Using experience to provide expertise: Introducing Compassionate Conversations

The challenges we’ve all faced in recent years have shown us that ‘how’ we respond to concerns about a practitioner’s performance matter just as much as the ‘what’ we do about them.

Drawing on our knowledge and 20 plus years’ experience of working to support the fair and timely resolution of concerns, the Compassionate Conversations programme supports practitioners to develop the skills and confidence to have open, honest and direct conversations about performance.

Written by Professor Deborah Bowman the free programme is innovative, evidence-based and explores three core questions;

What are compassionate conversations?
Why do they matter?
How do we have compassionate conversations?

The half day interactive workshop, supported by 3 hours of pre-work and a degree of post workshop reflection, engages with difficult subjects, including those associated with inequality, harassment and bullying.

Following the programme, participants will be able to:

Explain the significance of a compassionate conversation;
Demonstrate the knowledge and skills to plan, lead and participate in a compassionate conversation;
Integrate the learning into their own life and practice;
Model a values-based approach to communication, and
Disseminate the learning within their own workplace.

Getting it right. The Pilot Programme:

As with any new programme we want to make sure our product fully meets our clients’ expectations, has impact and is scalable.

The Compassionate Conversations programme is currently being tested in the North West with the following organisations:

NHS England North West
East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust
Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust
St Helens and Knowsley Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust

All participating organisations are already engaged in work aligned with the ethos of the Compassionate Conversations programme and have committed to further embedding the work.

The learning is delivered in stages, providing opportunity for individual delegates and organisations to build and apply the learning to their own unique body of knowledge and context as the programme progresses.

Pre-workshop workbook – Self-directed reading (approx. 3 hrs) and reflection to introduce the themes and wider resources
Half day online introductory workshop – Maximum 12 delegates in a supported learning environment where shared observations and experiences are nurtured
Pre-workshop reflections and observations exercise – For delegates who go on to undertake the Train the Trainer programme
Full day face to face Train the Trainer workshop – An opportunity for a comprehensive exploration of the themes already introduced in the earlier stages

Our learning and next steps:

A detailed evaluation process forms a critical component of the pilot programme. Early feedback is very positive and will shape plan onward planning.

The resources and expertise provided for this workshop is of immense value to anyone who is in a leadership role.
Suzanne Gawne, Deputy Medical Director East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust

I would highly recommend this trainer workshop for all organisations committed to nurturing and growing compassion through empowered compassionate conversations in challenging situations one faces within professional standards and beyond.
Uma Krishnamoorthy, Deputy Medical Director, NHSE, NW Region. Associate Medical Director & Consultant Gynaecologist

How to get involved:

To find out more about the programme and to register interest the next stage of the Compassionate Conversations roll-out, please contact the Practitioner Performance Advice Education Team via email at nhsr.adviceeducation@nhs.net or call 020 7811 2700.

Further information about the work of Practitioner Performance Advice can be found in our regular Insights Publications.

Advice Education offer a programme of learning through online, in-house and public events.

Programmes include.