No abstract

Purpose This paper aims to discuss the importance of compassion in health care and experiences of Compassion Circles (CCs) in supporting it, placing this into the national policy context of the National Health Service (NHS), whilst focusing on lessons from using the practice in mental health care. Design/methodology/approach This conceptual paper is a discussion of the context of compassion in health care and a description of model and related concepts of CCs. This paper also discusses lessons from implementation of CCs in mental health care. Findings CCs were developed from an initial broad concern with the place of compassion and well-being in communities and organisations, particularly in health and social care after a number of scandals about failures of care. Through experience CCs have been refined into a flexible model of supporting staff in mental health care settings. Experience to date suggests they are a valuable method of increasing compassion for self and others, improving relationships between team members and raising issues of organisational support to enable compassionate practice. Research limitations/implications This paper is a discussion of CCs and their conceptual underpinnings and of insights and lessons from their adoption to date, and more robust evaluation is required. Practical implications As an emergent area of practice CCs have been seen to present a powerful and practical approach to supporting individual members of staff and teams. Organisations and individuals might wish to join the community of practice that exists around CCs to consider the potential of this intervention in their workplaces and add to the growing body of learning about it. It is worth further investigation to examine the impact of CCs on current concerns with maintaining staff well-being and engagement, and, hence, on stress, absence and the sustainability of work environments over time. Social implications CCs present a promising means of developing a culture and practice of more compassion in mental health care and other care contexts. Originality/value CCs have become supported in national NHS guidance and more support to adopt, evaluate and learn from this model is warranted. This paper is a contribution to developing a better understanding of the CCs model, implementation lessons and early insights into impact.

UK professional bodies have established a number of sectorial working parties to provide guidance on the improvement of radiation safety (RS) culture in the workplace. The medical sector provides unique challenges in this regard, and the remit of the medical group was to review the current state of RS culture and to develop a framework for improvement. The review of current RS culture was based on measurable indicators, including data from regulatory inspections, personal monitoring data and incident data. An online survey to capture the RS-related views and experience of hospital staff at all levels was carried out, and the responses provided a wealth of information on RS awareness and implementation across the country. The framework for improving RS culture includes both 'top-down' initiatives to engage management and regulators, and 'bottom-up' initiatives relating to engagement and training of different staff groups. A 'Ten-point Assessment' on what constitutes a good approach to medical RS culture has been proposed, which provides a tool for management to assess RS culture in the workplace and has potential use in regulatory inspections in the UK.

Nurse's must put themselves first in order to take better care of others, writes Andy Bradley

Purpose – The paper was written to highlight the common experience of older people in care homes who are often left to deal with loss and grief without the explicit emotional validation and support needed. Design/methodology/approach – Beginning with a real world example of an older person who felt suicidal at the prospect of moving into a care home the paper analyses the common culture in care homes and goes onto describe a new paradigm of care giving (“the compassionate community”). Findings – The paper highlights the need for a shift of culture and leadership thinking in the care homes. Practical implications – Older people need more opportunities to share their losses and grief and staff teams must develop their role so that it moves beyond physical caring to embrace the emotional and spiritual aspects of the lives of the people they care for. Originality/value – This paper issues a radical call for an shift in thinking and values and suggests a route map which will enable full expression of the emotional lives of the people being cared for.