NHS Dumfries & Galloway

Respect Toolkit

The introduction of a Code of positive behaviour known as ‘RESPECT’ has been a major success for NHS Dumfries & Galloway. Close staff involvement in its development has meant that not only has it been well communicated and well received, it has generated a powerful sense of ownership. The Code details the positive core behaviours that are expected which, combined with a team discussion pack based on its principles, has resulted in staff feeling secure and valued in their roles and treated as equals regardless of their position.

The development of the Code was led by the Director of HR and Workforce Strategy, Caroline Sharp, in partnership with a team of representatives from both the Area Partnership Forum (APF) and the Area Clinical Forum (ACF).

Core data on ‘what does respect look like?’ was gathered during a series of participative workshops involving approximately 200 staff members from across the organisation. Individual ideas were grouped to establish central themes, each of which was reviewed by the partnership group. The essence of the Code grew from this, and now details the behaviours expected under 7 core headings: Responsibility, Equality and diversity, Supportive and understanding, Positive feedback, Effective teams, Communication and zero Tolerance – in short, ‘RESPECT’.

Emphasising the absolute commitment to the Code’s standards, a short introduction to the Code was signed off by the Chief Executive and the Employee Director and Chair of the ACF. Finally, a cartoonist created a series of memorable images, adding vital impact to the key positive messages. The completed Code was then produced as a hard copy, jargon-free booklet and distributed to staff.

In turn the Code informed a Team Discussion Pack. Here, the discussion themes were tied to the behaviours in the Code, linked to core dimensions of the Knowledge and Skills Framework (KSF) and can serve as evidence for achievement of KSF dimensions. In testing it scored extremely well.

The result is a uniquely designed toolkit with exceptional functional advantages. As an A4 flip book it is easy to use in small teams where formal training space or equipment is limited. Being modular in design, it can be used either in a series of discrete discussion and action-planning sessions, or for longer integrated development discussions.

The Code forms part of induction and is well communicated to staff. Line managers use it to work with teams to embed positive behaviours, ensuring that teams and individuals live up to the code. It has proved to have a significant effect in boosting morale.

The ‘RESPECT’ initiative works. For others launching a similar initiative, it would be advisable to make specific references to KSF elements in the code itself, not just in the toolkit that follows. Additionally, leadership is critical to the success of the project. It is vital that leaders are seen to ‘walk the talk’.