Charlie arranges to meet with his clinical supervisor to have a chat through how the goal setting process is going. Listen to their conversation:
Duration: 2 mins 11 seconds, format: MP4
Summary of what Charlie has learnt:
- It is important to actively listen to patients
- Patient’s goals often mirror the MDT’s goals
- Different patients will require different levels of support from the professional
- The key worker role is about guiding rather than dictating
- Goal setting is time consuming but it delivers a tailored treatment programme
Charlie goes off to familiarise himself with Ruby Graham’s goals and to organise her review.
Clinical supervisor: Hi Charlie I see you have completed one set of goals with Dorothy, as her key worker, how do you feel it went?
Charlie: I think it went fairly well. I was lucky Dorothy had a good understanding of goal setting and was really engaged with the process. I have to say I found it harder than I thought it would be to get the information and set the goals
Clinical supervisor: Why?
Charlie: Well I thought I listened to patients but this made me realise that perhaps I don’t. I had to stop myself from telling Dorothy what I thought she should do and really concentrate and listen to what she was telling me about her aims
Clinical supervisor: Yeah stepping away from the medical model and letting patients tell you rather than you telling them can be tricky. It is vital to give patients some control back as it helps them with their motivation and ability to self manage.
Charlie: I really do see the value of it now. Patients create some really interesting individual goals that relate to their personal circumstances that we don’t always think of. While different they often match our aims anyway
Clinical supervisor: I know it’s interesting isn’t it? Did you feel you needed to guide her?
Charlie: Yes I did. I proposed suggestions; tried to establish what she meant and identify what she felt was tricky but didn’t dictate. If she said it wasn’t for her, like her cooking, I didn’t push it. Was that OK?
Clinical supervisor: That’s sounds fine. Patients are different; some will see you as the expert and expect you to fully guide them in the process while others will be really good at identifying their aims. But it’s important to guide not impose.
Charlie: Yeah I can see how individual it is. Mind you it takes time. I can see why staff think it’s easier to just do them for patients.
Clinical supervisor: It is time consuming. But delivering a treatment programme that doesn’t meet the patient’s needs is a greater waste of clinical time. Charlie I think for your first key worker experience you have done really well.
Charlie: Thanks. It was great to talk it through and thanks for looking over the goal sheet for me.
Clinical supervisor: No problem. Oh just one more thing before you go. As you know Janet Joint is on honeymoon for 3 weeks, she’s Ruby Graham’s key worker and Ruby’s goals are due for review, any chance you could you do them?
Charlie: Yeah …that’s fine. It would be good for me to get more practice in anyway.
Page last reviewed: 14 Jan 2021
