O6.1, O6.2, O6.3,

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