What do staff need to know?

Older readers may recall an episode of Yes Prime Minister in which the redoubtable Sir Humphrey Appleby was excluded from a meeting the Prime Minister was holding. Barred from entering the room, he was told that the meeting was on a 'need to know' basis only. 'But I must go in. I need to know everything!' Sir Humphrey fumed.

These days the list of what staff need to know about seems never-ending. I am not suggesting your staff, like Sir Humphrey, need to know everything that goes on in the practice but it is worth taking a moment to think about what exactly your staff do need in terms of knowledge, skills and behaviours so they can be motivated and productive members of your team.

There are, of course, key areas your staff need to know about; as we are all aware, in addition to their professional and technical skills, they need to understand how thinking changes and update themselves in areas such as cross-infection control and CPR. The General Dental Council in its core CPD requirements and the CQC make this clear as both a professional and a practice responsibility.