Staff management Creating a culture of psychological


safety, where people feel that they can talk openly and honestly with their manager and their colleagues, is key to ensuring mental health issues do not go unrecognized. Employees need to trust that when problems arise, they will be treated with understanding and compassion and will be supported rather than called out. Managers also need to have their


antennae finely tuned for the red flags that may indicate all is not well. Has someone who is normally very sociable and chatty, for example, become quiet and withdrawn? Is a usually organized and in control care worker appearing to struggle with the need to think on the spot or deal calmy with the day-to-day challenges that inevitably arise? Are there complaints from relatives


that someone has been unnecessarily snappy with them on the phone? Is a normally reliable employee regularly turning up late looking tired and disheveled? If managers know how to recognize


the signs of someone who is finding it difficult to cope, they will be able to act early to offer support, adjust working patterns or roles if needed and signpost the individual for professional support.


Dealing with conflict One of the side effects of mental health issues is that they can lead to increased levels at conflict between colleagues at work. Someone who is normally calm and rational can overreact, with the result that minor issues can soon escalate into major meltdowns. At TCM, we are finding that mental health is a factor in an increasing number of the mediations coming through our doors. There is a tendency to think that if you


Early signs of mental ill health


l Inability to concentrate. l Over sensitivity or tearfulness. l Difficulty making decisions. l Low mood. l Tiredness and lack of energy. l Unusual lack of interest in appearance.


l Becoming quiet and withdrawn. l Difficulty controlling emotions. l Becoming unusually combative or aggressive.


l Quick to temper. l Fall-outs with colleagues over minor issues.


brush conflict under the carpet, it will go away. Sadly, ignoring the issue generally makes it worse. Bad feeling bubbles away under the surface, a tense atmosphere takes hold, people take their eye off the job and even those who are not personally involved start to feel uncomfortable or upset. Trying to work around the situation is


not a solution either. At a time when Covid-related risks mean movement of care home staff between sites is discouraged, it is not possible to separate warring parties. Managers need to take a proactive approach, spotting the signs of conflict early so they can nip it in the bud, and facilitating constructive dialogue between their people.


The conflict lifecycle There are typically three stages to conflict. The below explains how to recognize them and how to react at each stage. The pre-conflict phase. This is when


some of the early signs that people are on the verge of a fall-out with their colleagues or manager start to emerge. Maybe they are turning up late to handover meetings or training, are not as engaged with the residents as they previously have been, are less co- operative than normal and present in body but not in spirit. It is becoming apparent that something is not right. At this stage, managers need to be


curious about what is going on and engage in conversations with their people. It is about taking the time to enquire, listen, and really hear what employees are saying. This can be difficult when managers


are busy and under pressure themselves, but showing empathy and working together with staff to find creative solutions to whatever is going on can help to restore good working relationships and stop conflict in its tracks. The conflict phase. This is when issues


that have been niggling under the surface have gone unnoticed and have boiled over into quarrels and disputes. You may start to see snide comments, complaints or opposing ‘camps’ forming around


February 2021 • www.thecarehomeenvironment.com 37


colleagues. There may even be very public, stand-up rows. At this stage, managers need to


intervene and try and facilitate a conversation between the people concerned. It is about creating a quiet, safe space where people can come together to share their thoughts and concerns. The key to facilitating a conversation


successfully is to establish some clear ground rules around being respectful, listening to each other and not discussing anything that is said outside of the meeting. Once both parties have agreed to this, the best approach is to let one person speak while the other listens, and vice versa, so that both employees feel they have had the chance to speak and be heard. The manager’s role is then to surely but


slowly move the conversation from the past to the present and the future. It is also to help people start thinking about what needs to change so they can resolve the situation and get back on track. The aftermath. This phase provides the


opportunity for managers to think about what has happened, what they can learn from it, and how they might better manage conflict in their team going forward. The manager’s role is to be calm,


compassionate and caring and to help the team draw a line in the sand, forgive and forget and move forward. If managers can role model caring, compassionate behaviour and create a culture where people know they will be treated fairly and equitably, it will help to develop supportive, cohesive teams.


Seeking external help If managers do find they have reached a stalemate and are unable to sort out conflict collaboratively, calling in the help of an expert, external mediator may be a solution. Mediation is a powerful, collaborative process, which if conducted well, can help to sort out even the most seemingly intractable of disputes. A mediator offers neutral and impartial


support to both parties, helping them to resolve issues and agree to new ways of working which will avoid future hostility or confrontation. It is a low cost and proven alternative to lengthy and costly formal processes, and has been shown to work in over 90 per cent of cases.


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50