Teamwork can be effective in any setting and can be especially useful in that of a social care setting when utilised correctly. The following essay will explain team working through theories and will also explain how teams can change over time and why.
Team working is when individuals who have certain strengths communicate and work together in order to find the best possible outcome for any situation presented to them. A team is vital when working in social care as through a team, it becomes possible to tailor a care plan that will fully benefit the service user.
With regards to teamwork, Tuckman believed that in order to create a successful team, there were five stages that the team must work through to become a functioning team [1. HNC in Social Care, 2009, P35].
The first stage is forming which is where the team members initially come together and where bonds are created. It is also the stage where the team is made aware of the common goal they will be working towards and hopefully able to accomplish the goal. This could be the initial meeting between a service user and their main key worker.
Storming is the stage where any disagreements between team members may take place and also where they may challenge each other meaning conflict is common place at this stage. This might also cause the team to lose sight of the overall goal. Members may also challenge each other over the role that has been assigned to them if they do not believe it is the role they will perform best at. Boundaries will be tested at this stage and the service user may be defensive and work against the key worker.
Norming is where the team now know each other better and role of each member has been agreed upon and established. There will be a relationship between the team as a whole and any contributions as to how to accomplish the goal will be listened to by everyone. In a social...