What’s involved in starting Rounds

The Schwartz Center for Compassionate Healthcare™ has licensed The Point of Care Foundation to provide support and training to organisations wishing to run Schwartz Rounds in the UK.  Schwartz Rounds are a long-term commitment and therefore we require organisations to fulfil various criteria before we can enter into contract to provide the training and support.

To find out what you need to do in order to start running Schwartz Rounds, watch our introduction video below:

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Making the case for Schwartz Rounds

Schwartz Rounds are more likely to be embedded and sustained in organisations where senior managers buy in to the concept; we therefore encourage you to ensure your Chief Executive or board are fully supportive before embarking on the process.

You may need to present the concept or proposal for Schwartz Rounds to senior managers within your organisation.  There are a range of resources which can be used to support the business case for introducing Schwartz Rounds:

• Template presentation about Rounds (which you can use or adapt for your own purposes)
• This document entitled ‘Why Run Rounds‘ with all details and information about Schwartz Rounds
• Guidance on linking Schwartz Rounds to the health and wellbeing CQUIN. You may also find it helpful to read a blog by Dr Gita Bhutani about how Lancashire Care NHS Foundation Trust made Schwartz Rounds part of their health and wellbeing CQUIN
• Consider contacting the Local Education and Training Board (LETB) in your area or a Trust charity (if there is one) for part or full funding for Rounds.

Once your organisation has approved setting up Schwartz Rounds, you will sign a contract with The Point of Care Foundation, which confers the licence to run Rounds.  Depending on the size and scope of your organisation, the nature of the training and support we offer will vary.

Who’s involved in running Rounds

Clinical leads and facilitators are trained to lead the Rounds according to the Schwartz methodology, with particular emphasis on the skills needed to manage the discussions that take place in Rounds.  Training also includes practical information about running Rounds, including:

• preparing the panel
• generating topics
• promoting the Rounds
• making best use of the steering group

You will also need to identify people to undertake the following roles in order to run Rounds:

• a steering group of 8-12 members (fewer if from a smaller organisation) from across the organisation
• a clinical lead
• one or two facilitators
• an administrator

Full descriptions of the respective roles within the Schwartz team can be found here.

Clinical leads and facilitators will also have access to a skilled mentor, who will guide them through the process of setting up and implementing Rounds.  The primary role of the mentor is to develop the skills of the team who are running Rounds by observing and providing feedback.

Once you have recruited the core team and the clinical lead and facilitators have scheduled their training, you can start planning your first Round. We recommend that one or two members of your organisation observe a Round in action, which you can arrange by emailing schwartz@pointofcarefoundation.org.uk