Working with people with TBI: Staff Self-Study Module 8

8.3c Policies and procedures

Why do we need policies and procedures? This section demonstrates why we need them by using the previous case study of Jenny. See section 8.3a Strategies for managers if you want to read over the case study again.

The following scenarios involve Jenny and issues for direct care staff working with her.

Imagine you are the manager of the staff working with Jenny, and as such, you are required to identify management strategies, and policies and procedures that will assist you to respond appropriately and give direction to staff.

Read through each of the two scenarios.
Answer the questions.
Compare your answers to those below.

Scenario 1 – Jenny drug affected

Staff arrives at Jenny’s unit. She answers the door and is acting strangely; she is vague and giggling but still invites the worker inside. Staff asks her how she is and she says that she is fine.

Staff smells a strong odour and the room has a smoky haze. Jenny then tells the staff she is going to have a session and proceeds to light up what appears to be marijuana joint and starts to smoke it.

1. What do you see as your responsibility as a manager?

2. Develop a plan on how you would respond to the issues for staff working with Jenny.

3. What policies and procedures you would need to have in place to utilise in your response to this situation for both the staff and client?

Scenario 2 – Jenny agitated

Staff arrives at Jenny’s unit and she greets them at the door. She appears agitated but asks them inside. The planned activities are the household chores. Everytime staff tries to get her started she gets agitated, yells at them and becomes distressed.

She becomes so distressed she asks them to leave. The staff are upset at being verbally abused and do not want to go back.

1. What do you see as your responsibility as a manager?

2. Develop a plan on how you would respond to the issues for staff working with Jenny.

3. What policies and procedures you would need to have in place to utilise in your response to this situation for both the staff and client?

Check your answers here

Sample answers

The 2 scenarios have similar answers because they all require good management practices. Some of the comon responsibilities for managers are:

Identify issues of concern about the client and develop systems to minimise risk, provide support and involve the person in developing solutions.
Consider OH&S issues for staff
Provide good communication between treating team
Provide training and education for staff so skills match client care and support needs
Review plans and support regularly to ensure service goals and client goals are consistent
Involve external services to assist in planning and management when required

Some of the specific suggestions to consider include:

incident notification processes, review and critical incident management processes
Client aware of agency service provision and rules
Documentation and communication of issues between staff
Client health and safety assessment and issues included in client planning and allocation of reaources
Early identification of risk. Have plans in place when risk known, educate staff about what to do (eg if staff arrive and client intoxicated then staff notify manager/service and leave) so staff aware of how to respond to immediate situation
Review plans and staff involvement
Process to involve others based on situation
Inform others if plans /support changes occur
Client and Staff involvement in generating solutions
Staff training in minimisation and management of aggressive
Service support of staff after an incident – debriefing, counselling, change client load

The Getting it all together kit provides some strategies for staff that may assist in the development of plans to meet care and support needs specific to issues arising from changes after a TBI.