The 28 elements of the CAREFUL Programme

The standard CAREFUL programme contains 28 elements, which are described on this website.

Your organisation or department may elect to implement a smaller selection - or to add your own elements - in your programme.

Below is a list of elements, divided into the relevant themes.

Useful Files

033010.the_28_elements.one_pager.25-feb-13.ppt.pdf
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28 Elements Leadership Brief
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File Type: pdf
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Preliminaries
  • Thank-you Letters Leaders systematically use written acknowledgement of work done by staff.
  • Leadership Rounds Leaders systematically visit their areas and departments to improve visibility and garner positive information about the organisation.
  • Talking-up The organisation organises and promotes positive stories about the organisation and its work

Committed
  • First or Best Position Staff promote the organisation, because it is clearly first or best in some way.
  • Measuring Leadership All leaders have monthly, balanced targets which clarify performance at all levels.
  • Telephone follow-up All patients are followed-up by telephone, within 24-48 hours. Opinions of patients derived from this are used for measuring leadership.
  • Staff Surveys  The organisation measures staff opinions monthly (or more frequently) and use this data for measuring leadership. 

Active

Responsive
  • Behavioural Guidelines Staff develop and adhere to an organisation-wide set of practical behavioural guidelines.
  • Do-Say Don’t Say Staff develop and adhere to a departmental-level set of ‘do-say don’t-say’ guidelines to help with clear communication.
  • Customer Service All staff deliver high levels of customer service 
  • Compliment Handling Complaints are handled efficiently and are demonstrably used as the basis of service improvement.
  • Complaint Handling Compliments are handled systematically and are demonstrably used to promote better ways of working.
  • Patient Forums Patients are actively involved in service design and review.
  • Staff Forums Staff are actively involved in service design and review.
Energetic

Focused
  • Encouraging Kindness and Compassion The organisation successfully encourages the values of kindness and compassion towards patients, and between staff.
  • Dealing with Negativity The organisation has effective mechanisms for promoting positivity and positive behaviour, and effectively deals with problems caused by negativity.
  • Staff led recruitment Recruitment processes actively involve staff in selecting new members.
  • Induction Local and organisational induction programmes are demonstrably well received and useful in promoting the organisation’s values and it’s first-or-best position.

Uniform
  • Performance Boards All departments and areas exhibit clear and complete performance data where staff and patients can see it.
  • Process Documentation All key processes are explicitly owned and managed and have adequate, useful documentation, including process block diagrams and checklists.
  • Organisational Management System Performance is managed effectively using decision-making meetings and reports which are linked to each other and to key processes. 

Leading