Plans for outstanding quality development visits

DESMOND National Office has received several queries recently from Educators asking about their outstanding mentor and quality development (QD) visits. As COVID-19 restrictions have halted all face-to-face deliveries of DESMOND programmes, what does this mean for DESMOND Educators who are trying to progress along the QD pathway towards accreditation?

Initially, the QD Assessors had hoped that COVID-19 restrictions would be short-lived and they would soon be back out observing socially-distanced, face-to-face programmes. However, as we all know, this has not been the case and many teams have started to deliver DESMOND programmes virtually.

With this in mind, we are establishing a revised procedure, which allows Educators to access and benefit from the DESMOND mentor and QD process to further support them in their journey towards achieving accreditation. 

A pilot is currently underway to trial the DESMOND QD tools and assess if they are fit-for-purpose with virtual deliveries. Initial results indicate that delivery of the key messages is unaffected by the virtual platform and the majority of the Educator core behaviours can be demonstrated when delivering to virtual groups. Further data on DOT/talk-time results will be gathered and target DOT/talk-time scores adjusted as necessary. 

What to expect during a virtual QD visit: 

1.     the QD Assessor observes the live virtual delivery 

2.     once they have been introduced to the group, the Assessor turns their camera off and mutes their microphone for the remainder of the session

3.     feedback is provided via telephone or MS Teams at an agreed time after the virtual delivery

Early feedback from Educators involved in the pilot is very positive, with one Educator commenting:

“I feel that a virtual QD visit is a much less daunting process than a face-to-face assessment, as you forget the QD Assessor is there”

It is hoped that this piece of work will be completed over the next two months, after which, the National Office will contact anyone on the Educator database who requires a visit. 

The QD Assessors are looking forward to catching up virtually with Educators in 2021. In the meantime, the team are available if you have any queries or would like to discuss any development issues, please get in touch via desmondqd@uhl-tr.nhs.uk.

Don’t forget to sign up to our latest workshops via the DESMOND Academy.