“Clinical Supervision provides nurses with space to reflect on and discuss aspects of their role that are motivating and inspiring them, and also those elements that are frustrating or concerning them. Nurses and their supervisors can then jointly work through how the former can be promoted and the latter addressed” (Scottish Government, 2017).
NHS Education for Scotland short animation giving an overview of clinical supervision
What is restorative clinical supervision?
The restorative model of clinical supervision is recognised as an approach to support reflective practice that can help build practitioners’ resilience by focusing on the individual’s (supervisee’s) experience, aiming to sustain their wellbeing and their motivation at work.
This is achieved through guided reflection, exploratory questioning and supportive challenge, enabling a focus on action planning and goal setting. Restorative clinical supervision offers practitioners the opportunity to regularly discuss the positive aspects of their work which is as important as exploring those issues they find more challenging (NHS Education for Scotland, 2021).
Why is restorative clinical supervision important?
Restorative clinical supervision is considered essential to support the nursing and midwifery workforce with the emotional challenges of their role, develop their reflective capabilities, and enable them to address professional challenges in new and innovative ways, thus contributing towards a healthy workplace culture (NHS Education for Scotland, 2022).
Why is clinical supervision important?
NHS Scotland is committed to enabling the nursing and midwifery workforce access to regular clinical supervision and support. This includes non-registered staff such as health and care support workers.
This commitment is required to ensure that safe, effective and high-quality person-centred care is provided to patients and support families and carers. In line with the Chief Nursing Officer for Scotland’s vision (Scottish Government, 2017), the aspiration is for all nurses and midwives to participate in clinical supervision appropriate to their role by 2030.
We recommend that all practitioners preparing to participate in restorative clinical supervision as supervisees, undertake Clinical supervision unit 1: fundamentals of supervision. Unit 1 is designed to provide you with an introduction to clinical supervision; what it is, the purpose, processes and potential benefits.
How do I become a clinical supervisor?
One of the ways in which to develop the skills to become a clinical supervisor is to participate in the Clinical Supervisor Preparation Programme. This programme is managed and facilitated by the practice education team in collaboration with the NHS Education for Scotland (NES) Nursing and Midwifery Practice Educators.
The programme will offer you an opportunity to participate in a programme using a blended learning approach which builds on the theoretical foundation provided by the self-directed online learning units. Completion of the units is undertaken in conjunction with the online skills development workshops. The programme will also provide you with an opportunity to practice and develop the knowledge and skills for the role of clinical supervisor.
What is the programme structure?
Participants are asked to engage with and complete the four self-directed online learning units (approx. 6hrs). They can be accessed on TURAS Learn and are part of the NES Clinical supervision resource. You will then be offered five facilitated skills development workshops accessed using MS Teams (approx.11hrs) or two in person study days held centrally within the board area.
How do I apply for the clinical supervisor preparation programme?
The enrolment process is managed and facilitated by the PE team. There is a current timetable for this year and the programme runs on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Participants are requested to choose a cohort when booking for example, all Tuesdays or all Wednesdays. The enrolment form has a list of all the cohort dates and times you should complete this with your preferred dates.
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde takes a zero tolerance approach to sexual harassment in all its forms. It is important that any staff member who has experienced or is experiencing sexual harassment, feels able to come forward, report it and access the support that is right for them. For anyone who has experienced or witnessed sexual assault, this can include reporting the incident to Police Scotland
To ensure all our staff are aware of the support that is available to them, and the options open to them to report or raise concerns about sexual harassment, we are rolling out our Cut It Out programme throughout 2024 to:
Demonstrate zero tolerance for sexual harassment and other forms of harassment, across NHSGGC.
Build the trust, confidence and knowledge of staff when raising concerns, so they know they will be dealt with appropriately
Ensure managers are equipped to deal with issues that are raised
Let all staff know what is and is not appropriate in the workplace.
Put in place the right support for people who experience sexual harassment.
If you believe you or one of your colleagues has experienced sexual harassment or any other form of harassment, please contact our Bullying and Harassment confidential helpline on 0141 201 8545 or the HR Support & Advice Unit.
You can also seek support and counselling via Occupational Health, or through the range of support shown in the Resources section at the bottom of this webpage. This includes specific support for any individual who has experienced sexual assault.
What is harassment?
Harassment is unwanted conduct relating to a relevant protected characteristic (age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation, marriage and civil partnership or pregnancy and maternity), which has the purpose or effect of violating an individual’s dignity or creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment for that individual. It may also relate to other personal characteristics such as trans identities including non-binary, as well as weight or social status.
Examples of Sexual Harassmentas outlined in the NHSScotland Bullying and Harassment Policy:
Indecent exposure
Sexual assault
Unwelcome sexual advances, propositions or pressure for sexual activity, continued suggestions for social activity within or outside the workplace after it has been made clear that such suggestions are unwelcome
Suggestions that sexual favours may further a colleague’s career or refusal may hinder it, for example, promotions, salary increases etc.
Leering, whistling or making sexually suggestive comments or gestures, innuendoes or lewd comments
Examples of Harassment as outlined in the NHSScotland Bullying and Harassment Policy:
Offensive jokes, banter and comments
Ostracising or “freezing out”, ignoring and staring
Patronising comments and remarks
Mimicking
Use of derogatory terms
Inappropriate personal questions or comments
Belittling or patronising comments or nicknames
Assault or other non-accidental physical contact, including disability aids
The display, sending or sharing of offensive letters, publications, objects, images or sounds
Graffiti
Offensive comments about appearance or clothing
Deliberate and consistent behaviours which demonstrate a non-acceptance of aspects relating to protected or personal characteristics, for example, failure to use requested gender pronoun for a transitioning individual
Our Bullying and Harassment policy has both an informal and a formal process
The informal process is focussed on early resolution. This recognises that the best way to resolve an issue at the earliest opportunity is by ensuring the other party is aware of the impact of their behaviour.
If early resolution is unsuccessful or the bullying or harassing behaviour is significant or persistent in nature, the employee or manager may initiate the formal process.
The information below sets out what you need to know about our informal and formal process.
Informal process(Early resolution)
Speaking to the other party directly – the complainant approaches the other party to tell them that they find their behaviour offensive, why this is the case, and to ask them to stop.
Writing to the other party – the complainant writes to the other party to tell them that they find their behaviour offensive, why this is the case, and to ask them to stop.
Supported approach – if the complainant finds speaking to the other party too difficult, but still wishes to seek early resolution, they can ask a manager to relay their concerns to the individual.
Supported conversation – if the individuals involved agree that early resolution is possible this can be supported through an informal discussion. Such meetings can be offered by a third party, e.g. a manager or HR representative, and involve supporting the employees to have a face to face conversation to start rebuilding relationships. During this process employees can be supported by their Trade Union representative or a work colleague. A record of the agreed outcomes will be provided by the third party to all participants.
Mediation – the manager may suggest this to the parties involved to actively support early resolution. Mediation is voluntary and has a clear structure. It offers a safe and constructive approach to enable the parties to problem solve and develop a realistic agreement that meets all their needs. The trained mediators are impartial and they do not take sides or offer solutions but promote and support good conversation. What is said in mediation is confidential and cannot be disclosed or used in any subsequent procedure.
Formal process/procedure
If early resolution is unsuccessful or the bullying or harassing behaviour is significant or persistent in nature, the employee or manager may initiate the formal procedure.
In such cases the manager will assess any risk to determine what supports can be put in place to allow the employees to continue working together during this period e.g. alternate shift patterns. Where this is inappropriate, the employee alleged to have demonstrated the bullying and/or harassing behaviours will be moved to an alternate placement unless the complainant requests a move, or there is a legitimate service need which dictates that the other employee cannot be moved.
To initiate the formal procedure the employee should write to their manager or where this is not possible, or appropriate, to the next level of management. The communication should detail the employee(s) alleged to be demonstrating these behaviours and the nature of these. The employee may access a confidential contact or HR for advice, or a trade union representative for support and assistance.
If the employee has chosen to go straight to the formal stage of the procedure, a manager will discuss with the employee why they think early resolution is not appropriate and will offer every support to allow early resolution to take place.
The manager who receives the complaint must acknowledge the complaint in writing within 7 calendar days, using the Standard acknowledgement letter template. The letter outlines the process for either revisiting the possibility of early resolution or the process of investigation to be undertaken in line with the NHSScotland Workforce Policies Investigation Process.
‘Active Bystander’ is an innovative and award-winning training session which provides skills to challenge unacceptable behaviours, including those which may have become normalised over time. Places can be booked for these 75 minute sessions in 2024/25 via the links below. Places are limited, so it’s important that if you can no longer attend, you contact us at ggc.staffexperience@ggc.scot.nhs.uk so that your place can be offered to a colleague.
The impact of sexual harassment or sexual assault can impact individuals differently. It can present physical, psychological and professional difficulties. Many victim-survivors disclose mental health challenges such as anxiety and shame, alongside diminished confidence in the workplace or avoidance of specific work scenarios. Individuals can and do recover but it is important that we acknowledge the individuality of this, and the sources of support needed for this. We encourage employees to use the NHSGGC support service listed above, including contacting the police for any incidents of sexual assault, but acknowledge that additional sources of support may be necessary:
Rape Crisis Scotland – Helpline for anyone over 13 who has experienced sexual violence, no matter when or how it happened. Sexual harassment, whether at work or elsewhere, is a form of sexual violence. Helpline: 08088 010302
Self-reflection tool for employees to help reflect on behaviours they are experiencing in the workplace, and to help you determine whether what they are experiencing is harassment: Am I being harassed at work reflection tool
All instructions and risk assessments for testing in patients with suspected or positive COVID-19 are listed below. This page will hold the most up to date version.
Please contact the relevant laboratory discipline in your sector if you are considering introducing a new POCT service in your area. Staff will be happy to talk you through the process and direct you to the paperwork required prior to approval and introduction of any service. As a first step we would encourage you to read the POCT policy and POCT checklist.
No new POCT service will be introduced or supported by the committee unless the POCT checklist is completed and signed off.
Internal quality control (IQC) involves analysis of control material of known concentration within predefined limits. This ensures the quality of the results produced prior to reporting any patient results from the POCT device
What is External Quality Assurance?
External Quality Assurance (EQA) involves analysis of a sample of unknown value from an external, independent source. The results are scrutinised by the EQA scheme provider and allow comparison of results across multiple sites. Participation in EQA allows monitoring of performance and possible early detection of a systematic problem with analysis of patient samples.
Any site wishing to introduce a new POCT service must enrol in a recognised EQA scheme.
Audit
The POCT team will perform audit of the service and provide feedback to the service lead. The audit outcomes and any corrective and preventative action are documented in the laboratory quality management system.
The NHSGGC Point of Care Testing (POCT) committee meets bi-annually with the aim of policy-making and review of sector POCT groups. The committee also includes Primary Care representation with the aim of guiding appropriate POCT governance in the community. The POCT Co-ordinators management group meets quarterly, with multidisciplinary representation and includes user representation where appropriate. The group focus on implementation and monitoring of POCT activity within each sector.
If you use POCT in your clinical area you must ensure your device is registered with the NHSGGC POCT committee.
What is Point of Care Testing (POCT) Testing?
Point of Care testing is defined as ‘Diagnostic testing that is performed near to or at the site of patient care with the result leading to a possible change in the care of the patient.*’ This normally takes place in a non-laboratory setting by appropriately trained non-laboratory staff.
ISO 227870: 2016 Point of Care Testing (POCT) – Requirements for Quality and Competence.
Potential Advantages of POCT
Rapid turnaround of results
Reduced patient waiting times
Earlier impact on clinical decision making
Financial efficiencies
Less invasive
Smaller sample volumes
Accessibility
Ability to reach remote places
Improved healthcare access
Potential Disadvantages of POCT
Expensive compared to conventional laboratory testing
Cost of consumables, IQC, EQA
Staff resource required at source of testing
Sample quality
Higher rate of pre-analytical errors are associated with POCT due to poor sample quality
Staff Training, competence and documentation
Appropriate training and continued competency checks required to ensure accurate results
POCT may need to be manually entered into patient record which is potentially problematic
Safety
Clear protocols required for infection control, storage and disposal of clinical waste etc.
Point of Care Testing (POCT) Services Offered in NHSGGC
Please note, not all services are available in all sectors.
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde believe that all staff should be able to thrive and flourish at work. It is a core role of the organisation and managers to support staff to enable them to do this.
For a staff member with a disability and / or a long-term health condition, standard working practices should be reasonably adapted to enable that member of staff to continue to work. Doing this will:
Enable the staff member to feel appreciated and valued at work
Help us retain staff and reduce sickness absence
Ensure that we comply with relevant equality legislation
Remove barriers to full participation to all our staff
Implement reasonable adjustments to avoid the time spent managing sickness absences.
Putting in place a reasonable adjustment can mean that a member of staff is treated differently from their colleagues and is in fact what we are required to do under the law. This is the difference between treating team members equally and equitably.
Our Reasonable Adjustment Guidance explains what reasonable adjustments are and how managers should support any of their staff with disabilities or long-term conditions.
Some helpful case studies and links to further resources are below.
Case Study 1 – a member of staff who experiences sensory issues and wears hearing aids
Susanne, aged 23 years, is a newly recruited staff member within an inpatient setting. She is a trainee within the Audiology team. She wears hearing aids in both ears and did not disclose information about her disability during the interview. However, she informed her manager when offered the job. Her manager contacted HR to seek advice about how to proceed and support this recruitment process as well as Susanne with reasonable adjustment to work within the team.
What adjustments would make a difference?
Discussing the role and responsibilities with Susanne.
Speaking with Susanne to gain a greater understanding of her needs.
Making a referral to Occupational Health.
Discussing potential adjustments to equipment or environment that may be required. Providing extra time to carry out record keeping and lengthening appointment time with patients.
Gaining consent from Susanne to disclose information about her needs with the team and specifically her supervisor.
Provision of emotional support from peers and colleagues to ensure Susanne feels that she is heard and listened to.
Creating a personalised fire evacuation plan.
Case Study 2 – an employee returning to work after a long-term sickness absence following a stroke
The experienced employee was referred to Occupational Health (OH) following his return to work after a stroke. He is 41 years old and does not want to go for medical retirement.
The employee has difficulty concentrating, focusing on tasks and can appear to be anxious, and therefore to be struggling physically. During the OH consultation, the employee indicated that his cognition, hearing and physical functions were impacted. He was under the care of rehabilitation for 8 months. Prior to the appointment, the staff member had no clue about any adjustments but was keen to return to work to keep him occupied.
At the rehab centre, he met therapists (OT, Physio, and Audiology) who were able to improve the functioning to manage activities of daily living (ADLs), but this required time.
Key Issues:
The ward environment is busy and distracting.
Having difficulty remembering processes and therefore anxious that they appear to be not coping, which affects physical functioning such as typing/ writing.
Unable to walk long distances.
Adjustments suggested:
The OH Staff Nurse identified and proposed a graded return to work with increased meetings with the supervisor. Would be happy for workplace adjustments passport to be completed covering:
Support with routine planning.
To use a quiet office to complete his written work, such as care plans.
Prepare check lists for tasks/processes.
Using flowcharts to make following processes easier, as the standard operating processes contained too much information, which caused confusion.
During rounds/meetings, they use a note-taking app on their work phone.
Use of aid when walking.
Taking frequent breaks as and when required.
Flexibility to work from home when too tired to stay on site. It was noted throughout this agreement that duties would gradually increase and skills improve.
Case Study 3 – Member of staff entering the menopause
Anna is a nurse in a community setting. About 4 years ago – aged 48, she stared to notice symptoms. “Not the stereotypical night sweats and changes to my periods, but struggled with sleeping, sore joints, low mood and generally not feeling myself”.
She was lacking in confidence – been in her job a long time so was feeling that she should be at the top of her game, but couldn’t remember things, was worried about driving, prescribing and stressed that she would make mistakes at work.
Lucky that she worked where there are lots of colleagues who were really supportive and said that it sounded like the peri-menopause. They suggested Anna had a chat with her GP who provided her medication.
Anna didn’t talk to her line manager about it at the time, because she felt that she should have been able to manage things. Anna didn’t want to be seen to be moaning or seen as weak. While she feels she should have been able to, Anna didn’t have that relationship with her line manager at that time.
What adjustments would have made a difference?
The single biggest thing that would have made a difference is some flexibility with start times. Her team had an 8.30am meeting before the clinic day starts and Anna liked be present at the meeting, not rushing in at 8.30am. If she’d had had a bad night with no sleep, that was incredibly difficult for her. Just to have known it was OK to text and say ‘had a bad night’ and get support from her manager to start a bit later, took away a lot of her stress and anxiety.
The other thing that was important was emotional support from peers and colleagues. Just someone to off-load to, have a chat and listen to.
Anna reflects that this needs a gentle approach because people might not be ready to accept the stage they are at, can be resistant to accepting that the symptoms are menopause. Her experience was that self-care is a big thing too – not just about medication.
Case Study 4 – adjustments for individual with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
The employee was referred to Occupational Health as a Management referral due to performance and capability issues as a newly qualified Staff Nurse.
The employee had difficulty with focussing on tasks and appeared to be anxious. During the Occupational Health consultation the employee indicated that when they were university they had been diagnosed as having ADHD and had been supported with written work assignments and placements as a student. As this was their first qualified Nurse post they did not know if they needed any adjustments.
As a newly qualified Staff Nurse they had a Preceptor (mentor) who was already providing one to one support to become familiar with the ward and processes to be followed. The Staff Nurse identified that they were developing a good bond with their Preceptor, and would be happy for a workplace adjustments passport to be completed and shared with the Preceptor and the Senior Nursing team.
Issues identified by the Staff Nurse was that they found the ward environment busy and distracting and had difficulty remembering processes and anxious that they appeared to be not coping.
We discussed the Scottish ADHD coalition Guide to ADHD (www.scottishadhdcoalition.org) in the workplace and used this to identify specific issues and solutions that the Staff Nurse may find useful.
Adjustments suggested
Increased meetings with the mentor, initially daily to supervise work and plan the daily tasks.
To work with the Preceptor as buddy rather than ad hoc catch ups.
To use a quiet office to complete her written work, care planning and prepare check list for tasks/ processes.
There was already SOP (standard operating processes) but the Staff Nurse identified they were too much information on them and these caused them difficulty. They realised if they made bullet points they could follow processes easier.
During rounds/ meetings, use a note taking app on their works phone.
Once they became familiar with the ward routine they did not require as much feedback but continued to have meeting with the mentor so any difficulty was identified as soon as possible.
Allied Health Professions are a crucial part of the NHS, making up one third of the clinical workforce.
Art Therapist
Diagnostic Radiographer
Dietitian
Dramatherapist
Music Therapist
Occupational Therapist
Orthoptist
Orthotist
Paramedic
Physiotherapist
Podiatrist
Prosthetists
Speech and Language Therapist
Therapeutic Radiographer
The Return to Practice process enables you to re-register with the HCPC after a period of time away from your profession. There are many reasons why you may not have practiced such as caring/parental responsibilities, illness, travel or other career routes. We value the skills you have gained whilst you have been away and look forward to your return.
Different requirements apply depending on how long you have been out of professional practice.
NHS Careers Scotland has all the information you need about the steps to re-registration including the links to the HCPC who manage the final step.
Now is the time to return and help to deliver safe and effective care for the people of Scotland.
Measles is a highly infectious, rash illness that can lead to severe complications. Europe is currently seeing a resurgence of measles. Cases imported to Scotland, from the rest of the UK and elsewhere, could propagate local outbreaks within under-vaccinated communities.
Protection of healthcare workers (HCW) is especially important in the context of their ability to transmit measles or rubella infections to vulnerable groups. While they may need MMR vaccination for their own benefit (including protection against mumps), they should also be immune to measles and rubella for the protection of their patients.
It should be noted that staff exposed to measles who don’t have appropriate evidence of immunity should be excluded from 5 to 21 days after exposure.
Staff Immunity
Assessment of healthcare workers MMR status is undertaken by the occupational health service at pre-employment. Due to the recent resurgence of measles it is recommended that all healthcare settings review the measles status of their staff. This is particularly important in higher risk areas including Emergency Departments and those staff working with particularly vulnerable patients e.g. haematology, oncology, maternity, paediatric and adult infectious disease units.
Satisfactory evidence of protection would include documentation of having received two doses of MMR, or positive antibody tests for measles and rubella.
Managers/Supervisors – Please complete the attached form detailing any members of staff identified as requiring MMR or, are unsure regarding their immunity/immunisation status and forward confidentially to the occupational health service via email occupational.health@ggc.scot.nhs.uk
Alternatively, if a staff member would prefer to discuss this confidentially with Occupational Health please advise they contact us by email as above or call 0141 201 0600.
Occupational Health will then review the staff lists provided and arrange for an appointment if required. We will initially be prioritising the higher risk areas and areas where staff are working with vulnerable patients including;
Paediatrics
Neonatal
Maternity
Emergency Departments
Health visitors/family nurses; school nurses / additional needs schools nurses
Haematology / oncology
Infectious Diseases
Rheumatology
Renal
For the purposes of confirming satisfactory evidence the following will be applied.
All HCWs who have documented evidence of two doses of MMR or positive antibody tests for measles and rubella should be considered immune to measles and no further action is required.
HCW’s who do not have this evidence will be offered two doses of MMR.
Building a Better Workplace: Working together to ensure our workplace is free of racism.
We want all staff in NHSGGC to feels safe, respected, and valued. Our workplace should always be a place where differences are celebrated and where everyone has the chance to thrive, regardless of their background or identity.
If you believe you or one of your colleagues has been the victim of bullying or harassment, you can find out more information on our factsheet or access the new helpline by calling 0141 201 8545, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday from 9am to 4pm and Thursday’s between 12.00pm to 4pm.
There is more information about how to contact HR for support and advice on HR Connect.
If you witness or experience racism, don’t stay silent. Use your voice to challenge it. Remember, bystander intervention can be incredibly powerful.
Talk openly and honestly about race and racism with your colleagues. Open dialogue is key to understanding and building empathy.
Utilize our dedicated channels: If you feel uncomfortable speaking up directly, you can use our confidential Bullying and Harassment Helpline or speak to one of our Bullying and Harassment Confidential Contacts
Get Involved:
Join the BME Staff Network: Connect with colleagues from similar backgrounds, share experiences, and support each other. You can join as a BME member of staff or as an ally.
Attend our Bystander Training: Learn how to effectively intervene in situations of racism and discrimination. See the links to sign up at the bottom of this page.
Become an Ally: Actively support and advocate for colleagues from diverse backgrounds.
Remember, every action, big or small, makes a difference. By speaking up, intervening, and getting involved, we can create a workplace where everyone feels respected and empowered.
Let’s build a Better Workplace, free from racism and discrimination. Together, we can make a positive change.
Active Bystander Training
‘Active Bystander’ is an innovative and award-winning training session which provides skills to challenge unacceptable behaviours, including those which may have become normalised over time. MS Teams sessions currently scheduled for 2024 can be booked via the following links:
Six Resources you can use to help make your workplace inclusive and welcoming.
Speak Up!
if you see have any concerns or issues at work, please Speak up! This could be about your working life, the quality of service we offer or the care provided to our patients. You can find out more about how to Speak Up on our dedicated webpage.