We support the fair and effective management and resolution of concerns about practitioner behaviour, which account for some 60 per cent of cases that are dealt with by the Practitioner Performance Advice service. We can offer support to healthcare organisations on behavioural concerns across the whole range of our services, including the provision of advice, behavioural assessment, assisted mediation, team reviews and professional support and remediation.
Advice
The advice we offer focuses on:
- the fair and effective application of the healthcare organisation’s own local performance management and associated procedures;
- good practice in relation to local case management and investigation;
- helping to identify and consider options available to the healthcare organisation to address and resolve concerns raised about an individual’s practice; and
- signposting available avenues of professional support and other resources.
Behavioural assessment
Where the concerns about an individual practitioner primarily focus on their behaviours and relationships with colleagues, and where there is not misconduct requiring the use of disciplinary procedures, we may offer to undertake an assessment of the practitioner’s behaviours.
The purpose of this assessment is to:
- Provide an independent view on the behavioural characteristics of the practitioner, including any areas which require consideration.
- Provide information to assist the referring organisation in decisions about the next steps in their management of the case.
The assessment includes:
- The practitioner completing two online psychometric questionnaires (the Revised NEO Personality Inventory and the Hogan Development Survey).
- The practitioner attending an all-day appointment with a behavioural assessor (an occupational psychologist).
We then provide the practitioner and employing/contracting organisation with a report that brings together the assessment findings and conclusions.
Assisted mediation
Assisted mediation can support the resolution of often complex and deep-rooted relationship difficulties between healthcare professionals. It is an independent, voluntary and confidential process in which two accredited mediators work with the parties concerned to create a mutual understanding of the issues and to find a way forward that enables a more effective professional working relationship. The aim of mediation is to enable a more professional working relationship between both parties, which leads to a positive impact on the immediate team and ultimately better patient care.
Team reviews
Where concerns relate to the functioning of a clinical team, we can undertake a team review to identify any barriers to resolving the issues which have been highlighted and to suggest a plan for improving professional relationships within the team.
The circumstances in which we carry out a team review usually involve the following: issues of concern are usually longstanding, complex and deeply rooted; and the situation would benefit significantly from a fair and impartial view to clarify and communicate the net effects of the difficulties, as well as an exploration of the broader organisational context to the issues.
Professional support and remediation
We draft action plans for doctors, dentists and pharmacists who have been identified by their healthcare organisation as needing support to deliver sustained, safe and effective practice.
A remediation action plan can be requested where there is clear evidence identifying performance or behavioural concerns, such as a report from one of our assessments or another type of investigation. The focus of a remediation plan may be on knowledge, skills or behaviours, or a combination of these.
For more information about any of these services please visit our Practitioner Performance Advice service pages or call our advice line on 020 7811 2600 or email us at: advice@resolution.nhs.uk
