Getting Chronologies Right for Everyone

Earlier this year we published Leading Chronology Improvement, a tool to support reflection and self-assessment. Informed by research into chronology practice in Adult Support and Protection, it aimed to help leaders to support their teams to improve chronology practice across the lifespan. We launched the tool with a call for learning partners to test it and work with us to understand the difference it makes. Learning from the tool testing also feeds into the work of the National Chronologies Group. 

At the end of October, we brought learning partners together to share their experiences of improving chronology practice. Partners were at different stages and had taken various approaches to using the tool to inform their work. Three were invited to share their stories so far - Aberdeen City Council, Dundee City Council & East Dunbaronshire Council. Two of these partners - Aberdeen & Dundee - had actively used the tool in their approach. However, the session wasn’t just about a tool, but on wider activity and learning related to improving chronology practice. 

Aims of the session were: 

• Provide space to reflect, share learning and ideas, ask questions and build peer support
• Capture learning to share with the National Group and wider chronology community
• Inform updates to the tool
• Inform Iriss & National Chronologies Group support offer

Icebreaker

We started with an icebreaker - asking people to put a couple of words in the chat about their experience of chronology work this year so far. Words included: 

• Hard slog
• Complex
• Can of worms
• Frustrating (this appeared 4 times!)
• Going round in circles
• Not straightforward
• Hopeful and work in progress

These words are familiar in terms of chronology improvement work. We know there are challenges to changing how chronologies are viewed, created, and used. Often the barriers are complex and interconnected. But we are also seeing green shoots of progress. 

Learning stories

The three learning stories show how partners tackled improving chronology practice through approaches that foregrounded practitioner experience and focused on increasing the capacity of managers to support their teams. The stories highlight drivers for change, navigating technical issues, and co-designing improvement activity with practitioners. Partners discuss the cultural shifts they’re working towards, supported by newly developed guidance and tools. 

Group discussion

After partners had shared their experiences, we had some group discussion. This focused on a number of key areas including:

• How to approach system barriers and recording systems
• How to engage practitioners and keep enthusiasm and motivation up
• How to motivate managers to maintain the quality of chronologies
• Where best to aim the work - at practice and or senior leadership level

Common messages that emerged from the group discussion highlighted the importance of improvement activity that: 

• Engages with practitioners about their experience of chronologies to ensure they’re ‘brought along’ in the process
• Focuses on why good chronologies matter, both to practice and to supported people
• Uses real examples of chronologies of different qualities to support peer reflection and learning
• Makes it easy for practitioners and managers - give them straightforward, easily editable templates and tools
• Builds in accountability by capturing individual and team goals around chronology improvement

Check out

At the close of the session, we did a check out, again asking participants to put a couple of words in the chat about what they were taking away. Encouragingly, words included: 

• Hope
• Inspiration
• Onwards

What’s next?

Learning from this session will inform changes to the tool and the support provided by Iriss and the National Chronologies Group to get chronologies right for everyone. Iriss will also offer support to learning partners to evaluate the activity and tools they have developed. 

Want to know more? 

Join the National Chronologies Group by emailing nationalchronologiesgroup@moray.gov.uk.

Download the Leading Chronology Improvement tool.