Cheryl and Anika, working under the banner of Cheryl Lee Associates and Invigor8 Health, were brought on board at Whipp’s Cross to support the leadership team, as well as individual teams with particular concerns, including the Eye Treatment Centre. The following case study gives an overview of the work done.

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In 2016 the Central Barts Health OD team proposed an interventions outline for the Whipps Cross Hospital Eye Treatement Centre. The aim of this OD programme was to support the leadership team and front line staff to work together to create a team culture where everyone feels safe and respected for the contribution they make to the service of patients.

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Whipp’s Cross has experienced a lot of change over the past years, including large scale restructures and changes in leadership. At the Eye Treatment Centre this has meant communications have broken down in some teams. Staff here needed the space to be heard and understood and then a solution needed to be found to create a better place to work for the team, including open channels of communication, mutual respect and support and assertiveness. Overall, there was also a need to engage all staff and collectively agree a Staff Charter.

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WHAT WE DID

• Regular weekly sessions with team to understand their frustrations and fears and give them the tools to deal better with difficult situations, as well as explore solutions to improve the working environment at the ETC

• Regular weekly catch up meetings with the Matron and Lead Clinician to coach them, understand their concerns, keep them in the loop on progress and any dynamics happening ‘on the ground’

• Regular meetings with ADoN and General Manager to understand their concerns and keep them in the loop as well as with the Clinical Director, Medical Director and Head of Nursing

• Monthly OD Steering group meeting with key stakeholders and the head of OD to share risks, lessons learnt and progress

• Listening into Action Event (LiA) event for all staff at the ETC to create a Staff Charter together

• Pulse Check survey for the whole ETC to gauge the ‘starting point’; as well as a follow up survey after the LiA event

• Individual team sessions on Frustrations, as preparation for the LiA conversation

• Work with the whole ETC to collectively establish the behaviours and values they want to live by as a team

• Training on Resilience, Communications and Leadership styles for key teams

 

THE JOURNEY

Since we first started work with the ETC in June 2016, there is a marked difference in the team’s positivity and approach to tackling issues in the department. The team has gone from being angry, resigned and bitter to thinking outside the box, interested in developing themselves and being part of solving the frustrations they have. On-going conversations with both the ADoN, Matron and Clinical Lead have also supported a better working relationship more generally. There is still work to be done with the remaining teams in the ETC, but this work is underway and the teams are starting to demonstrate the behaviours and values they have committed to on a day to day basis. This improvement and shift in mood can clearly be felt on the ground.

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