Team Working and Effectiveness in Health and Social Care - Research Proposal Example

Team Working and Effectiveness in Health and Social Care Introduction Teamwork, collaboration and effectiveness remain an important aspect in both health and social care organizations. A healthcare system, which effectively supports teamwork will most definitely improve its patient care quality, reduce workload issues in the health care facility and enhance patient safety. Social and healthcare teams work efficiently when they effectively co-ordinate, observe protocols and procedures, and maintain good communication aspects among them. Active participation of all health and social care members is also a key aspect (Carnwell 2008, 57). The main objective of this project is to establish a practice development work thus enhancing and promoting good teamwork and effectiveness as an important aspect in improving health and social care outcomes. The desired outcome of the project is to identify the tools and ideas for attaining good teamwork and effectiveness in both social and health care facilities (Carnwell 2008, 76). The project proposal underlying assumption will be done on both the health and social care organizations settings. In preparation of this project, an inter professional survey team will carry out various in-depth interviews among several informants in the health and social care systems. Additionally, the group of surveyors will undertake a wide range review on grey literature on some of the teamwork components; teamwork effectiveness, intervention types, dynamics in both health care and social care, and finally, policies on teamwork in both social and healthcare systems in Britain. Research Question How does the aspect of teamwork and effectiveness enhance the improvement in health and social care outcomes? Rationale This project is a research document and findings synthesis from various informant interviews, decision makers, experts and researchers. It will generally address three different questions: At what extent has the aspect of teamwork in both health and social care settings in Britain been implemented What interventions in health care and social care been successful when it comes to implementation of teamwork in such institutions What are some of the characteristics of a social and healthcare institution practicing effectiveness and teamwork? Aim The aim of the research proposal is to explore some of the links that exist between team working health, and social care user’s outcomes. Objectives The main objective of the research is to identify some of the dimensions of effectiveness and team working in social and health care institutions. Alternatively, the project seeks to make plans for the creation and maintenance of effective team working in such institutions. The project generally seeks to educate social and health care institutions on the need for teamwork and effectiveness. Background Teamwork generally entails work performed by several allies with each of the associates playing an equal part in the task (Drinka 2000, 23). In health and social care facilities, the aspect of team working entails the dynamic process that involves more than one health or social care professional with corresponding skills and backgrounds, sharing a similar social or health goal. Additionally, it entails exercising concerted mental and physical effort in planning, assessing or patient care evaluation (Drinka 2000, 27). In social care, teamwork refers to the behaviors, which help in facilitating effective team member cooperation. Alternatively, team is defined as more than one individual who effectively perform related tasks or cooperate with other individuals dynamically. The group might be sharing a similar past or foreseeable-shared future. Fate can also help the aspect of team working in a social environ (Drinka 2000, 30). In most cases, team working is influenced by the culture of the institution or organization. A health care facility that has a clear philosophy on teamwork will most definitely promote cooperation by encouraging new aspects of working as a unit, development of similar goals and mechanisms that help the facility overcome resistance to change. Implementation of teamwork in such organizations would require training of the health and social care members in order to allow them to learn on the importance of working together in the profession (Drinka 2000, 39). Effectiveness in health and social care is the general concept of how the institution will achieve its intended outcomes. The larger policy context on promotion of teamwork is for the providence of consistent government approaches and policies, legislative frameworks in order to break down silos and health/social care resource planning. Effectiveness in Health/Social institutions has three different models, which play key role in influencing them. The three models include the group composition, group norms and the working designs. The group norms include co-ordination in the organizations and organizational support while group composition entails the size and skill mix in the organization. Working designs entails the clarity of purposes and interdependence of the workers. Method of Data Selection The research design method that would be used in this type of research is the qualitative methodology. Qualitative methodology in this case would involve employing various academic disciplines in doing the research and further contexts. In this case, the qualitative methodology would gather the human behaviors of some of the workers working in the social and health care institutions (Sorbero 2008, 24). In doing the research, the researchers would use either questionnaires or the sampling methodology to attain information from the research participants. Questionnaires would be given to the facility’s workers for them to fill regarding the aspects of teamwork in the organization. Alternatively, during the establishment of the project, the team development program will establish ten different modules in order to study the aspect of teamwork and effectiveness in most Britain’s social and health care facilities (Sorbero 2008, 36). Each module will focus on specific skills that are required for effectiveness and teamwork in such institutions. Additionally, the team development manual will be used to conduct the exercises in the facilities. In this case, the team development manual will consist of various exercises that would assist the organizational members in progressing from individual working to performing team. In as much as this methodology would require employees from the health and social care facilities to meet regularly, the methodology would be effective. Using various processes, techniques and tools, the surveyors will develop various structures, which would examine ways in which the health and social care workers work and the identification of how they cooperate in their organizations (Sorbero 2008, 47). There will be a program to establish the inter-relationship aspects between the members and the organizations. In order to establish the aspect of teamwork and effectiveness in the organization, the surveyors will conduct interviews among the top employees of the organizations. Questionnaires will be given to the organizational employees to fill on the aspect of cooperation and effectiveness in the facility. Data Analysis strategy Data presentation In presenting the data collected from the research, the researchers will use printed copies and graphs to display the information. Presentation by the use of printed copies is effective and can be used for future references. Alternatively, graphs will be used to enabled the audience understand the actual situation at the facilities. Limitations The main limitation of using the qualitative methodology in this type of research will be the trustworthy aspect. Some workers in the health care may fail to give correct information regarding the aspect of teamwork in the organization. De-limitations Dealing with the issue of inaccuracy during the collection of data will be important. In this case, the researchers will limit the number of people filling the questionnaires. Alternatively, the researchers will ask random questions to concerned parties during the research. Timeline The 10-month program will develop various multidisciplinary teams that work in the social and health care facilities. Findings The research will provide a privileged and unique insight on how organizational members operate as teams in order to provide effective care for the society and the health care sectors. The participating teams’ diversity will demonstrate the importance of teamwork in organizations. There will be the need to create time and space for organizational members from different levels and disciplines. Alternatively, there will be the need to encourage cooperation in these facilities. Bibliography Carnwell, R., Buchanan, J., & Carnwell, R. (2008). Effective practice in health, social care and criminal justice. Maidenhead, Open University Press. Drinka, T. J. K., & CLARK, P. G. (2000). Health care teamwork: interdisciplinary practice and teaching. Westport, Conn, Auburn. Sorbero, M. E. (2008). Outcome measures for effective teamwork in inpatient care: final report. Santa Monica, CA, RAND Corp. Walton, J. Promoting Good Quality Care Through Teamwork And Effective Leadership. Developing Teamwork a Guide to Practice Development. National Centre for Excellence In Residential Child Care. West, M. A. (2012). Effective teamwork: practical lessons from organizational research. Chichester, West Sussex, John Wiley & Sons. Read More