steve morgan ~ creating capable teams: ao (north) northamptonshire a case study steve morgan ~...

Steve Morgan ~ www.practicebasedeSteve Morgan ~ www.practicebasedevidence.comvidence.com

Creating Capable Teams: Creating Capable Teams: AO (North) Northamptonshire AO (North) Northamptonshire

A Case StudyA Case Study

Steve Morgan ~ Steve Morgan ~ Practice Based Practice Based EvidenceEvidence

&&Sue Jugon ~ AO (North) Team Sue Jugon ~ AO (North) Team

LeaderLeader


Shifting the focus of Shifting the focus of attentionattention

• Develop practice not more research!Develop practice not more research!

• The research we know… the message we The research we know… the message we know… the practice we offer less attentionknow… the practice we offer less attention

• Developing teams should be a process not Developing teams should be a process not an eventan event

• You can teach very little, but you can You can teach very little, but you can coach a lot… put training & practice coach a lot… put training & practice development together and good things development together and good things just may happenjust may happen


A Strengths ApproachA Strengths Approach

• Call it what you will… call it Call it what you will… call it recoveryrecovery… call it … call it person-centred person-centred planningplanning… call it … call it personalisationpersonalisation

• Whatever you call it, in practice we Whatever you call it, in practice we should essentially focus on seeking, should essentially focus on seeking, identifying, clarifying and working identifying, clarifying and working with with strengthsstrengths

• The truest source of resources lies The truest source of resources lies within each of uswithin each of us


The Depth of The Depth of StrengthsStrengths in in TeamsTeams

• ‘‘Strengths acknowledging teamsStrengths acknowledging teams’ (the ’ (the vast majority are not exposed to a vast majority are not exposed to a specific focus on strengths, and do not specific focus on strengths, and do not do it)do it)

• ‘‘Strengths aware teamsStrengths aware teams’ (training raises ’ (training raises awareness, but not necessarily practice)awareness, but not necessarily practice)

• ‘‘Strengths working teamsStrengths working teams’ (attention to ’ (attention to detail can only happen in the detail can only happen in the workplace, not in the workshop!)workplace, not in the workshop!)


A Team ApproachA Team Approach

• There is more than one way of There is more than one way of developing a developing a team approachteam approach

• Just because you call it a team approach Just because you call it a team approach doesn’t mean that is what you are doingdoesn’t mean that is what you are doing

• Successful team-working requires Successful team-working requires constant attention and commitment, at constant attention and commitment, at least to prevent the drift to ‘I’ and ‘mine’least to prevent the drift to ‘I’ and ‘mine’


A Creative ApproachA Creative Approach

• AO is not just about doing more of AO is not just about doing more of the same with less (but more the same with less (but more challenging) people… it is about challenging) people… it is about doing things differently!doing things differently!

• Teams with attitudeTeams with attitude (Onyett, 2003)… (Onyett, 2003)… challenge the norm, push the challenge the norm, push the boundaries, take positive risks, look boundaries, take positive risks, look at relationships in different waysat relationships in different ways


A Structured Practice A Structured Practice Development ApproachDevelopment Approach

• Innovate and evaluateInnovate and evaluate• Developing a Developing a creative capability toolcreative capability tool for for

capturing whole team self assessments capturing whole team self assessments against 13 statements of positive practice against 13 statements of positive practice [see article & website for details][see article & website for details]

• Access appropriate tools:Access appropriate tools: - - Individual staffIndividual staff members strengths members strengths assessmentsassessments - Team- Team strengths assessments strengths assessments


AO (North): A Team Case AO (North): A Team Case StudyStudy

• Commitment to team reflection and Commitment to team reflection and practice development:practice development:

- 2001>2004>2009 (monthly/bi-- 2001>2004>2009 (monthly/bi-monthly monthly

> 6-monthly team development) > 6-monthly team development) • Attention to specifically identified areas Attention to specifically identified areas

of practice… strengths-working; of practice… strengths-working; positive risk-taking; team-working positive risk-taking; team-working systems; links with other services; etc.systems; links with other services; etc.


AO (North): A Team Case AO (North): A Team Case StudyStudy

• Reflection on values & principles… Reflection on values & principles… seen as essential to underpin good seen as essential to underpin good practicepractice

• Expansion accommodated through Expansion accommodated through sub-teams… to maintain the model of sub-teams… to maintain the model of team approachteam approach

• Fluctuating between Fluctuating between strengths awarestrengths aware & & strengths-workingstrengths-working

• See website for evaluation resultsSee website for evaluation results


Future Challenges for AO Future Challenges for AO teamsteams

• Can we retain a focus on good Can we retain a focus on good practice within a practice within a target-driventarget-driven management culture?management culture?

• What role do What role do service usersservice users play in play in promoting and sustaining a capable promoting and sustaining a capable team?team?

• Will a focus on the capable team be Will a focus on the capable team be to the detriment of attention to the to the detriment of attention to the capable systemcapable system??

steve morgan ~ creating capable teams: ao (north) northamptonshire a case study steve morgan ~...

Documents