Breakfast Briefing to develop a Workplace Relationship Scale

Following the launch of Ag Eisteacht’s ABLE relational-based training programme last year, we have gathered a panel of health and social care professionals at a Breakfast Briefing to support research into how interpersonal relationships in the workplace can be measured.

The Breakfast Briefing was held last Friday May 11th in Northridge House, Mahon, Cork. Here the Relationships Matter Working Group were joined by representatives from the social care, health and charitable sectors in Cork, who have volunteered to take part in the research. The event was facilitated by Dr. Sinead Hanafin of Research Matters and Sinead will drive the on-going research.

She said: “We want people to share their own experiences of their working environments to aid our understanding of the important elements of workplace relationships within this sector.
“Our briefing session was very well-attended, with representatives from the public health, fostering, disability and social care sectors. Those participating in this process will now be asked to complete anonymous on-line surveys over the course of the next three months.

“Using the Delphi research technique, our goal is to design a scientifically robust measurement tool which would provide an objective assessment of the quality of work-based relationships.”

Dr Maeve Hurley, CEO and founder of Ag Eisteacht, said: “At Ag Eisteacht our objective is always about how we can support practitioners’ and team members’ relationships with each other to protect their wellbeing and, ultimately, the wellbeing of users of those services. It is vital that person-to-person relationships are acknowledged and valued in every interaction as a fundamental aspect of health and wellbeing.”

“When the working culture and interpersonal relationships are good, there is no doubt that this can have a therapeutic effect on all members of a team, as well as those turning to those services for help.”

Ag Eisteacht plans to have the Workplace Relationship Scale designed and tested by early 2019 and ready for launch this time next year. We are excited for the process to start and cannot wait to share the finished product with you next year. Watch this space!