Introduction to safety culture This introductory presentation provides

Introduction to safety culture This introductory presentation provides basic information around introducing the culture survey and why you are doing it - please adapt to local requirements Ensure you read A Guide to Safety Culture Measurement before you commence.

What is safety culture Culture is the way we think — our values, attitudes, perceptions and our beliefs. It’s also how we act — our habits and typical behaviours – ‘how we do things around here’. There are five general principals used in the Culture of Safety model: informed culture: organisations collect and analyse data to stay informed - creates a system able to circulate information on incidents and near misses while being proactive on safety checks reporting culture: employees report safety problems with assurance that information will be addressed, is confidential and no penalty applied for reporting just culture: employees understand they will be treated fairly and unintentional errors or acts that are unsafe will not be punished learning culture: organisations learn from mistakes and make changes as necessary flexible culture: organisations make changes to operations after an incident or near miss. Reason, J. (1998) Achieving a safe culture: theory and practice Work and Stress, 12, 293 -306.

Why measure safety culture? Safety culture is a reliable predictor of clinical safety behaviours and patient safety outcomes Better culture can improve the psychological health of staff and increase engagement and satisfaction at work Undertaking a safety culture survey enables teams/organisations to: Understand the importance of safety culture in providing quality care and positive experiences for both staff and the people they provide care for Appreciate that safety culture is something that needs to be invested in, nurtured and cultivated Acknowledge that people are your most important asset Work together to change the way in which teams and organisations work and communicate to improve the experience of care for patients and staff Braithwaite J, Herkes J, Ludlow K, et al. Association between organisational and workplace cultures, and patient outcomes: systematic review. BMJ Open 2017; 7: e 017708. doi: 10. 1136/ bmjopen-2017 -017708 Eklof, M. , Torner, M. , Pousette, A. Organizational and social-psychological conditions in healthcare and their importance for patient and staff safety. A critical incident study among doctors and nurses. Safety Science. 2014; 70: 211 -221.

Why focus on teams? Shared goals The benefits of effective teamwork are well described Harm minimisation Increase in patient safety Better staff experience Leadership Effective teamwork Reduction in staff stress Improved job satisfaction Closed loop communication Mutual trust

The survey tool CEC recommends the Safety Attitudes Questionnaire (SAQ) If you are not using this tool replace this slide with information around the tool being used We will be using the Safety Attitude Questionnaire (SAQ) It is a validated tool with extensive use in multiple health settings both nationally and internationally Accessed through QARS It is divided into six domains with each domain represented by between four to eight questions Domain Definition Safety Climate Perceptions of strong and proactive organisational commitment to safety Teamwork climate Perceived quality of collaboration between team members Job satisfaction Positivity about the work experience Stress recognition Acknowledgement of how performance is influenced by stressors Perceptions of Management Approval of managerial action (ward/department level and hospital level) Working conditions Perceived quality of work environment and logistical support

The survey process N. B. The process and tools in the CEC guide can be used for any culture survey tool you decide to use

Next Steps Delete this box after you have edited the slide This slide is purposefully left blank, as it is up to every team and organisation to decide what to do around commencing the survey and what they will do with the results. It is essential that you have the following in order before commencing a culture survey and can discuss them here: • A clearly defined and agreed purpose and intended outcomes • Agreement around how open you are to making changes • Capacity to resource actions (i. e. time, people) • Willingness to have courageous conversations • Commitment to follow through Reference the sections on Reporting and feedback and Action planning in A Guide to Safety Culture Measurement. 7