Performance management

Put simply, performance management is what an organisation does to realise its aspirations and ensure that there are clear lines of accountability for what the organisation does. It is about monitoring performance against targets, identifying opportunities for improvement and delivering change.

In simple terms effective performance management should demonstrate that:

• you know what you are aiming for
• you know what you have to do to meet your objectives
• you know how to measure progress towards your objectives
• you can detect performance problems and remedy them.

In social care, performance management systems are needed to ensure appropriate standards of service are met, and to ensure the values of social care are put into practice. If implemented correctly, performance management can foster a culture of high performance throughout the organisation and lead to a step change in standards of service.

National minimum standards, national occupational standards and codes of practice have been developed to provide a basic framework for staff performance within the social care sector. They need to be fully incorporated as a first step. The involvement of people who use services is also essential to ensure that the right things are being measured, and that user views are a principal source of information.

Effective performance management requires coordinated planning, and review systems with reliable data at an individual, team and service level. A reliable system of monitoring and record keeping is vital, and you need to ensure that appropriate resources are in place. The use of information technology can be of enormous benefit and organisations of every size should ensure they invest in an appropriate level of resources.

Staff management processes and techniques (such as regular supervision meetings, staff appraisal and personal training plans) form the bedrock of an effective performance management system. At the team level, all individuals need to understand clearly what is expected of them in terms of effective performance. Individual managers need to be able to support them and address any shortfall in performance without falling into the trap of setting people up to fail. A capability policy will provide clear guidelines for managers on how to identify reasons for performance shortfall objectively and agree clear improvement targets.

Quality systems and frameworks play a part in service improvement, as can best value reviews and the inspection process if approached in a positive way. This is where leadership comes in. Performance management relies on effective leadership in generating better outcomes. It also relies on a positive management culture where staff feel supported and where difficulties can be openly discussed.

This has to come from the top. Senior managers should act as role models in terms of good management practice. Managers need to listen and take into account the views of others, and ensure that decision making is transparent. They should set out unambiguous performance standards and take decisive action if there is any shortfall. They should encourage a learning culture as opposed to perpetuating a blame culture. And they should have the courage to examine their own role where there are performance problems.

Above all, effective performance management requires a holistic approach, which emphasises caring values and putting people who use services first as well as achieving targets and performance indicators. In doing so, performance management can promote excellence in service delivery and lead to a more highly motivated and satisfied workforce.

References

Manager's guide to performance management, IDeA
Leadership and management: a strategy for the social care workforce, Skills for Care (2004)
Employee Appraisal, ACAS (2005)
Armstrong, M. and Baron, A., Managing Performance, CIPD (2004)
Planning for Caring, Social Services Inspectorate for Wales (2003)

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