In a previous article on the essential soft skills for social care, we broke down the top five qualities that make a great care worker. We also shared how to identify these skills during the recruitment process.
But how can you cultivate these skills within your existing team?
In this article, we’ll:
- Recap the five essential soft skills your social care team needs
- Outline 15 ways you can cultivate these skills within your team.
Recap: Essential soft skills for social care
1. Resilience
Working in social care means facing difficult situations every day: unexpected declines in health, grief, and critical feedback for example. Resilience helps us respond constructively to challenges like these. If we lack resilience, we’re more likely to feel overwhelmed and lose hope, which can impact our own wellbeing as well as our ability to support others.
2. Adaptability
In social care, things rarely go exactly to plan. That’s where adaptability comes in. It’s the ability to shift gears smoothly, maintain composure, and find solutions when unexpected changes occur. While resilience helps us cope emotionally, adaptability empowers us to take action. A lack of adaptability can hinder a carer’s response and negatively impact the care they provide.
3. Empathy
Do your employees truly understand the feelings and perspectives of others? Empathy, perhaps the most vital soft skill in social care, is essential for building strong relationships with colleagues, managers, those receiving care, and their families. Without it, individuals may struggle to recognise and respond appropriately to the needs of others, which can have serious consequences for care delivery, family interactions, and teamwork.
4. Time management
Time management in social care requires more than just a to-do list. It involves knowing what needs to be done, accurately estimating task durations, prioritising effectively, adapting to changing needs, and delivering excellent, compliant care within limited timeframes. In a resource-constrained sector, these skills are essential for maintaining high standards.
5. Patience
In social care, patience is more than just a virtue; it’s a necessity. The ability to stay calm and in control, even in the most challenging situations, allows for clearer thinking and better decision-making. This, in turn, contributes to a more positive work environment and stronger teamwork.
15 Ways to help your employees build these essential soft skills
Resilience
1. Create a positive working environment so that a bad day doesn’t feel like a bad job
Don’t let isolated experiences define or alter your team’s overall perception of their role. Acknowledge achievements regularly, celebrate success, and make your team feel supported and valued – you can find more advice for creating a positive work environment here.
2. Support staff wellbeing so they have the energy to cope with emotional challenges
Our free employee wellbeing checklist outlines six ways you can proactively support your team’s wellbeing every day. Download it here.
3. Encourage them to share their feedback in team meetings to foster togetherness
Create a safe space for open and honest communication. Encourage your team to share their experiences and feedback in team meetings to increase a sense of belonging and reduce feelings of isolation during difficult times. You can also facilitate anonymous feedback via a survey or suggestion box.
Adaptability
4. Do role-play exercises in group sessions to get them used to dealing with change
Simulate real-life situations involving change, like sudden shifts in care plans or difficult interactions. Role-playing exercises like these enable your team to practice adapting and problem-solving in a safe environment.
5. Embed a learning culture so they’re always open to new ideas and methods
Encourage continuous learning and professional development – FuturU can really help with this. Invest in our platform to unlock over 100 CPD-accredited health and social care courses. You can assign essential learning to your team, and they have the freedom to enrol in other courses tailored to their career goals and interests. Book a demo with our team to learn more.
6. Communicate openly so that change doesn’t ever feel like an unwanted surprise
This might seem obvious, but it’s often overlooked. Keep your team informed about change before it happens where possible. Transparent communication minimises anxiety and helps employees feel prepared.
Empathy
7. Provide active listening training to improve their ability to be present and attentive
Provide training on active listening skills, including techniques like paraphrasing, reflecting feelings, and asking clarifying questions. Learn more about becoming an active listener here.
8. Ask them to mentor a colleague to expose them to different work perspectives
Mentoring exposes your team to different perspectives, and can provide opportunities for learning and growth. We’ve shared more on mentoring on our blog.
9. Have them reflect on unconscious bias and how it may affect their view of others
Workshops and discussions on unconscious bias and the impact it can have on how we perceive and communicate with others can lead to more empathetic and inclusive interactions.
Time management
10. Help them use the Priority Matrix to rank tasks by urgency and importance
The Eisenhower Matrix, also known as the Urgent-Important Matrix, is a simple tool for prioritising tasks. It helps you decide what to do and when by categorising tasks based on their urgency and importance. The matrix consists of four quadrants:
- Quadrant one: Do first (urgent and important)
- Quadrant two: Schedule (important but not urgent)
- Quadrant three: Delegate (urgent but not important)
- Quadrant four: Eliminate (not urgent and not important).
Encourage your team to list out their tasks and then categorise them as urgent or important before placing them in the matrix.
By using the Eisenhower Matrix, your team can focus their energy on the most important tasks and avoid getting bogged down by less critical activities. This leads to increased productivity and more effective time management.
11. Insist they take mandatory breaks so tiredness doesn’t impair prioritisation
Emphasise the importance of taking regular breaks and discourage a culture of presenteeism. Tiredness can significantly impair decision-making.
12. Encourage them to use digital apps to track, analyse and optimise use of time
There’s a wide range of free apps available to support time tracking and task management. We’ve shared a few in our blog on the 7 Best apps for care career growth.
Patience
13. Ask them to keep a diary of situations that put a heavy strain on their patience
Encourage your team to keep a diary to record situations that test their patience. Then work with them in 1:1s to identify any triggers and patterns of behaviour. How might you support them to develop more effective coping mechanisms?
14. Recommend the box breathing technique for relieving stress and staying focused
Promoting stress management techniques like box breathing, mindfulness exercises, or meditation can help employees regulate their emotions and stay focused in challenging situations. We’ve shared 5 stress relief tips, including the box breathing technique, here.
15. Develop their ability to challenge negative assumptions about others’ motivations
Encouraging your team to challenge negative assumptions and consider alternative explanations can reduce frustration and improve communication. Role-playing challenging situations can be useful here to practice reframing negative thoughts.
