Fostering Workplace Belonging

The Brief:

This case study will outline the context, implementation and impact of an interprofessional half-day simulation workshop for NHS employees from clinical and non-clinical backgrounds.

The Problem:

A sense of belonging within the NHS workforce is imperative in establishing a safe and effective working environment, as outlined in the NHS People Plan (2020), “The NHS must welcome all, with a culture of belonging and trust. We must understand, encourage and celebrate diversity in all its forms.” It can be challenging to establish a sense of belonging within the NHS where large teams are working under high pressures in inconsistent shift patterns, therefore it is important to invest time in establishing methods to do so.

The Requirement:

SimComm Academy partnered with a trust in the local region to develop and deliver a simulation-based workshop that would furnish participants with the knowledge and understanding required to effectively support and work alongside colleagues with protected characteristics. This incorporates an understanding of the impact that communication in the workplace can have, an awareness of verbal and non-verbal communication, exploration of the CUUS model and clean language, reflections surrounding the importance of kindness and empathy and allyship. It was important that participants felt empowered to make personal changes in their communication styles.

The Outcome:

The workshop was made up of a diverse variety of simulated scenarios, using a range of simulation techniques, including, observed simulation, forum theatre and character monologues. The scenarios focused on working alongside colleagues with a range of protected characteristics, including those relating to caring responsibilities, age and faith. During the scenarios, participants were invited to volunteer to participate and interact with professional actors who took on the roles of colleagues.

The scenarios were followed by reflective debriefs, led by experienced facilitators, providing a psychologically safe space in which participants could obtain feedback from their peers, the actors and the facilitators, in addition to exploring the pre-set learning objectives, reflections, feelings and previous experiences.

Two separate communication frameworks were shared with participants in order to assist them in preparing for supportive conversations. These are: STEPS (Start, Time, Empathy, Provision of Support, Sense Check) (SimComm Academy, 2023) and CUS (Concerned, Uncomfortable, Safety) (Agency for Healthcare Research Quality, 2023).

Tangible Results:

Analysis of the evaluations demonstrates a clear shift in knowledge from before the workshop to after the workshop. This is shown in figure 1; before the workshop 46% of responses expressed either neutral, limited or no knowledge, whereas after the workshop, 99% of responses expressed good or excellent knowledge.

Figure 1: Before and after breakdown of responses

The evaluation forms also allow us to delve further into how respondents felt about certain areas of the workshop. A full breakdown of the question-based responses is shown in figure 2.

Figure 2: Full breakdown of responder’s’ responses

The evaluation also encourages the participants to note any qualitative comments they had on the workshop. This data is useful as it shows key elements of the workshop which the respondents found particularly useful. The responses are shown in figure 3.

“Very educational”

“Highlights how we deal with such situations” 

“Very self-reflective and interactive” 

“Excellent and realistic session” 

“Supportive learning environment” 

“Very relevant” 

“I love this style of teaching” 

“Real life applicable scenario with very useful advice that we can apply in real life”

“Was unexpected and enjoyable” 

“Really educational, even when not volunteering” 

Conclusion:

The simulation-based workshop, “Fostering Workplace Belonging” resulted in a significant increase in participants’ awareness surrounding protected characteristics, particularly with regards to caring responsibilities, age and faith and the impact that communication in the workplace can have. Importantly, we also saw an increase in participants’ sense of empowerment in making changes to their communication styles and initiating and leading by example.