Action Planning within & across organisations
This chapter explores how action plans can be used by teams within an organisation and across multiple organisations to support effective supervision.
The chapter will demonstrate how action plans can help identify and monitor areas for improvement, using reflective exercises and progress milestones to evaluate and measure team progress. The chapter is also useful for helping teams think about areas for improvement identified by internal or wider compliance processes that support teams, such as CQC.
Learning outcomes:
The value of organisational and multi-organisational action planning for teams.
How action plans help identify areas for improvement and development within teams.
How action plan templates support practices and PCN maturity in effective supervision, and areas supporting CQC compliance.
Chapter resources:
The following resources are available to share with your practice team or to support you to work through the workshop learning:
A narrated slide deck on the chapter is available to watch or download, so you and your team can work through it at your own pace.
Workbooks with space to complete exercises and note your reflections on key concepts and reinforce learning; one in PowerPoint format to add your own responses, and one on PDF format which can be printed.
Additional resources
Supervision ready checklist
These resources can support practices to develop action plans across practices and organizations by identifying areas to develop to strengthen supervision across teams.
The checklist can be used to understand priorities and areas to improve, to help answer the question is your practice or organisation supervision ready?
The action plan template supports supervisors and practices to improve the quality and consistency of clinical supervision, to help your practice to prepare evidence for CQC inspections under the 'Well-Led' and 'Safe' domains.
Guide for supervision planning across organisations
This document was developed by Islington South PCN as a framework to manage the supervision of different roles across practices/organisations. The resource includes an example of how the guide can be completed and a blank template.
Case studies
NCL practices have provided feedback on how changes made relating to themes in this chapter have had a positive impact on supervision and multi-professional teamwork:
What needed to change (what needed improvement)? | What changes were made? Who led and supported change? | What were the results? How has this improved daily work at the practice / within the team? |
Challenge of managing supervision of 20 pharmacists and technicians working across 7 practices. | The PCN team worked to introduce and refine their current supervision model; junior pharmacists now receive a minimum of 30-minute weekly supervision, with 1-hour weekly supervision for new pharmacists. All pharmacists of any seniority or experience have access to a GP supervisor. | Weekly supervision has allowed for more opportunities to discuss clinical concerns, operational issues and share learning opportunities for discussion about patient cases. It has had a positive impact for professional learning and development, enhancing scope of practice, and reducing onward referrals. Team members have used GP supervision to help grow specialist skills and knowledge. |
PCN identified issues around employing different ARRS roles across practices; namely varied/unfamiliar accreditation pathways/training needs, and lack of documented oversight of an individuals’ supervision. | The PCN team created a Supervision Plan Document, to be completed by each of the PCN-employed ARRS clinicians, with the support of their professional supervisors. The document allows clinicians to note their current set up for each type of supervision (clinical, educational and professional) and their plans for annual reviews. Workforce leads support clinicians to complete the document, and professional supervisors then work through and record issues raised with by the clinician. | Supervisors have a better understanding of NHSE supervision requirements according to job role and experience. ARRS roles employers and individual practices can check that appropriate supervision is being provided, with documentation available for CQC and other regulation purposes. Clinicians have welcomed the framework to raise concerns and document conversations to change things. |