7-minute briefs and learning resources to improve practice

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7-minute briefs and learning resources to improve practice

Seven minute briefings are based on research which suggests that seven minutes is an ideal time span in which to concentrate and learn. The technique is widely used in other professions.

Learning for seven minutes is manageable in most settings and learning is more memorable if it is simple and not clouded by other issues and pressures.

Why it matters

The SPP understand that increasing pressure on services can make it difficult to release staff for training, but there is still a need to keep learning and developing to maintain a skilled workforce.

These short, team based learning events might be a helpful way to support learning, they are based on a technique borrowed from the FBI!

What to do

Our expectation is that managers will present briefings to their staff on a regular basis. It will be important to make the topic relevant to your service. The briefings should not be mixed in with the ordinary day to day issues of the team, as this will diminish their impact.

Delivery

The briefing should be delivered face to face, so as to ensure it is not misunderstood, that there can be discussion of the subject and it does not become lost in other paperwork or emails. If you or your team have suggestions for future briefings, please contact the SSP.

Timing

Their brief duration should also mean the briefings hold people’s attention, as well as giving managers something to share with their staff. The SPP plan to send out regular briefings to any manager who wants to use it. The structure of each briefing will be the same, making it easier to find the information once managers are familiar with the format.

Information and further discussion

The content of the briefings will be a mixture of new information or a reminder of basic information, with a challenge to think about the application to your service or team.

The briefings will be an invitation to think and will end with discussion points which teams can use if there is time, but can also be omitted. Each briefing will stand alone, even without discussion and also, if time is allowed for conversation, this is likely to enhance learning in the team.

Where possible there will be signposting to further information on the topic.

We publish a 7 minute briefing as part of each Safeguarding Adult Review (SAR) and Child Safeguarding Practice Review (CSPR) learning pack.

All agencies completing a brief should record or evidence how they have used our 7 minute briefings via the action plan.

Resource packs for sharing learning and improving practice

We have also developed resource packs to raise awareness about topics that the safeguarding partnership want professionals to embed into their practice. The expectation is that the resource will be used widely such as in team meetings, as part of group or individual supervision, or for your own development. The resource can be used either as a whole or for you to dip in and out at your convenience.

We want to know about your experience of using the resources and how much your practice has changed and improved as a result of learning from reviews and audits. There is a feedback form at the end of the document for you to complete, so please give us your feedback.

The briefings and resource packs are available to download below: