Teamwork and communication cards

T1. Working together

Working collectively and collaboratively as a team is essential for everything we do, including safety. Confidence and trust in colleagues are an important part of teamwork. Sometimes, you might feel that you are losing (or have lost) confidence in a colleague.

T1-a How well does your team work together?	T1-b What are you doing well, and what could you improve?
T1-c Do you have confidence in the people that you interact with?	T1-d If you have lost confidence in a colleague(s), how would you address this?

Reflection form

T2. Sharing information critical for safety

Safe care involves working across boundaries, for example, with different parts of the organisation, across different organisations or between different teams (e.g. shift handovers). Most people think of communication as verbal, but it is done in many ways in health and social care, for example through IT systems, handovers, letters, notices, information leaflets, posters etc. Open sharing of information critical for safety is vital to highlight risks and good practices so that others can learn and act.

T2-a How well does your team work with other teams?	T2-b How does your team interact with other teams?
T2-c How well do you, your team and your organisation share information critical for safety?	T2-d What can you do to better open the lines of communication?

Reflection form

T3. Talking about systems

Knowledge of the status of equipment and work procedures (e.g. policies, guidelines, protocols, checklists) is critical for safe care.

T3-a

How do frontline staff consult with relevant others to maintain equipment and work procedures so that quality and safety of care is not negatively affected?

T3-b

How do staff share information about system problems with colleagues (and vice versa) in order to keep systems working properly?

Reflection form

T4. Onwards and upwards

A good safety culture needs open and effective communication between different levels of the organisation and with external stakeholders. This is important in ensuring everyone is aware of problems and so that multiple perspectives are considered when designing and implementing changes.

T4-a How well do staff at different levels of your organisation communicate about safety?	T4-b How would you like vertical communication about safety to be shared?	T4-c How well does your team communicate with other relevant teams and organisations?
T4-d How can we improve our communication with external stakeholders?	T4-e Do you know the future plans for the development of the services you provide, however major or minor?	T4-f How would you like to be informed about future plans?

Reflection form

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