Everyone matters; everyone contributes; everyone grows: a pilot project cultivating psychological safety to promote growth-oriented service culture after the Oakden Report

Abstract

The development of positive workplace culture is important for health services, with implications for patient experience, staff wellbeing and service outcomes. The Oakden Report identified dysfunctional culture in the South Australian state-wide older persons’ mental health service and established an agenda for change through a codesigned culture framework. An innovative culture change project was undertaken at Northgate House, a specialist service commissioned following the Oakden Report. The project built on the culture framework, with emphasis on developing psychological safety and employed principles from the deliberately developmental organisation model. The project resulted in positive outcomes for patients and staff and valuable organisational learning. Insights from the project may inform culture change journeys in a range of healthcare settings. What is known about the topic?There is a growing body of evidence regarding the benefits of psychological safety in the workplace. The development of positive workplace culture at the microsystem level, which is at the frontline where healthcare delivery occurs, contributes to better experiences and outcomes for patients and staff. What does this paper add?This paper provides an example of how teams can approach workplace culture change at a microsystem level. The paper illustrates an innovative culture change program, undertaken within a quality improvement framework, engaging a whole team, irrespective of discipline or position, in order to promote psychological safety and engagement in personal and professional growth. What are the implications for practitioners?Practitioners have the ability to generate and lead culture change at the frontline of health care. This paper illustrates principles and practices that are transferable to multiple settings and can be used by clinical leaders and healthcare practitioners to promote their own journeys of service transformation.