Practice Life Magazine Issue 14 December/January 2017 by The Magazine Production Company

December/January 2017 www.practicelife.biz

THE MAGAZINE OF SPVS AND VPMA

Reflective practice Spotlight Making it everyday practice life

Passive income

Brenda Tassava â&#x20AC;&#x201C; where do art and veterinary science meet?

Put your waiting room to good use!

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EDITORS’ LETTERS

Editors’ Letters

ello again! Ironically, much of the content in this month’s edition has been pretty close to home in my own practice. We’ve just gone through a process that can often be a real uncertain nightmare – recruitment! You know, that day when a member of your practice team whom you thought would be there for a while longer, suddenly decides to look for pastures new. Even more troubling when that person is a vet. The questions start. What did we do wrong? Why wouldn’t that assistant want to work for us until retirement? What could we do better next time around. So, once the shockwaves have settled, out comes the pad and pencil to scribe those familiar lines “… great location, plenty of toys, friendly team, CPD supported and funded…” Blah blah blah. Then you suddenly realise that, even though the vet magazines want you to advertise at huge expense, today’s new graduate vets (if that’s whom you seek) probably don’t even bother to scan the back pages, no matter how elegant your classified artwork is. They look online, they talk to

elcome to the last Practice Life of 2016, a year which seems to have whizzed by. This was an actionpacked year for SPVS and included a fantastic Lancaster final year student seminar, the always-amazing Celtic Manor congress with VPMA, and a joint CPD diary packed with events that has gone from strength to strength. In conjunction with our sponsors, the CPD we offer has been so useful to me as a practice owner; my team have benefited too. Highlights have included playing with actual fire (and fire extinguishers) at the Health and Safety day and role-playing with the actors at VDS communication days. And of course spending time with like-minded colleagues is always rewarding, swapping tips and hints over lunch and making new friends. I made my first visit to BVNA this year and was tremendously impressed with the quality of the lectures and exhibition and have never

fellow students on Snapchat and Instagram or university intranets (do those still exist?). We soon found out that, as a practice that still chooses to undertake its own OOH work, the assumption that all millennial vets want an easy life could not be further from the truth! Indeed, to have the opportunity to meet some shining examples of eager new MRCVSs from all parts of the UK and Europe was both encouraging and uplifting. We feature new staff inductions in this issue on page 23 . Anyway, we got our Christmas present in the form of our new assistant last month and may you also get yours. My “other team” here at Practice Life is looking forward to being with you in 2017 and we have a great range of business topics to share with you soon. In the meantime, may I wish all my management colleagues the compliments of the season.

Ian Wolstenholme, VPMA editor

seen fancy dress to compare with the effort made at the party night. RVNs know how to do things in style! London Vet Show in its new location has been and gone and we’re all looking forward to SPVS-VPMA Congress to brighten the January gloom. New for this year is a comedy night on the Thursday and I am pleased that Fred MacAuley is hosting – it seems fitting to finish Steph’s presidential year with raucous laughter as she has been a fun and dynamic president. The inaugural SPVS Wellbeing Awards will be awarded at congress and we’re really excited about this fantastic new initiative. So from all the team at Practice Life, have a very merry Christmas and a happy New Year full of wellbeing and good things for you and yours, and I hope to see you in Newport.

Leigh-Anne Brown, SPVS editor

Practice Life is the magazine of SPVS and VPMA. If you are interested in joining either or both associations, visit www.spvs.org.uk and www.vpma.co.uk

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Contents Editors

UPDATE: NEWS & VIEWS 5

SPVS NEWS

SPVS Leigh-Anne Brown, MRCVS leigh-anne@practicelife.biz

VPMA

Mission Rabies trip, Lancaster reviewed

Ian Wolstenholme, Practice Manager ian@practicelife.biz

Publisher

New strategy for the Association

Mojo Consultancy Ltd 181 Sandpit Lane St Albans AL4 0BT Tel +44 (0) 1727 859259 info@mojoconsultancy.com www.mojoconsultancy.com Advertising and Sales Enquiries Libby Sheridan MVB MRCVS libby@practicelife.biz Tel:01727 859259 Sales Administrator Eva Lambe eva@practicelife.biz Practice Life is the magazine of the Society of Practising Veterinary Surgeons and the Veterinary Practice Management Association. It is distributed quarterly to the members of both associations as well as a wider mailing list of veterinary practices annually.

VPMA NEWS

NURSE TALK

#VNVoice forum launched, Infection control g

COLLEGE CORNER

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

consultant, speaks to Practice Life g

WELL-BEING

Eating disorders in vets g

MANAGING PEOPLE

A process for staff induction g

CLIENT CARE AND MARKETING

The magazine contains articles on veterinary business and management as well as other topical updates and relevant features. The information contained within these articles is intended for general information only and does not replace the need for advice from qualified professionals in the relevant field.

BUSINESS HEALTH AND FINANCE

Making the most of your waiting room g

PRACTICE DEVELOPMENT

Reflective practice in a veterinary context g

CPD SHARED

32 25

Is your boss fair, reasonable and legal? g

Practice Life is edited, designed, and published by Mojo Consultancy Ltd. No part of Practice Life Magazine may be reproduced, transmitted, stored electronically, distributed, or copied, in whole or part without the prior written consent of the publisher. A reprint service is available.

Brenda Tassava, practice management

What’s next in social media?

Successful start to new practice standards scheme

www.spvs.org.uk www.vpma.co.uk

Articles and photographs are welcomed for submission, though publication is not guaranteed and is at the discretion of the editors.

CPD DIARY

Congress 2017: what’s coming up in Newport g

WHAT’S COMING UP

Highlights of the Spring 2017 issue

38 29 28

Opinions expressed in this journal do not necessarily reflect those of the associations, the editors, Practice Life Magazine or its publisher, Mojo Consultancy Ltd. ISSN 2053-1877

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News & Views Young animal health marketer wanted! The Veterinary Marketing Association (VMA) is calling all young marketers or their colleagues for nominations for the VMA Young Marketer Bursary Award 2016. The successful candidate will receive a £2,000 bursary for ongoing marketing training as well as £500 in cash, and two finalists will each receive £100. The successful candidate will benefit from ongoing support and advice from the VMA committee of industry professionals. Alice Laurens, Therapeutics Marketing Manager at Elanco Animal Health was awarded the title last year. She explained how much of a boost winning was: “It has been fantastic to win the Young Marketer of 2015 Award from the VMA! It means a lot as a young marketer to be recognised by peers and it truly ignites the motivation for new marketing challenges. “I’m using the bursary for long-term impact training in strategic marketing, which is the CIM Diploma in Professional Marketing, “Driving Innovation”. This bursary is truly a fantastic opportunity that will hopefully help me reach the next level in my career.” The award acknowledges a young marketer who has demonstrated an excellent grasp of marketing products and/or services in the veterinary sector. A shortlist of up to three finalists

2015 winner Alice Laurens (third from right)

will meet the judges to discuss their nomination in detail and complete a short case study. Submissions must arrive at VMA no later than 5pm on January 31, 2017. The awards event takes place on March 17 at the Lancaster Hotel, London. For further information visit www.vma.org.uk or email info@vma.org.uk

NOAH LOOKS FORWARD TO NEXT 30 YEARS OF ANIMAL HEALTH POLITICIANS, stakeholders and industry representatives joined NOAH to celebrate 30 years of the Office’s role in animal medicines at a reception in the House of Lords. Attendees were welcomed by Lord Gardiner, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, who highlighted the importance of food produced within Great Britain. Lord Gardiner said: “It is important, as an industry, we work together to ensure the right solutions for our country. Dialogue and liaison with the farming community is important to maintain the high standard of food produced in Great Britain and encourage consumption. This event celebrates what has been achieved so far and looks forward to the future.” Former President of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, Professor the Lord Trees, hosted the reception. He congratulated NOAH on 30 years of representing the UK animal medicines sector. He said: “NOAH represents an industry which contributes greatly to the health and welfare of farm animals and pets in our care, through this it has a significant impact on society at large. Animals are a vital part of our society and millions of UK households have pets. Our farmers look after the health and welfare of over 140 million animals. Our pets bring so much value to people’s lives.”

Lord Gardiner speaking at NOAH’s 30th birthday event at the House of Lords

David Ellerton, past Chairman of NOAH, added: “Over the past 30 years, since NOAH was formed, our industry has seen many changes. Change is good. Change represents opportunities. As NOAH moves into its next 30 years, the UK is in a strong position to be a global centre of excellence for animal medicines and continue to safeguard animal health and welfare and public health and food safety.” Assistance dogs were also in attendance at the event to highlight the hugely important role dogs play in human physical and mental health therapies. Charities represented included Caring Canines, Hounds for Heroes, Mayhew Therapaws, Support Dogs and The Bella Moss Foundation.

Don’t forget you can send us your press releases on practice successes and initiatives. Suppliers are also welcome to send information on management-related products and services. Email to libby@practicelife.biz

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SPVS News President’s letter Stephanie Writer-Davies This is my fourth and last President’s letter as I’m in the ‘final straight’ of my year in office and it’s been a busy year! There have been lots of invitations and you may remember that in the last edition I mentioned that I had been lucky enough to join Mission Rabies for a week in Malawi. As promised, the full article about my experience is featured this time and I hope you enjoy reading about it. I must thank Kathleen Robertson, one of our Councillors, who managed to get Nationwide Laboratories to donate a centrifuge for the lab in Blantyre. I must also thank everyone at the Lancaster Final Year Seminar, whose donations during dinner one evening amounted to around £200, as well as Lee Danks from Royal Canin who kindly donated the backpacks that were left over from the same weekend to be shipped over for use by the school children. I have attended some lovely events courtesy of various veterinary organisations; Royal College Day in the summer, BEVA’s annual congress (where, much to the amusement of the nurses at my practice, I collected some samples of a special liquid fibre diet, designed for horses but apparently very useful for rabbits and guinea pigs!). BCVA’s congress was in October as was AVSPNI’s, and then there was London Vet Show, with the BVA President being Gudrun Ravetz, a SPVS past-president, whose inauguration I saw at the BVA Members’ Day in Bristol. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to get to BVNA’s congress but Leigh-Anne Brown, SPVS Editor, attended in my place. Attending other associations’ social events isn’t only an enjoyable activity, it also helps maintain the good relationships that SPVS currently enjoys with professional colleagues. We have regular Joint Officer meetings and since June we’ve got together with BVA, BSAVA, VPMA and the RCVS and we’re planning the first of what I hope will become a regular get-together with BEVA. We are a small profession and it’s in all of our interests to work together and trust each other; to that end SPVS is working with BVA in areas related to Brexit and workforce issues, which have the potential to significantly impact our members. As you read this, Christmas will be on us and New Year on the horizon. The end of January will mean the end of my presidency, but it also means it’s time for our wonderful joint congress with VPMA, again being held at Celtic Manor Resort; if you’ve never been I can thoroughly recommend it for excellent CPD, a lively social programme and great commercial exhibition. The impressive venue, with everything under one roof, is compact enough to give the event a special intimacy and yet is large enough to provide plenty of space for several lecture streams. We are repeating the popular ‘New to Management’ stream and have added ‘New to Ownership’ which I’m sure will have lots of useful tips for potential practice owners and I’m especially looking forward to our keynote address; I’m a great rugby fan and very excited that it will be delivered by Andy McCann (performance coach to high profile business leaders, Olympians and World Champions) who is to be joined by one of his mentees, Ryan Jones, ex-Wales rugby captain! I hope to see a lot of you there but in the meantime have a very merry Christmas and a happy and healthy 2017! Stephanie Writer-Davies, SPVS President

Correction: In the September 2016 issue the news story “Golfing first for Martha” on page 13 contained an error. The copy should read “… for which the Crooked Putter title was first given by the President more than 35 years ago.” SPVS apologises for the error.

SPVS Dates For Your Diary 2017 January 26 - 28 SPVS-VPMA Congress At the fabulous Celtic Manor Resort, Newport, South Wales. The AGM will take place on the Thursday before Congress starts. For details or to book visit www.vpma-spvs-events.co.uk or contact the SPVS Office.

March 4 - 11 Snowscene 2017 At the Taj-L Mah Hotel, Arc 2000, Les Arcs, France. For details or to book contact the SPVS Office or see the SPVS website.

April 5 - 6 SPVS Officer and Council meetings If you have any points you would like to raise please contact the SPVS Office or the Hon Secretary, Hazel Bentall.

July 7 - 9 SPVS Final Year Student Seminar At Lancaster University. This year is the 30th anniversary of this event and a special weekend is being planned. If you’d like to help or get involved contact the SPVS Office.

If you require further information about any SPVS events or have a general query, contact the SPVS Office for details. Email office@spvs.org.uk or telephone 01926 840 318.

IMPORTANT NOTICE Society of Practising Surgeons Annual General Meeting 2017 The SPVS AGM 2017 will be held at 5.00pm on Thursday 26th January, at the Celtic Manor Resort, Newport. The election of Officers and Councillors will take place at the AGM and all SPVS members are invited to take part in these elections. Nominations for Councillors and Officers need to be received in writing, duly proposed and seconded 15 days before the AGM, 11th January. Such nominations should contain the signature of the nominees and their proposers and seconders. All proposers and seconders must be members of the Society.

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SPVS NEWS

LANCASTER

the student seminar with that special SPVS touch! As the final year vet student seminar, known affectionately as ‘Lancaster’, approaches its 30th birthday, long-time organiser and SPVS Officer Cat Curtis sums up what makes it so special Games night at Lancaster

set to enable them to better understand practice profitability and how to improve it. MSD and Medivet kindly sponsored this game and the results, as always, had everyone amused. Rosie Allister gave a thought-provoking lecture on ‘staying sane’ from an academic point of view and this was followed by Carolyne Crowe teaching the students about ‘Resilience and how to achieve it’. Resilience has often been overlooked by the profession, but it’s something that that many of us would benefit from learning more about and, importantly, strategies to help both ourselves and our teams develop in this area.

or almost 30 years the SPVS final year vet student seminar has taken place every summer at Lancaster University. To many of us it’s affectionately known as ‘Lancaster’. The primary aim is to help prepare final year vet students from all the universities to be ready for and succeed in their first jobs and beyond. For many years it was the only non-clinical professional training the students received before taking their first steps as graduates. Despite the universities offering similar learning opportunities, Lancaster remains as important as ever; it complements the university courses and also offers something that they can’t because it brings the students together from all corners of the UK and Ireland and provides expertise, guidance and advice from practising and non-practising vets from every walk of our profession and beyond. It’s almost impossible to describe the atmosphere that’s created at Lancaster until you’ve attended; ‘that Lancaster feeling’, as many of us call it, is unique and very special and it leaves you rejuvenated and full of belief – not only in the new generation of vets about to graduate but also in our profession and life in general. Many speakers and sponsors who attend for their first time say to me when they leave “I get it now and please, please, please, count me in again for next year!” This year’s seminar was no exception. It was supported and endorsed by BVA, BSAVA and the RCVS and, once again, final year students from all the universities attended. The lecture programme was jam packed and it’s fair to say every lecture received a full house from the students. Some of the highlights included: Richard Holborow and Iain Richards ‘eased’ delegates in gently with sessions on writing their CVs and interview techniques. Later in the course of the three days tasks were www.practicelife.biz z December/January 2017 z Practice Life

The career alternative sessions took place in a ‘fireplace’ format this year and generated a lot of questions. The areas in which the presenting vets worked included charities, emergency providers, a chief strategy officer for a PLC, a barrister, APHA, a wildlife and zoo vet, RAVC, pharmaceutical industry, referral orthopaedic practice and academia; it was a thought provoking session. The overall message was that very few of the speakers had ended up with their careers by design; they hadn’t expected to work in the areas they did and so students should always remember ‘you can be whatever you want to be, don’t let your own dysfunctional beliefs hold you back’. The social side of Lancaster and the networking is often considered to be as important as the lectures. That oneon-one time the students get with our sponsors and our speakers is particularly valuable; for many of them these are conversations in which someone says something that stays with them and helps or inspires them months, years or even decades down the line. Then of course there is the dancing and I think it’s fair to say ‘the older ones’ can still hold their own on the dance floor! So after three days in the bubble that is ‘Lancaster’ everyone went their separate ways leaving, as already mentioned, feeling inspired and reinvigorated and additionally, for the students, feeling like a part of our profession for the first time, often making comments like ‘this is the first time I’ve ever been treated as, or made to feel like, a vet rather than a vet student’. 2017 marks the 30th anniversary of Lancaster and we’d like to celebrate in style. It’s a seminar that is truly the profession’s and one that many, many people have been involved with and contributed to over the years. On the Saturday night, July 8, we will be hosting a charity ball and would love as many people who ‘love Lancaster’ as much as we do to mark the occasion with us. Please contact the SPVS office if you’re interested in tickets when they become available. For details visit spvs.org.uk/lancaster

SPVS NEWS

Street art in a school

MISSION RABIES: A CHARITY APPEAL Stephanie Writer-Davies shares her experiences of a VIP trip to Malawi to see how Mission Rabies is making a difference to both people and animals

t the end of May I found myself doing veterinary work in very different surroundings. Instead of the bright, clean atmosphere of my modern, well equipped small animal practice in Hertfordshire, the consulting and operating areas were classrooms with no electric lighting or running water; this was Malawi. I was fortunate to be able join Mission Rabies for the last week of its vaccination programme in Blantyre City and District. And what an experience! What Mission Rabies and Worldwide Veterinary Services (WVS) manage to achieve in difficult conditions and a short period of time is amazing and the impact on both animal and human health and welfare is wonderful. Rabies is an almost invariably fatal and dreadful disease. The majority of people who die from it are children from poor and marginal communities and more than 99% of human cases are as a result of dog bites. Sadly, because of fear, thousands of dogs are indiscriminately and inhumanely killed, unfortunately without any impact on the spread of the disease. The best way to address the problem is to vaccinate dogs; according to WHO guidelines if at least 70% of the canine population in rabies-endemic areas is vaccinated, the disease in dogs and, thus, people will be controlled. Mission Rabies, sponsored by Dogs Trust, aims to achieve this. The charity was

launched in India in September 2013 by Luke Gamble, CEO of WVS. Since then, with the help of local and international volunteers working mainly in India and Africa, more than 350,000 dogs have been vaccinated, 50,000 neutered and 500,000 children have been educated about the risks of rabies, what to do if they are bitten and how to avoid getting bitten in the first place. I joined Mission Rabies’ VIP week in Malawi and was one of several guests invited to see exactly how the charity achieves its results. We helped with the vaccination programme, spending a day at a static point clinic where a temporary facility was set up in a school with people bringing their dogs varying distances to have their free rabies vaccinations. Several cats were also presented, usually in woven grain bags, which gave new meaning to the term ‘letting the cat out of the bag’ (I developed a new skill; vaccinating whichever bit of cat I could get hold of through the bag!). About 700 dogs were vaccinated the day I was there. A temporary neutering facility was also set up and animals that had been vaccinated were offered neutering if necessary. The surgical team ran a very slick operation (no pun intended!) and 72 animals were neutered before the light got too bad to see. Obviously there were other dogs needing surgery that couldn’t be fitted in; the beauty of the Mission Rabies system is that every dog vaccinated is logged and owners’ details taken Practice Life z December/January 2017 z www.practicelife.biz

SPVS NEWS

Our trip to the hospital was shocking; I was one of several people moved to tears by the conditions. The staff at the veterinary lab have to cope with frequent power cuts and there wasn’t even a working fridge or freezer. Very few tests can be done because there are no reagents and no money to buy more, dogs suspected of being rabid can only be tested because Mission Rabies provides the kits, there is one monocular microscope, a very old incubator that works at random temperatures and an unreliable centrifuge (though thanks to some fundraising by SPVS Councillor, A very orderly queue for wristbands! Kathleen Robertson and Vet Trust, triggered by my experience, one is to be Patients recovering donated by Nationwide Laboratories, which is wonderful). However, despite all this, they do what they can and the lab is the first port of call for a dog that has bitten; if testing shows it was rabid then the person injured can access postexposure vaccines (if there is any in stock in the hospital!). While of course it was a reality check, my time in Malawi was also very positive. It was great to see how much the local people appreciate the work that Mission Rabies is doing. WVS also helps with livestock health and welfare and, as a result of some projects that were set up, poultry and dairy cattle should have better husbandry, be healthier and hopefully more productive. I returned to the UK with a different perspective and feeling reinvigorated; I’ll definitely be doing something enabling coverage of the vaccination programme to be assessed as well as allowing the Blantyre SPCA charity clinic with which similar in future. There are many charities that ask for our help, but my they work, to contact these owners and arrange to neuter their first-hand experience of Mission Rabies and WVS makes me animals in the days following. confident that funds are used wisely and they really are making We also took part in the door-to-door vaccinating where a difference. Not only in terms of rabies control – all the dogs teams of volunteers along with employed local drivers and that are neutered receive blue webbing collars and since they animal handlers walk into pre-planned areas, knocking on can only be neutered if they are vaccinated these collars show doors, checking if dogs found are already vaccinated and if not that they are ‘safe’ dogs. then vaccinating them. The combination of static point and Obviously the dogs are more comfortable with collars door-to-door programmes results in better vaccine penetration instead of chains, but it also changes the interaction of people of the dog population. The May 2016 vaccination drive with them because they are no longer to be feared. The collars achieved 80% coverage with 35,600 dogs receiving a dose of are made by local women and, as a result of the funding Nobivac Rabies. We also observed some of the education team at work in local provided, the women have done so well that they have built a sustainable business – a heart-warming story of improved schools; a lovely experience, full of excitement – I don’t think quality of life all round. I have ever before been hugged, touched and ‘high-fived’ by so many laughing, exuberant children for whom the mundane For more information visit www.missionrabies.com or school day was transformed by the fascination of the arrival of wvs.org.uk. Any help you can give would be very much about a dozen white people. appreciated, be it equipment or monetary donations or As VIPs we were also given an insight into the challenges perhaps your or your employees’ time; volunteers are always faced by those who work in the area and were given tours of needed and I know the experience would be worth taking the main veterinary laboratory and the biggest public hospital. time off for. To describe the facilities in both as basic is an understatement. www.practicelife.biz z December/January 2017 z Practice Life

VPMA News President’s Welcome After some well-needed time off in August my diary is now filling up. The first event was the VDS’ recent graduate reunion at the RVC Potters Bar campus. I have attended many of these events over the years and often had concerns over the number of new vets who were unsure of their basic employment terms and conditions – let alone those not given a contract of employment. This year the vast majority had been issued a contract and were very clued up in this area. Thanks to all you practice/ HR managers out there who are making great improvements in this area! It was then quickly on to the RCVS where I’m in a working party looking at Schedule 3 of the Veterinary Surgeons Act (VSA) and recommendations for amendments. The process of Government legislation is fascinating and I was feeling quite overawed to start with. I qualified as a VN in 1989 and so when the Schedule 3 amendment was made shortly after I qualified it had huge implications on the VN’s role and the types of skills we could develop and use. This working party is in its early days so watch this space for future news. The following day the VN Futures teams met to discuss strategy on how to move the VN Futures report actions forward. VPMA will have a big part to play in this as we look at how we can retain and develop our nurses in practice, along with developing them into fee earners – and therefore active in the profit of the practice, rather than being seen as a cost. A couple of days later I attended BEVA Congress for the first time. Although I manage a mixed practice I was a bit concerned that I would not have much to contribute to chat over dinner, especially as I was sat between vets from practices that serve some of the big racing stables. However, it was soon apparent that regardless of the type of practice we work in we all have the same issues and can learn a lot from each other. September is also when BVA holds its members’ day; this year held in Bristol so pretty much local to Cornwall! Congratulations to all the award winners and also to Gudrun as she takes on her presidency. The one thing I will take away from that day is the level of support and respect there is within our industry, along with a huge amount of dedication we all have to keeping it moving forward. The final event of September was the VPMA Strategy Day and Board meeting. Having welcomed our new board members in June , they were now put to work as we looked at our strategy for the next nine to 12 months. This meeting was all about identifying some very specific areas to develop. I would like to thank everyone for their hard work and enthusiasm over these two days... now let’s roll up our sleeves! Renay Rickard RVN CVPM VPMA President

VPMA builds engagement across the profession In a fast-changing industry the traditional models of management and leadership structures within practices is changing, and VPMA needs to change with it to encourage membership from across the whole veterinary team and wider industries.

As part of its “Forever Learning” initiative, VPMA was proud to sponsor the CAW Head Nurse Congress in 2016, during which nurse delegates were asked to complete a questionnaire on their thoughts and experiences of nurses going into management positions. The results emphatically showed a disconnect between what nurses were expected to know for management roles and the actual experience they had, especially in areas such as managing difficult team members and general people management. Delegates numbered 106 over the two days of congress, and 92 responded to the VPMA survey, which was a fantastic result and does, we believe, show how passionate nurses are about the topic. The fact that so many head nurses engaged with the survey shows a high level of interest in the general topic of “management” from this group. Headline stats were as follows: • 88% of respondents said they are responsible for dealing with difficult team members, with 80% wanting more training in this. • 61% said they were responsible for appraisals, with 71% asking for more training. • 66% said they were responsible for recruitment, with 39% asking for more training. Supporting head nurses and encouraging more VNs to get involved in practice management is something the VPMA board is committed to, along with being an inclusive association for practice managers who come from ‘outside’ the veterinary profession. In June, VPMA expanded its board of directors, and welcomed five new members – three of whom are veterinary nurses or have veterinary nursing backgrounds. The expansion of the board has enabled the association to set up various working parties to look into and push forward key focus areas, such as building engagement with all areas of the veterinary industry, including independent practices, corporate and large veterinary groups, commercial businesses and educators, as well as changing the perception of VPMA as an association for just practice managers. Visit www.vpma.co.uk to find out more about the VPMA and join the discussions on all things management.

VPMA AGM The Annual General Meeting of VPMA Ltd will take place on Thursday January 26, 2017 at the Celtic Manor Resort, Newport at 5.00pm, prior to the networking dinner for VPMA/SPVS Congress 2017. We encourage VPMA members to attend if at all possible and take an active role in the running of your Association. If you have any business you wish to be raised at the AGM, please advise the Company Secretary in writing of such business. This must be received in the VPMA office by December 29, 2016 at the latest. secretariat@vpma.co.uk

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VPMA NEWS

Regional News

MEET YOUR REGIONAL ORGANISERS If you are not in touch with your local regional group and would like to get more involved, please contact the VPMA Secretariat: secretariat@vpma.co.uk BUCKINGHAMSHIRE ro18@vpma.co.uk

Following the summer, our VPMA Regional Organisers have put on a total of 11 regional meetings across the country, with meetings being held in York, Manchester, Uxbridge, Stockport, Bradbury, Kilmington, Upminster, Godmanchester and Bromsgrove. We would like to thank our Regional Organisers for the time they voluntarily give in organising meetings. There have been a range of speakers at these meetings giving talks on a variety of topics, but always there has been the opportunity for delegates to network with each other. We feel this is one of the most important aspects of VPMA’s regional meetings – the delegates get time to chat with each other and discuss any issues they may be facing in practice. Our aim at regional level is to get the message across that practice managers are not alone in the workplace. We currently have some vacancies across the regions, and are looking at recruiting for the Midlands Region and the Scottish Region. If you are interested in becoming a Regional Organiser, please contact the VPMA Secretariat. Finally we wish to give thanks to Melvyn Wilkins who is retiring as a Regional Organiser at the end of this year. He will be sorely missed. Melvyn first joined the VPMA as a member in 1994 and became a Regional Organiser not many years later, until he sold his practice in 2004. Following his move to Petplan, Melvyn took up his role as Regional Organiser again in 2011 – so all in all – he has been a Regional Organiser for about 10 years! Truly commendable.

Renay Rickard – VPMA President & Regional Co-ordinator

CHESHIRE/DERBYSHIRE Kate Mincher Tel: 01663 745294 ro2@vpma.co.uk CORNWALL/DEVON Renay Rickard Tel: 01208 872254 ro21@vpma.co.uk CUMBRIA Vacant ro3@vpma.co.uk EAST ANGLIA Cath Grimsey & Tamsin Swain ro6@vpma.co.uk ESSEX REGION Liz La-Page Tel: 07772 382465 ro22@vpma.co.uk HERTS, BEDS & NORTHANTS Vacant ro4@vpma.co.uk KENT REGION Siobhan Park Tel: 07849 773 152 ro23@vpma.co.uk

LONDON REGION Mark Harwood Tel: 01242 680000 ro17@vpma.co.uk NORTH EAST/CO. DURHAM Claire Bake Tel: 01388 602707 ro16@vpma.co.uk NORTH WEST REGION Janet Hughes & Janie Clare Tel: 07964 505226 ro17@vpma.co.uk OXFORDSHIRE, WILTSHIRE & BERKSHIRE ro13@vpma.co.uk SOUTH WEST Suzanne Headington Tel: 01242 680000 ro20@vpma.co.uk WALES Linda Mogford Tel: 07891 176572 ro5@vpma.co.uk WEST MIDLANDS Rebekka Fiorani ro1@vpma.co.uk YORKSHIRE Lisa Winter  Tel: 0777 268 2617  ro8@vpma.co.uk

VPMA’S TOP TIPS WELL RECEIVED VPMA has been running a series of Top Tips this Autumn, covering a range of topics of relevance to those involved in practice management. These tips offer easily digestible pieces of content to view on the website or can be downloaded and printed to refer to at a later date if you prefer. The #VPMATips are available to members only and can be accessed by logging in to the members’ area on the website www.vpma.co.uk. The Tips have been rolled out on a weekly basis over the autumn and all are now available on the website. These have proved popular with members and have been discussed on the VPMA forums so we will be running more next year. Topics to date include: Reasons to offer client finance, KPIs to monitor your practice’s performance, Employment law and HR, Upgrading your customer telephone experience, among others. If you would like to suggest a topic for #VPMATips email emma@mojoconsultancy.com

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SPONSORED BY

A REPORT FROM THE VPMA STRATEGY DAY To develop the Association’s strategy and focus on some definite projects and goals for the upcoming year we were tasked with providing some areas of the VPMA that we believed we should “start, continue, change or stop”. This was a really productive and useful exercise that I will definitely be using in practice as it helped to highlight the things we feel we do well, but also areas where we either needed to develop or change... or simply just stop. By the end of the day we had a very clear idea on the areas we wanted to focus on and had developed small working groups to get things moving forward. These areas are: 1. Having successfully recruited additional members to boost the VPMA Board with specific skill sets, it was decided to further develop the role of the secretariat with assigned management responsibilities, to help drive forward goals set by the President and Board. 2. D evelop our engagement with all areas of the veterinary industry, including independent practices, corporate and large veterinary groups, commercial businesses and educators. This has been broken down into two sub-groups:

i) Future members ii) Businesses 3. Change the perception of VPMA as an association for just practice managers. In a fast-changing industry the traditional models of management and leadership structures within practices is changing, and VPMA needs to change with it to encourage membership from across the whole veterinary team and wider industries. 4. Review Practice Life to ensure it is providing relevant information, is available to the right people and is in the format that readers want. 5. To review board members’ remuneration – currently all the work done by the board is voluntary and the time commitment can mean many members using holiday or unpaid time for VPMA meetings and events. Payment of a daily rate would offset time away from daily practice. We have already started to have meetings within our subgroups – with reports and actions to be taken to our next board meeting in December. Renay, VPMA President

New regional organiser for Yorkshire Yorkshire has been without a regional coordinator for as long as VPMA can remember… until now, as we welcome Lisa Winter to the post

Being passionate about Yorkshire and knowing the struggles I faced in practice as a manager every day I was shocked there was no support for this role and, therefore, there was only one thing for it. Now out of practice, but still working in the industry with Onswitch, it was my time to give something to others. The regional meetings are a great opportunity to share and learn from others in the same job role, whether from the corporate sector, private, large or small practice, this community group has proven to be quite valuable. It is interesting to hear other people’s views and how others do things. It is not as time consuming as you think – with a minimum of four meetings in a year, you can plan early and get the dates out there. I have organised my previous and future meetings to have a speaker after listening to what the attendees needed and thinking about what I needed as a manager. Carolyne Crowe was at the top of my list. Carolyne was perfect to boost the confidence of the managers and give them the tools they needed to do their job. She gave personal tips on self-development, managing people and, overall, gave a real sense of ‘you’re not on your own’ feel to the meeting.

Here are some of the attendees’ comments following the meeting... “Great session, thanks, please can we have more of this!” “Great practical session as always!”

“Brilliant session, will definitely recommend to others.”

“Great workshop, it is very nice to know I am not alone. Thank you.” Practice Life z December/January 2017 z www.practicelife.biz

VPMA NEWS

NEW TO MANAGEMENT WEBINAR SERIES

A series of introductory-level talks on most-requested management topics WEBINAR 1: ‘TEAM WORK: ENCOURAGING HARMONY’ This webinar will look at the various roles within practice, look at personality traits and how to encourage cohesive, supportive team structures. WEBINAR 2: ‘APPRAISALS: A SIMPLE GUIDE’ Appraisals are often dreaded – on both sides! This webinar will outline a simple structure for appraisals and highlight some dos and don’ts to make them as stress-free as possible. WEBINAR 3: ‘DIFFICULT TEAM MEMBERS AND DISCIPLINARY PROCESSES’ Dealing with difficult team members is stressful and hard. Find out how to handle these situations and what might be expected of you in managing a disciplinary process.

t’s not uncommon for veterinary nurses, veterinary surgeons or other team members to find themselves being asked or ‘’volunteered’ to take on some management responsibilities. Having started their journey from a student, through college or practice, all the time focused on clinical training, it’s unlikely that they will have had any formal training in management skills along the way. This was the resounding feedback that we got from our survey at Head Nurse Congress: read more on page 10. In addition, while there are some practices that have Practice Managers, Client Care Managers and even HR managers, there are also those where managerial roles are solely the responsibility of the head nurse or lead vet. The top 3 ‘wants’ from the Head Nurse Congress survey conducted by the VPMA were: • Training in people management – 89%. Breaking this down reveals target areas: o Dealing with difficult team members – 80% o Appraisals – 71% (61% have responsibility for appraisals) • Time management – 56% • Client communication – 41% In response, the VPMA has developed a series of introductorylevel webinars dealing with these key aspects. Delivered by top speakers in their fields, the series starts in February 2017, taking place approximately fortnightly and in the evening. Certificates will be available. Each webinar is 50 minutes long with a discussion session at the end.

WEBINAR 4: ‘TIME MANAGEMENT’ Are you managing the ops list, organising lunch, planning rotas and juggling student training, alongside your regular day job? Join us for some top tips on managing your time efficiently and effectively. WEBINAR 5: ‘COMMUNICATING WITH CLIENTS AND THE PUBLIC’ Do you have responsibility for managing social media or marketing in your practice? This webinar helps you understand the basic rules of engagement on and offline. Includes managing negative social media and PR. WEBINAR 6: ‘COMPLAINTS: HOW TO DEAL WITH THEM AND HOW TO AVOID THEM HAPPENING IN THE FIRST PLACE!’ Keeping clients on-side in a complaint is stressful and if handled incorrectly, might make matters worse. Learn how to resolve such situations and how, by good communication, they can be avoided or minimised. Sign up today by contacting the VPMA Secretariat on secretariat@vpma.co.uk

Each webinar costs just £15+VAT, or you can book all 6 for £60+VAT. If you have team members carrying out any kind of management role or activity, then show your support by enrolling them. Better still – sign them up for VPMA membership! The webinar series, like our Lunchtime Management Update talks, are all free to VPMA members. www.practicelife.biz z December/January 2017 z Practice Life

Nurse Talk

In association with

Nurses, get your voices heard!

THE BVNA has launched an online discussion portal, to drive engagement with its members, and also formally elicit the views of its membership on key issues within the profession. It was clear to BVNA that so many RVNs are passionate about their profession, they have strong opinions on how the profession can change and develop in the future. Therefore, it’s disappointing to hear that such low numbers of RVNs take part in consultations about their profession. Having canvassed our members, we realise that this is usually down to time pressures, not knowing how to get involved, and

not wanting to say the wrong thing or appear foolish. With this in mind, BVNA is very excited to launch the Voice of Veterinary Nursing forum, which has been specifically designed to be quick and easy to use. It makes use of quick questionnaires and yes/no answers in a bid to get as many RVNs and SVNs as possible to give their opinions on the topics that matter to the profession. The BVNA

Follow the #VNVoice campaign on Twitter and Facebook or sign up at www.bvna.org.uk!

will then use the responses of its members to take forward to the RCVS and other associations. Using this tool, BVNA can then truly say it represents the Voice of Veterinary Nursing.

Go to the BVNA website for more details about how to get involved and have your say!

INFECTION CONTROL: MORE THAN JUST CLEANING! PRACTICES are now being encouraged to have a designated individual responsible for infection control – someone who can review infection control policies, monitor compliance and implement the changes required to raise standards. In addition, the evolving worldwide concept of One Health aims to develop interdisciplinary communication and develop working collaborations between human health care, animals, and the environment. The BVNA’s Infection Control for Practice Standards course aims to not only cover the core standards of infection control but develop leaders who have the knowledge and skills to implement change, educate and engage peers and raise the standards. Over three months and three modules, we teach the principles of biosecurity in order to optimise human and animal wellbeing, along with the skills required to go back into practice and really make a difference. The course is delivered via an online learning platform (Moodle). Throughout the course, students are supported when required by course tutors and the BVNA office team. The cost for the whole course is: BVNA Members: £295.00 + VAT Non-BVNA Members: £395.00 + VAT To enrol online visit www.bvna.org.uk/cpd/infection-control

Practice Life z December/January 2017 z www.practicelife.biz

NURSE TALK

FANCY WRITING AN ARTICLE FOR THE VNJ? Sam McMillian, VNJ’s Editor in Chief shares her top tips on getting published... VETERINARY Nursing Journal is the official peer-reviewed journal of the British Veterinary Nursing Association. The articles included in the journal provide VNs access to practical and research-based clinical information. We invite students, qualified and advanced veterinary nurses, and vets to add to this growing body of research by publishing in the journal. Benefits of publishing • Sharing and advancing knowledge within the profession. • Reviewing the evidence base as a reflective practitioner. • Counts as CPD time. • Builds on your qualification. • Can further your career. Types of article in VNJ Features: advice, information, interviews, discussion pieces, surveys, careers and more (max 1500 words). Clinical and research: clinical trials, best practice, reviews and overviews of existing research and practice – ie, clinical articles, clinical audit and case studies (max 2000 words). Inspiration: a method, a result, a case, an undergraduate project.

Peer review explained After you submit your paper your article will go through peer review which means your article will be read by other nurses and vets. Five things to remember about peer review: 1. It’s anonymous – VNJ uses double-blind peer review, which means both the author and reviewer remains anonymous 2. It improves quality of the article and upholds the standards of the journal 3. It helps you to make your final article better – expect some constructive criticism 4. It’s not personal – don’t be put off if you receive some negative feedback 5. If you have concerns speak to the editor VNJeditorinchief@bvna.co.uk Ready to submit your article or want to find out more? Visit www.tandfonline.com/tvnj to browse previous issues, read the instructions for authors, and submit your article.

Not sure where to start? Here are our TOP TIPS for writing your article... 1. Have an idea 2. Read back issues 3. Check instructions for authors 4. Write a draft first 5. Ask a friend to read it 6. Refine your draft 7. Proof read and submit

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www.practicelife.biz z December/January 2017 z Practice Life

College Corner A SUCCESSFUL START

TO A NEW SCHEME Last November the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) relaunched its voluntary Practice Standards Scheme (PSS) with a new focus on offering a pathway to improvement for practices of all types and encouraging them to aspire to excellence. One year later we look at how the new scheme has been received. Jacqui Molyneux, chair of the Practice Standards Group, at the awards ceremony.

In the period since the relaunch of the PSS the RCVS has seen a 25% year-on-year increase in the number of practice premises applying to join and be accredited under the scheme compared to the same period 2014-15. Almost 60% of practice premises in the UK are members of the PSS which, through setting standards and carrying out assessments, aims to promote and maintain the highest standards of veterinary care. The new PSS offers some distinct benefits for practices. And one of the key changes was the launch of the PSS awards, which allow practices to demonstrate the areas in which they excel. There are 16 awards that practices can apply for (six for small animal practices, five for equine practices and five for farm animal practices) to give them the opportunity to demonstrate where they excel. For example, small animal practices can apply for awards in team and professional

responsibility; client service; patient consultation service; in-patient service; diagnostic service; and emergency and critical care service. Each award is made up of modules and in order for a practice to be classed as ‘good’ in an award they must have achieved at least 60% of the available points and to be classed as ‘outstanding’ they must have achieved at least 80% of the available points. Although the assessment is stringent we are glad to say that a number of practices from across the UK have already gained awards – some of them in every area.

Awards ceremony at BVNA Congress It was the achievement of these, literally, award-winning practices that were celebrated at a ceremony held at the BVNA Congress on October 7, which was hosted by RCVS President Chris Tufnell. The ceremony was also used as an opportunity Practice Life z December/January 2017 z www.practicelife.biz

COLLEGE CORNER

to celebrate the role played by veterinary nurses in achieving RCVS accreditation for their practices. In total the representatives of 18 practices from around the UK attended and the awards were given across the small animal, equine and farm animal practice accreditation categories. Introducing the ceremony was Jacqui Molyneux, chair of the Practice Standards Group, which is responsible for coordinating the scheme, whose own practice – Prince Bishop Veterinary Hospital near Durham – received six outstanding awards in the small animal category. She said: “I feel immensely proud to be here today and introducing this awards reception at BVNA Congress. I’m proud of all those who worked so hard on the Practice Standards Group to develop and implement the new Scheme. I’m proud because my own practice, led by my Head Nurse Victoria Howarth, is receiving awards today. But most of all, I’m proud because today’s event recognises and celebrates the vital but often-overlooked role of veterinary nurses in the Practice Standards Scheme. “We know that RVNs are frequently the champions of the scheme, advocating its role, driving forward new approaches in their practices and preparing for assessments. There is, therefore, perhaps no better venue at which to mark the achievement of these practices than BVNA Congress.” The ceremony then featured presentations from three veterinary nurses whose roles had been integral in their practices achieving awards, including Gillian Calvo from the Royal Veterinary College’s Queen Mother Hospital for Small Animals and Victoria Howarth from Prince Bishop Veterinary Hospital. The third veterinary nurse to speak was Helen Boyd from Macqueen Vets in Wiltshire, which received five ‘outstanding’ awards. Speaking of the awards assessment process, Helen said: “The whole process has been very useful to the practice as it has provided an audit record on the majority of procedures carried out and allowed us to update and improve our working systems. For example, new surgical checklists, new general anaesthetic monitoring forms, physiotherapy techniques and so on. “For anyone thinking of applying for the assessment, I would recommend it to others as it has improved our standards in all areas, including better patient care and improved client experience.” She added: “The assessor, Richard Killen, made us feel at ease throughout the whole process. He had a relaxed manner and was able to ask questions through conversation. He was very personable and understood the practicalities of a working practice.”

Anthony Roberts, senior manager – Practice Standards, says: “From the feedback we have received from practices that have undergone inspections for either their accreditation or their awards, this is a much better way of doing things. Whereas before it might sometimes have felt like a tick-box exercise the practices are telling us how refreshing it is to have someone taking a real interest in the way they do things and the overall experience they provide for their clients.”

Online system The next major landmark for the new scheme will be the launch of its online administration and support tool – named Stanley – which will provide document storage, a calendar and a self-assessment function for practices. The overall intention is that it will make the accreditation and awards application processes quicker and easier to manage by allowing practices to upload documentation for assessors to view in advance of inspections. Stanley is currently in advanced beta-testing but it is hoped that it will be live by the beginning of 2017. Contact us If your practice is not yet a member of the scheme but you are interested in joining or finding out more visit www.rcvs.org.uk/pss, where you will be able to find information about applying for RCVS accreditation. You are also very welcome to contact a member of our Practice Standards Team on 020 7202 0767 or pss@rcvs.org.uk, if you have any queries.

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The assessor team While the awards may be the most noticeable change in the new scheme, one of the most crucial has been the establishment of a new team of assessors bringing with it a new way of carrying out assessments. A key element of this is less emphasis on checking paperwork during the assessment day and greater focus on listening to practice staff and assessing the behaviours that impact on the service offered to patients and clients.

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www.practicelife.biz z December/January 2017 z Practice Life VIR 5414 VACCINES ad 88.5x127.5 AW.indd

18/10/2016 10:32

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

in the From art to social media consultant, via a practice management role, Brenda Tassava has vast experience of leadership and mentoring. Something she puts to great use when speaking at events on all things veterinary. You can see Brenda speaking at the SPVS-VPMA Congress in January.

y art career took a turn when I became pregnant with my daughter and wound up on bed rest early in the pregnancy. I decided to stay home and raise my daughter for a few years. When she was almost four, I realised I needed to get back to work simply so I could have adult conversations once more! By then, my job designing neon signs and art sculptures was long gone, but I happened to see a sign in the front yard of a veterinary hospital that was accepting applications for customer service. I thought that it would be a good position to take to get my feet wet in the working world once again. The art world could wait, but more of that later. I started at that practice on Friday, 13th June, and it was a whirlwind of training followed by starting on the schedule first thing Monday morning. Before I knew it, I was in love with the people, the frenetic pace, and, most importantly, the common purpose we served in caring for the pets and the people who loved them. It wasn’t long before my practice manager spotted a hard work ethic, along with the creative problem-solving skills I brought to the table. She began mentoring me to take on more and more management duties, and in a few short years had groomed me into her replacement. She happily handed the practice over to me, so she could move to California to live near her grandchildren (I had become her succession plan!).

Leadership Several years later, I found myself in a similar situation where I was shaping and mentoring my leadership team to serve the needs of a large and growing staff. Having already started speaking and consulting, after publishing my book Social Media for Veterinary Professionals in 2011, I found myself asking one of my talented team leaders if she had ever considered pursuing her CVPM. Her response of “Why would I? You’re here...” shook me to the core. Was I holding her back? Was I limiting myself and not taking on enough challenges in my own career? After giving great thought to those questions, I began my own determined mentorship and exit strategy, positioning her and other key leaders in the practice to take on more. In a shorter time than I thought, I was proud to hand the reins to that same team leader who replaced me as practice manager while I went to begin working with not one team, but many. I’m delighted to say Practice Life z December/January 2017 z www.practicelife.biz

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IN THE SPOTLIGHT

that she has now qualified to sit for her CVPM and I am looking forward to hearing good news from her exam in the near future. When it comes to workplace culture, I have found that taking a “whole-istic” approach works best. By this, I mean that while a practice team may get caught up in negativity and a downwardspiralling culture, the best medicine is to not only focus on culture improvement, but to do a full practice management needs analysis at the same time. It’s when the team embraces compliance improvement along with better management of inventory, partnered with stronger hospital operational systems and communication tools that the culture dramatically improves. We don’t just sit around and talk out our feelings and sing Kumbaya – we work! I tell my practice teams that if they want a better workplace culture, there’s going to be work involved and it won’t happen overnight. Once they understand and start doing the work, focusing primarily on client and patient care, we see significant improvements to the culture as well.

Shared learning What can US Practice Managers learn from UK Practice Managers and vice versa? I think there are golden opportunities for practice managers all over the world to learn from one another, no matter where they might live and work. Given that we are all veterinary professionals working with people who are compassionate to the point of putting pets and others ahead of themselves more often that not, the practice manager plays a key role in supporting these hard-working veterinarians and team members in ways one might not have thought when first getting into practice management. It’s more than bookkeeping and human resources administration, today’s practice manager needs to be a positive coach, shaping young people into professionals who represent growing businesses. Practice managers need to be able to spot compassion fatigue, and find ways to bring work-life balance into more realistic terms. They have to be creative problem-solvers, finding ways to help pet owners pay for veterinary care while also making payroll and balancing a budget. The best way a practice manager can do this is by getting themselves outside the walls of their own practices. Join or start a local managers’ group. Have open discussions, both in person and online, sharing challenges and possible solutions. The wider we all cast our nets, the greater the veterinary profession will benefit wherever we happen to be in the world. My book on social media was and has always been intended to be an introduction to the world of social media marketing basics for veterinarians and anyone involved in marketing the practice. Social media has grown and expanded into many more platforms today than were available six years ago, but by and large the approaches are relatively the same. It is definitely not going anywhere and small businesses around the world have learned to embrace the medium. In a profession bound by ethics, veterinarians and their team members must always recognise the boundaries of privacy and confidentiality with regards to clients, patients, and co-workers. The laws around social media are changing at a rapid pace, most often out of need due to boundaries being crossed. Open discussion about the proper use (including code of ethics and legal ramifications) of social media should happen often in veterinary practices. We can’t expect it to be “common sense”, for nothing is ever that simple. Our veterinary teams need structure

Some of Brenda’s paintings.

and guidance, especially when it comes to social media. It’s the responsibility of the practice management team to keep abreast of legal changes, and ethical issues as they arise and guide their teams by fostering a positive workplace culture that understands policies and protocols are the framework that support us all in being able to deliver the best care we possibly can to the patients that need us most. And as for art, well my belief is that all things come full circle. I have found myself remaining very much with my two feet planted in both the art and veterinary worlds, continuing to paint in encaustics every year. In 2016, I began working with professional artists as a consultant, helping them to pursue their visions for the future. I will be continue to expand my practice to include more professional artists while continuing to serve veterinarians, truly having my cake and eating it too! Brenda Tassava, CVPM, CVJ Veterinary Practice Consultant, Halow Tassava Consulting www.halowtassava.com Practice Life z December/January 2017 z www.practicelife.biz

WELL-BEING

EATING DISORDERS IN VETS: A PERSONAL PERSPECTIVE The demographics of the veterinary profession indicate it is of significant risk of eating disorders – here we listen to an anonymous sufferer’s account and how they sought help

don’t wish to dwell too much on my own experiences of suffering from an eating disorder, because I want this article to be about recovery, the help I received through Vetlife Health Support, and how we can help anyone suffering now. As a highly female-dominated profession, comprised of high-achieving personalities, it would seem likely the profession is at significant risk of eating disorders. Especially when combined with the isolation and pressures of university and then work. But no study has yet looked into this particular problem within the profession to gauge if this is in fact true. Eating disorders are generally easier to hide than alcohol or drug abuse in a workplace setting because, although they affect individuals severely, the sufferer is not actually intoxicated or apparently unable to perform their duties unless severely physically impaired (severe anorexia). www.practicelife.biz z December/January 2017 z Practice Life

Spectrum of problems Although people are likely to think of anorexia as the severe and life-threatening form of the illness (we are all familiar with pictures of “Belsen-like” young women starving themselves to death), the term in fact covers a much wider spectrum of problems, from anorexia to binge eating disorder to severe obesity to bulimia. I suffer from bulimia. I use the present tense because, although now in recovery, I must be constantly vigilant against the threat of relapse. Just as with alcoholism, I will never be “cured” of the problem, only ever recovering. My own experience of bulimia was severe and lifethreatening. Despite being a normal weight and apparently getting on with my life, I was binging and vomiting constantly, making myself sick up to 15 times per day. I felt locked into the cycle, each day thinking tomorrow would be better. I lived like this for 13 years, despite seeking and receiving help from the

WELL-BEING

medical profession on several occasions. However, any time that I tried to stop my erratic eating behaviour, I felt so bad that I couldn’t go on. I really believed that I couldn’t function without my bulimia. Finally, because these diseases are progressive unless treated, I found that I couldn’t live either with or without the disease. Suicide seemed to be the only option I had to stop myself from the binging and vomiting. That is when I finally contacted Vetlife Health Support.

Getting help Through Vetlife Health Support, I was provided with funding for in-patient treatment at a clinic with other addicts. There I learned that eating disorders are forms of addictive disease that can be treated along similar lines to alcoholism and drug addiction. From there, my recovery began. But it took longer than the five weeks in treatment to learn how to deal with life without the “crutch” of my bulimia. The first six months were incredibly tough and it’s still tough at times now – some years into my recovery. But then again, life can be tough for all of us, and I have learned a great deal about compassion for my fellow man through my experiences, for which I am eternally grateful. I’d like to say that recovery has been plain sailing, but it hasn’t, and still isn’t on occasion! Most of the time I enjoy a feeling of stability and purpose in my life but every now and again my “demons” get to me, and I start to worry about my Medivet_PracticeLife-Dec16.pdf

26/09/2016

weight, or crave foods that I don’t eat because they are a trigger for me. I also suffer from intermittent bouts of depression, and I worry a lot about doing a good job at work. But recovery has given me the tools and support network that I need to deal with these times. I now enjoy a quiet confidence that I do have a lot to contribute to my family and friends, my patients, clients and employer and also to the community. I no longer feel worthless as I once did and I shudder to think that I was so desperate a few years ago that I wanted to end it all. I now have a rich and varied life, with ongoing support from Vetlife Health Support, my workplace, a wonderful boyfriend and my family and I am doing things with my life that I never thought would be possible. For this I am truly grateful. I hope my story encourages anyone who is experiencing difficulties with food or other addictions, whatever they may be, to contact Vetlife Health Support and get the help you need. Vetlife Health Support provides professional help for mental health, including issues related to stress, anxiety, depression, alcohol, drugs and eating disorders. Contact 07946 634220 or healthsupport@vetlife.org.uk in complete confidence.

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MANAGING PEOPLE

INDUCTION OF NEW EMPLOYEES: PUTTING A PROCESS IN PLACE How do you turn the new employee you have just spent a lot of time, effort and money recruiting into a smiling committed team member who makes coming to work a pleasure? Roger Wilson gives some pointers.

y experience is that it is the way you and your team members welcome the new staff member and get him or her to buy into your way of doing things and feel a valued member of your team that makes the difference. In modern parlance this is known as “induction” which always sounds like something painful that happens in maternity wards! It shouldn’t be; it should be a stress-free, organised introduction to your world and ways of doing things delivered over three to four weeks by several key team members chosen for their relevant knowledge and empathy. To me the key is getting the paperwork right so that each person involved knows what they have to cover and in what time scale. It needs managing and reviewing to make sure it gets done properly, which is usually the practice manager’s job, but most of the detail can best be done by the new recruit’s line manager and the new recruit’s “mentor”, who should be a more experienced member of the same team, preferably someone who is fully committed to what the practice is trying to achieve. For a newly qualified vet, a senior assistant is great. For a new trainee nurse, a second year trainee or newly qualified nurse often works well. For new receptionists, the receptionist that everyone likes working with is usually best, even if you have to juggle the rotas around a bit.

Paperwork? Where do you get the paperwork from, I hear you ask? My personal preference is for the information that can be downloaded from the Government’s ACAS site http://www. acas.org.uk. Other information is available from your HR support system, but in my experience that is more about the legal detail you need to cover and less about the touchy-feely and training aspects. It is really worth sitting down with the new staff member’s line manager and drawing up a realistic training programme so that the new staff member learns where things are kept and how things are done in a progressive structured manner. This will prevent your new recruit being over-faced or being asked to do something when they have no clue where to find what they need nor how they are expected to do it. (I have an abiding memory of a new trainee nurse being told to “GET THE ADRENALIN NOW” by a very stressed vet and just bursting into tears). What you are aiming to produce is a tick list of things that need covering on day 1, day 2, week 1, week 2, week 3, week 4 with a review at the end of week 4. www.practicelife.biz z December/January 2017 z Practice Life

Showing a new staff member where everything is is fundamental to the process.

Obviously day 1 is the most important. To me the most important thing is that the reception staff know a new starter is due and they know his or her name, welcomes them and preferably takes them through to the appointed “greeter”, who shows them where to put their coat, and so on. The greeter can be their line manager, the practice manager or the mentor. Their line manager is usually best, but often they are very busy first thing and the mentor works very well. At this stage it is great if you can show your new starter around and introduce them to a few people, but again this is often difficult first thing. Usually I get new staff to come in at 10am on their first day so there is time to focus on them. If they have to start earlier I would get them to sit down somewhere quiet and fill in the endless paperwork an employer needs completing for their personnel records, as it does need doing day 1 and it is a relatively stress-free task! A chat with their new colleagues and introduction to their mentor, usually with a cup of coffee, is next, followed by a health and safety briefing (not too long or detailed). Introductions should be made to a few core people, such as the practice manager, wages administrator, head nurse and head receptionist. Then sorting out uniform and possibly pictures for the website and newsletter if they are feeling photogenic.

First task: an easy win Where possible, an “easy win” task is good for a new starter’s confidence and helps them settle down. With new vets that could be a few boosters (with a senior nurse in the consult room to sort out the computer and stand on their foot if necessary). For nurses, helping clean instruments or cages works well. For receptionists, watching and listening to the more experienced receptionists is good. Learning to mark clients as “having

MANAGING PEOPLE

An induction should last 3-4 weeks, with a review at the end.

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arrived” and take payments and mark the payments off the client’s account on the computer are some of the first skills they need, but they do have a lot to learn very quickly, especially the computer system, so it is not easy. As the first week passes, more things on the check list get ticked off, but it does need someone – usually the practice manger – to make sure that everything on the list gets done as it is easy for something to get missed, which may not seem important to us, but will make a big difference to the new team member. Finally, a review with the new team member and (separately!) with their line manager and mentor to see how they are settling in is a must. This should pick up things that may have been missed and need further training, or to flag up more serious concerns that will need to be addressed, such as whether they have the right attitude/aptitude and are going to fit in long-term or cause problems.

In conclusion To summarise, a good induction process gives you the best chance of turning a new employee into a great team member, but also picks up problems early so that you can deal with them before the end of the new team member’s probationary period. Win-win, as they say! Roger Wilson Roger qualified from Cambridge in 1978 and after three years in the Veterinary Corps joined a practice in Lymington, where he has been ever since. He became managing partner in 1984 and stood down in 2015, by which time the practice employed 10 vets over two centres. He was a BVA Council and Southern Counties Vet Society member and has also been involved with the Royal Yachting Association. He has been an examiner for the CVPM since 2012.

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CLIENT CARE & MARKETING

SOCIAL MEDIA: WHERE ARE WE NOW? WHAT’S NEXT? Developing a social media strategy is fundamental to your practice’s ability to communicate with existing clients, attract new pet owners and differentiate your practice from the other vets in town, writes Justin Phillips of White Cross Vets

hen we talk about ‘social media’ what we really mean is Facebook. Yes, there are countless others, but this is where the majority of the pet owners in your area hangout, which means it’s where you should be focusing your resource. There are so many opportunities within Facebook that posting engaging content daily and responding to comments is just the tip of the iceberg. Running your Facebook page effectively has the potential to be a full-time job in its own right and social media coordinators are already commonplace in many other industries. In this article we will cover the key elements.

Your team members are your greatest asset so look after them.

The fundamentals Is your page set up properly? And if you think it is, check again. Facebook loves to change things around at an ever-increasing rate. Using the Facebook Business Manager you must verify your page, configure call to action buttons, pack the ‘About us’ section with keywords, links and lots more. How, what, when and why to post We’re fortunate to have the most engaging subject matter to work with – PETS! Whenever you’re struggling for content just think of the poor person in charge of running the social media for East Coast Mainline Trains, for example. To oil the wheels of inspiration you should have a social media calendar and to answer the question ‘What should I post’ look for the types of content that get the most engagement… and then post more like it. Directing traffic Are you signposting your social media profiles to encourage clients to visit them? Opportunities range from the act of taking a photo on the practice iPad accompanied by a cheery “you can check out this photo of Roxy on our Facebook page” to including a prompt as part of your telephone’s on-hold messaging. You really should incorporate your social media profiles onto all printed material such as vaccination record cards and till receipts as well as on your TV screen and posters in reception. Are your social media profiles embedded into your website on the appropriate pages? If your website is built on WordPress CMS this can be easily done by a web developer in an hour using a widget. If your website isn’t built with WordPress, it can still be incorporated, but my advice would be that it’s probably time you invested in a new website. www.practicelife.biz z December/January 2017 z Practice Life

Extending your reach The most common misconception is that ‘Facebook is free’ when in fact it should be viewed as any other advertising medium that seamlessly integrates into your marketing mix. There are endless paid-for ways to promote the amazing work your practice does within Facebook, which do cost money, but if used correctly can be incredibly cost-effective. Boosting posts is just the beginning of a journey which will introduce you to carousel link ads and remarketing. Handling complaints and negativity At some point in your social media journey you’re bound to encounter disgruntled clients, vigilante groups and spammers. Understanding what Facebook does and doesn’t let you do will enable you to handle these situations quickly to minimise damage to your hard-earned reputation. What does the future have in store? We would all agree that the here and now of social media is that every practice needs a strong Facebook presence and must be posting interesting and engaging content between three and

CLIENT CARE & MARKETING

five times per week. A good marker is 1,000 ‘likes’ per FTE vet although for practices in densely populated urban areas this should be viewed as just the beginning. Other social networks abound but their audience is evermore fragmented and their diminishing return on investment (essentially, do they drive clients through the door of your practice) makes it difficult to justify team members spending time in this way.

My predictions for the future Specialists will become increasingly more commonplace in the veterinary world, with job titles such as marketing manager, content marketing executive and social media ‘maven’ (yes, really) bringing with them experience of industries from outside the veterinary sphere. Video will grow and grow in popularity, videos are easier to consume than a lengthy article and can say more about the quality of care provided in your practice than a photo ever can. Facebook Live makes streaming video, in effect running your own TV channel, incredibly easy – congratulations if you are one of the practices that has already gone ‘live’ broadcasting a Puppy Party or similar. Personalisation, segmentation and targeting will become more sophisticated. Social logins for websites will become

Facebook? No problem!

commonplace allowing content and the user experience to be ever-more personalised – at its most basic level this means dog owners will see canine focused content. While the use of the Facebook Pixel enables a bewildering level of complexity when it comes to retargeting paid-for ads. Let’s remember, whatever the future holds we should view every development as an opportunity to bond pet owners to our practice and educate owners about the importance of responsible pet care, for ours is the most engaging content on the internet.

CASE STUDY: MAKING FACEBOOK MANAGEABLE Here are my top 10 tips for how to manage Facebook in your practice: 1) Create a generic practice profile on Facebook – for many reasons this is preferable to team members using their personal accounts. 2) Buy the latest iPad, log in with your generic Facebook account and use this to manage your practice page. In my experience this is currently the iPad Air 2 WiFi 16GB @ £360, the cheaper Android and Samsung tablets just aren’t as good in my opinion and can be frustrating to use. 3) Set up an Autoresponder within messaging and set your status as ‘away’ when you leave the practice each night. This will preserve your hard-earned ‘100% response rate’ and ensure team members aren’t having to deal with urgent OOH requests when they should be spending time with their families and friends. 4) Invest in training. Developing your team members is central to the culture of any successful practice, and it’s no different when it comes to social media skills. To suit all budgets you can choose from online webinars to fullday seminars. 5) Get together in your practice and crowdsource a weekly content calendar and yearly events calendar. This will provide inspiration for what to post… especially on the days when we are all lacking in inspiration.

6) Build a library of resources you like, these might be the Facebook pages of pet charities, memes or other veterinary practices which can provide inspiration. 7) Use the new scheduling functionality within Facebook to line up posts for the week – this way, with 20 minutes’ effort, you can reasonably expect to line up 90% of your posts for the week. 8) Consider outsourcing. This isn’t right for everyone but if you really don’t have the resource, skill or will in your practice to run a Facebook page consider paying someone to do this for you. Depending on your budget you can either ask anyone from your Saturday Assistant to a Social Media Agency. 9) Empower your team members to run the page as if it were their own. Ensure they have the equipment, training, support and freedom they need and your page will become an invaluable asset to your practice and the local community of pet owners. 10) And finally, set aside time every month to review the ‘insights’ tab to see which content has been well received. Understanding what times your audience are using Facebook will enable you to schedule posts at those times.

Justin Phillips Justin has 20 years’ experience in marketing; he joined White Cross Vets as Marketing Manager in 2012. He has won four Veterinary Marketing Association awards along the way, including the President’s Award in 2015. Justin has helped White Cross Vets establish itself as one of the Sunday Times Best Companies to Work For and has supported the launch of five new practices. A pet owner himself, Justin is passionate about coaching and inspiring others to raise the standard of marketing across the veterinary industry in order to improve client service and to enable practice teams to protect themselves from the increasing growth of corporate practices. Practice Life z December/January 2017 z www.practicelife.biz

BUSINESS HEALTH & FINANCE

ACHIEVING THE BEST FROM YOUR WAITING ROOM Why do we have waiting rooms in veterinary practice? What is their purpose? John O’Connor explores the role of the client waiting room and how to generate income from it with minimum effort

n the ‘good old days’ a waiting room thronging with people and their animals mingling together was a sign of a thriving, busy practice. Nowadays, with practice management software, appointment systems and demands from clients for a higher quality of service, a waiting room is an altogether more peaceful place – at least most of the time! We now use the waiting room as a space for displaying and selling products and services, but have we taken the time needed to really plan what the layout should be and how it should flow? Space comes at a premium and practices have a finite amount to use when it comes to the waiting room. However, by following a few simple rules, a huge amount can be achieved with even the smallest of waiting rooms. Understanding the importance of the space is key. The typical pet owner will spend far more on products for their dog or cat than they ever will on services like veterinary consultations, pet insurance and so on.

They probably aren’t buying these products from their local veterinary practice – why should we allow this to continue? The opportunity to influence the consumer and raise their awareness of the products and services on offer is invaluable and should be maximised to ensure the pet owner is fully aware of what they could and should be doing for their pet. It’s all about ensuring the pet owner is fully aware of what constitutes ‘responsible pet ownership’ and giving them the information to make an informed choice. The key to developing awareness and subsequent sales in your practice is presentation and merchandising in the waiting room. If a product looks like it is good quality and is displayed in a quality fashion, then more clients will want to purchase it and are far less likely to question the cost, reinforced further when displays are well stocked, clean, clearly labelled and priced. Most purchasing decisions are made in-store, so if the presentation is right, sales will improve. The same can be

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said for posters or notice boards advertising practice services. Framed, professional posters or clear and tidy noticeboard displays will entice pet owners to take up these services.

The “waiting” room A number of simple rules can be implemented in the waiting area to influence purchasing behaviour. For instance, practices should merchandise from left to right and from the bottom up. Research shows that products placed in the bottom left corner will sell most, so you might wish to place your best-selling item there, or position a product that is not selling well to increase its visibility. Keeping shelves well stocked at all times is also essential. Consumers are typically reluctant to buy the last of anything on the shelf and gaps, in the consumer’s mind, often have a negative influence. The layout of the front-of-house area will also influence many aspects of the practice and can either drive or restrict over-the-counter sales. Time should be spent reviewing the seating options for clients. We tend to put seats against the wall and have lots of empty space in the middle of the floor. It might be possible to put the seating in the middle of the floor and free up that valuable wall space for displaying products and services. Having back-to-back seating can also give a natural division of the waiting room into separate dog and cat waiting areas. Cat owners, like their pets, have higher expectations and are disappointed if their cat is treated like a small dog. Separating cats with cat-specific products and a place for their carriers to be kept off the ground will see your cat business increase with very little effort or expense. It is an interesting

Cat-specific products are displayed in Kitty Korner waiting area at Clent Hills Vets

exercise to walk into the waiting room and look for anything that is related to cats; in many cases over 95% of the products, posters, treats and so on that are visible are related to dogs.

Pricing Pricing is always a contentious issue with differing opinions on best practice. However, as a rule of thumb, every product and service should be priced and displayed in the waiting area. The fear of it being seen as too expensive is unfounded and, in many cases, if a product isn’t priced then a consumer will not ask. Similarly, with services, prices displayed on the reception wall will make staff far more confident in charging for a recheck consultation, prescription fee or making up a large bill. Profit is, of course, one of the main reasons that we devote time to selling products but the more important reason is footfall. We rely on our clients to come to us when their pet is in need of veterinary attention but most of the time their pet is healthy. By developing an effective over-the-counter sales business we can ensure repeat visits and, thus, increase their awareness of the products and services available. An ‘average’ pet owner may visit the practice once or twice a year for vaccinations or if their pet has hurt themselves in an accident. But, if a pet owner is coming to the practice to buy products, they will visit between eight and 10 times a year.

The waiting game

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Now you know the rules, a simple exercise to start playing ‘The Waiting Game’ is to pretend to be a new client of your practice. Park your car where the clients do, walk into the premises with your dog or cat with your head up as if you don’t know where the door is, register at reception, browse, sit down and experience the ‘feel’ of your waiting room for 10 minutes. How does it look? How does it smell? Is the chair comfortable? Can you see products that look like you would want to buy them? Can you see a service that you might consider above and beyond the consultation you have chosen to visit for? Looking through the eyes of a pet owner is a very simple but extremely effective way to realise what changes you might need to make in your practice. Not all those changes will be easy but many of them would take the minimum of effort and investment. That first impression you make on a new client is formed long before they ever meet the smiling, caring vet in the consultation room. Surely it’s worth investing 15 minutes of your time to ensure the first impression is of a place where ‘I want to bring my pet’ not a place ‘I have to bring my pet.’

VETERINARY DIET

John O’Connor MVB MRCVS Cert Mgmt at ROYAL CANIN

ICU In Practice Full Page.indd 2

23/09/2016 12:01:39

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PRACTICE DEVELOPMENT

Reflective practice:

making it work for you and your team Reflective practice is a term we may often hear, but are we clear about its meaning and how we should incorporate it into our own practices and professional lives? Jill Macdonald explores.

his article aims to offer an overview of what reflective practice may mean to us, outline how and why it can be useful to the veterinary practice team, and provide a framework for constructive reflection and reflection on learning. Reflective practice can be seen as ‘a synthesis of reflection, self-awareness and critical thinking’ (Eby, 2000). The purpose of reflection in the context of reflective practice is to enable us to learn from our experiences by following a cyclical process whereby we examine occurrences, emotions or consequences, either in the moment or retrospectively, learn what we can from them, and use this to improve future practice. ‘Reflective capacity is regarded by many as an essential characteristic for professional competence’ (Mann et al, 2007), and Schon, in his work ‘The Reflective Practitioner’ (1983), defines it as ‘...the capacity to reflect on action so as to engage in a process of continuous learning’ and that it is ‘one of the defining characteristics of professional practice’. Reflection in practice is not really an option - it is central to our continuous professional development. Fig 1 is illustrative of a quote by Confucius.

process more tangible and useful, and empowers it to become an integral component of development. Even if this is a skill you are not yet comfortable with, or feel that you won’t be good at, practise can make perfect! Effective reflection can be learned and developed, to suit you and your situation, and you can teach and encourage it in your staff and students too. This is a practice that you can complete as a solitary exercise, alongside a colleague, or as group work (Oelofsen, 2012).

Guidance on reflection There are many documented models for reflection and experiential learning (or learning by doing), and these follow the same basic premise of: ‘what happened, what did you feel about it, what can you learn from it and what will you do next time?’ in varying levels of complexity. Rolfe (2001) offers a basic form of this cycle, useful to those new to reflection, or who desire a simpler model, and this is shown in Fig 2. Gibbs’ reflective cycle, developed in 1988, provides the following steps: Description (what happened?) Feelings (what were you thinking and feeling?) Evaluation (what was good and bad about the experience?) Analysis (what can you make of the situation?) Conclusion (what else could you have done?) Action plan (if it arose again what would you do?) - Gibbs, 1988 l l l l l l

There are some references provided at the end of this article that explore various models, and it is well worth experimenting to see which feels right for you. This is by no means a new topic, and there has been a lot of interesting and inspiring work done in this area that will help you to inject the use of reflection into your learning plan. A simple model for reflection Fig 1. “By three methods we may learn wisdom: first, by reflection, which is noblest; second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest.” - Confucius

1. What? – What happened? 2. So what? – What does it mean? 3. For what? – What needs to happen next?

How does it look in practice? Many aspects of personal and practice development – how we inform actions, change reactions, develop treatment plans and protocols and apply new learning to work, for example – all involve a level of reflection and subsequent development based on this reflection. So as a professional you will already be using principles of reflective practice, albeit perhaps unconsciously. However, consciously and intentionally reflecting renders the

Fig 2. Rolfe et al (2001)

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RCVS CPD consultation Most of you will have heard of the RCVS’ recent proposals regarding updates to CPD guidelines, and, judging by the 3,357 responses (RCVS, 2016) that it received to its consultation, which ran for six weeks in June and July of 2016, many of you probably had an input to this review.

PRACTICE DEVELOPMENT

Reflection on CPD is one of the activies that the RCVS wishes to implement as part of CPD requirements, but what does this mean? How can we do it, how will we find time for it, how should we record it, and ultimately, will the effort justify the rewards? If we take a look at the basic RCVS CPD proposals, we can see how these inherently linked aspects of reflection, outcomes and planning future CPD are outlined in their ‘Plan, Do, Record, Reflect’ cycle.

Plan

Reflect

Fig 4. A model for reflection on learning. (ONCORE Online Learning, 2014)

Record

Fig 3. Diagrammatic representation of the 2016 RCVS proposals for CPD

Learning from reflection and reflection on learning Reflection on learning – for example after a course, CPD event or experience, can help you to: l l l l

Appreciate what you already knew and understood Discover knowledge gaps Recap and consolidate what you learned Consider how you can apply your learning Identify future learning opportunities and how these link to current knowledge

Reflection on incidents (good and bad) Continuous learning is a key responsibility in any profession. When we experience something from which something can be learned, we must use this opportunity. It is important to consider positive as well as negative experiences, because while there is a lot that can be learned from something that didn’t go so well, there is also a lot to be taken from a great outcome – because then we can work out what we did and repeat it! How many times have you done something really well – say, a particular combination of drugs for an exotic anaesthetic, or an approach to a member of staff or a client that resolved a situation; and then thought some time afterwards (usually when you want to recall the method) ‘now, what did I do last time?’ Reflection and consideration of application, and documentation of this, is very likely to improve your chances of recalling what you did. Reflection on incidents and experiences may also have a positive impact on mental health and wellbeing. We are part of a profession with a culture of high expectations, to make no mistakes and to always make the right decisions and often, when things go wrong, a blame culture can exist in an attempt to avoid admitting liability. This might be from forgetting to prepare a client’s prescription to an employee dispute to an unexpected anaesthetic death. As a profession, we will all benefit from a more open ethos, embracing the opportunities that mistakes bring us, and helping each other as we would want to be helped.

This exercise can help to increase understanding and retention, and make learning more likely to reach the workplace. Furthermore, in considering future learning, we are beginning to plan our future development, which is a fundamental step in career development and satisfaction.

Sharing reaps further benefits Reflection also empowers colleagues to share the learning taken from experiences with each other, and furthermore, the act of sharing learning and ‘teaching others’ will also provide a broader and deeper learning experience to those performing it.

Model for reflection on learning ONCORE’s approach to CPD always includes an element of developing and practising reflective practice, and Fig 4 offers a simple representation of the process that participants are encouraged to follow. This will offer a useful basis to begin, and adaptations of reflective models which suit the particular needs and style of the learner can be developed.

Teach the skill With so many benefits, reflection is a positive skill for a team to be proficient in. Students are also an obvious cohort to benefit from reflective practice, and they will undoubtedly have already been taught aspects of this as part of their VN or vet training, so continuing to nurture this skill will help it become an inbuilt reflex (see fig 5). Practice Life z December/January 2017 z www.practicelife.biz

PRACTICE DEVELOPMENT

challenging situations, and to gain more from the learning process when undertaking CPD. Embrace reflection as your friend, plan it, make time for it, encourage it in others, and become a practice that is proud to seize the opportunities that reflection can offer. References Beynon, P & Fisher, C (2012). Learning about Reflecting on Knowledge: An Approach for Embedding Reflective Practice in an Action Research Team. Institute of Development Studies: Brighton, UK. [Online] Available at < http://www.ids.ac.uk/publication/learning-about-reflecting-onknowledge-an-approach-for-embedding-reflective-practice-in-an-action-research-team> [accessed September 24, 2016] Confucius, The Analects: ch2, compiled posthumously, c.500BC. In Business Balls: Reflective Practice. [Online] Available at http://www.businessballs.com/reflective-practice. htm [Accessed September 26, 2016]

Fig 5. Sharing learning from reflection and teaching the skill

to others are both beneficial practices. Reflection doesn’t have to be solitary.

Planning reflection As previously discussed, it is beneficial to reflect on incidents or experiences in a thoughtful and intended manner, so it is important to plan for this in your schedule. If you are reflecting on CPD then this is simple to implement; however, if an unplanned, critical incident has occurred then the natural reaction is to become caught up in thoughts about what went wrong and how you could have stopped or changed it. This is ok and is perfectly natural (and is often termed ‘hot’ reflection) but it is important to return to this at a later time when the initial emotion has abated, and perform a ‘cold’ reflection, that will offer a more objective, balanced evaluation and clearer outcomes (Lawrence-Wilkes, 2015). Recording reflection A useful and simple way of recording reflection can be to keep a learning journal. Others may wish to instead record an audio account, or even to discuss the experience with a colleague and record this in some way. Visual learners may prefer mind maps or other diagrammatic methods. For those who feel confident enough to, presenting a reflection alongside the actions taken from it to the team is an excellent way of not only increasing the presenter’s understanding (teaching others will achieve a high order of understanding) but also in sharing new understanding and the processes behind it.

Dalley, J (2007). Getting Marks for Written Reflection. In Connecting Reflective Learning, Teaching and Assessment. [PDF] London: The Higher Education Academy. Eby, M. Understanding professional development. In Brechin, A, Brown, H and Eby, M A(eds)Critical practice in health and social care, in Finlay, L (2008) Reflecting on Reflection. [Online] Available at http://www.open.ac.uk/opencetl/sites/www.open.ac.uk. opencetl/files/files/ecms/web-content/Finlay-(2008)-Reflecting-on-reflective-practicePBPL-paper-52.pdf [Accessed October 2, 2016] Gibbs G (1988). Learning by Doing: A guide to teaching and learning methods. In Oxford Brookes University (n.d.) Reflective writing: About Gibbs’ reflective cycle [Online] Available at: https://www.brookes.ac.uk/students/upgrade/study-skills/reflective-writing-gibbs/ [Accessed September 20, 2016] Lawrence-Wilkes, L, (2014). Business Balls, (2015). Reflective Practice. [Online] Available at http://www.businessballs.com/reflective-practice.htm [Accessed September 26, 2016] Mann, K, Gordon, J & MacLeod, A (2007). Reflection and reflective practice in health professions education: a systematic review. Advances in Health Sciences Education. [Online] Available at: www.healthsci.queensu.ca/assets/ohse/reflective_practice__a_systematic_ review.pdf Oelofsen, N (2012). Using reflective practice in frontline nursing. Nursing Times. [Online]. Available at https://www.nursingtimes.net/home/courses/using-reflectivepractice-in-frontline-nursing/5045779.article [Accessed September 24, 2016] ONCORE Online Learning (2014) Model for Reflection on Learning. [Powerpoint Presentation] Material provided as part of ONCORE’s online learning delivery. Rolfe, G, Freshwater, D and Jasper, M (2001). Critical Reflection in Nursing and the Helping Professions: a User’s Guide. In: Business Balls (2015). Reflective Practice. [Online] Available at http://www.businessballs.com/reflective-practice.htm [Accessed September 26, 2016] Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (2016). CPD consultation receives over 3,000 responses from the professions [Online] Available at <http://www.rcvs.org.uk/news-andevents/news/cpd-consultation-receives-over-3000-responses-from-the/> [Accessed September 26, 2016] Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (2016). RCVS CPD Review 2016 Proposals. [Online] Available at <http://www.rcvs.org.uk/document-library/rcvs-cpd-review-2016-proposals/> [Accessed September 26, 2016] Reason, J (1997). Managing the Risks of Organisational Accidents. Hants, England, Ashgate Publishing Ltd. Schön, D (1983). The Reflective Practitioner: How Professionals Think in Action. New York: Basic Books

Balancing subjectivity and objectivity A natural reaction to reflection, especially if a critical incident where the outcome may not have been in the subject’s favour, is lack of objectivity and risk of self-blame. It is important to allow elements of this, such as how the experience made you feel or react, but also to balance this with subjectivity, based on facts, theory and practice, and clear ideas for moving forward.

=The Open University (2016). Learning to teach: becoming a reflective practitioner [Online] Available at: < http://www.open.edu/openlearn/education/learning-teach-becomingreflective-practitioner/content-section-2.1> [Accessed October 2, 2016]

Summary Reflective practice is a complex, fascinating topic, and is considered to be fundamental to professional development. Regularly paying regard to the practice of reflection will enable you and your team to learn better from mistakes, to predict issues and forward-plan, to better handle emotionally

Mind Tools. Gibbs’ Reflective Cycle. [Online] Available at https://www.mindtools.com/ pages/article/reflective-cycle.htm [Accessed October 2, 2016]

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Useful resources: Business Balls: Reflective Practice. [Online] Available at http://www.businessballs.com/ reflective-practice.htm [Accessed September 26, 2016] John Driscoll Consulting: meeting your potential through reflection. [Online] Available at <http://www.supervisionandcoaching.com/> Useful PDFS, presentations and papers on reflection in a medical professional development context. [Accessed October 2, 2016]

Jill Macdonald DipAVN (surg) RVN FHEA Jill Macdonald is the co-founder and owner of online CPD company ONCORE, which specialises in structured, tutored group courses. She is also an Associate Teaching Fellow in Veterinary Communication Skills at the University of Surrey. www.oncoreepd.co.uk

CPD SHARED

Focus on The Practice Team Georgina Hills reports from the inaugural Practice Team Focus day held in October

he SPVS/VPMA Focus on The Practice Team event, held at the Chesford Grange Hotel in Warwickshire, offered a mix of seminars and exhibition stands covering everything HR-related from ‘A Pragmatist’s Guide to Health & Safety’ to ‘Difficult Conversations’ and front of house topics from ‘Finding and Keeping Receptionists’ to ‘How to Train your Vets’. The wide selection of topics and parallel streams meant the event attracted a variety of practice professionals, including receptionists and owners, with multiple attendees from the same practice to allow attendance at both streams. This diverse audience led to lively questions and discussions in the seminars and a great networking opportunity over lunch. The streams, divided into Human Resources and Front of House, ran alongside each other leading to the difficult decision of which to attend and the often-heard comment ‘I want to hear both!’ Speakers Brian Faulkner and Nick Steele contributed to both streams, with Brian discussing some basic rules around how to approach difficult conversations, and, later in Front of House ‘How to Train Your Vets, providing practical tips that could be taken back into practice, the latter especially receiving the comment ‘Great to hear a vet talking about the pressures on front of house and what more vets could do’. Nick Steele used simple psychology models to help explain the reasons behind poor performance and what management

strategies we could use to improve performance of our teams, while in the parallel stream he examined client care and how to benchmark that performance and define our strengths and weaknesses.

Take-home tips galore After lunch in the mini-exhibition, which gave everyone time to chat with the sponsors, the focus in both streams was on people and their behaviour. In HR, Lizzie Lockett gave tips on how to spot and manage stress in practice and introduced the upcoming workshops from the Mind Matters initiative, while over in Front of House, Carolyne Crowe looked at how understanding different personalities can help the reception team manage challenging clients. With further sessions on managing absence and the role of secret shopping also in the mix, the day was jam-packed full of useful information and tips that could be taken back to practice. As well as providing interesting topics and discussion points, the outstanding success of the day, which is perhaps different from other CPD sessions, was the integration of the different sectors of practice professionals due to the mix of receptionists, nurses, vets, PMs and owners in attendance. It really was the day where the focus was on the practice team and what they could achieve. Georgina Hills, RVN, CVPM, VPMA Director

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CPD SHARED

Pricing Policy CPD day

Everyone had their own reasons for being there, but the room was full of veterinary practice owners, vets, nurses, managers and administrators – truly a meeting for the whole practice team, reports Julie Beacham

his was the first joint VPMA/SPVS CPD day on pricing policy and we were all anxious to learn more about this subject which is so vital to the success of our practices. Our presenters for the day, held in Newbury on September 29, were Lynn McKeown (right) and Vanessa Wilson from Zoetis. We went back to basics with the morning devoted to understanding practice finance. We looked at understanding profit and loss statements, had an explanation of EBITDA and some useful KPIs including stock days and debtor days. As with most CPD days, there was lively audience participation and we all learned from each other as well as from Lynn and Vanessa. After lunch we looked at marketing before moving on to price setting and the three main ways that this is done. The first is cost, where price is simply determined by adding a profit to the cost of making a product or providing a service. The other two are more influenced by external pressures, either competitor prices or by a belief of what customers will be prepared to pay. Cost-based pricing of services was examined in depth with an explanation of all the elements that must

Lynn McKeown

be factored in to determine sales prices including labour, equipment, drugs and products and profit. We also learned how to value vet time. Finally, we covered the beliefs and attitudes of the practice team and the importance of training and informing them of the realities of practice profitability. High intrinsic costs and low profitability come as a surprise to many and training can minimise missed charges and discounts while improving the way that our teams communicate value to our clients. Julie Beacham CVPM, VPMA Junior-vice President

A fair, reasonable and legal boss

ost of us attending CPD, if we’re being honest, go along not just for the theory on offer but we generally hope for something extra. We like speakers who are brave enough to step off the theory fence and deliver real and practical solutions to our daily work dilemmas and problems, by offering suggestions that can be taken away and put into practice the next day with a visible result. Delegates attending Norton House Hotel, Edinburgh on September 13 to hear James Cronin, Director of EightLegal, talk about how to be a ‘Fair, Reasonable and Legal Boss’, got just that. Although perhaps not the day everyone had expected in that James didn’t stick exactly to the advertised title or have a printed script with accompanying visual presentation at the ready, but what he did deliver were practical and business-focused solutions to the subjects raised by the attending delegates.

Open discussion The other unexpected and rather heart-warming part of the day was just how open the delegates were. Most felt able to share recent difficult experiences with work colleagues and give examples to remind us that, when it goes wrong in practice and unacceptable behaviours are tolerated by owners and managers, the result for the rest of the team can be unsettling, www.practicelife.biz z December/January 2017 z Practice Life

demotivating and ultimately affect business performance. There was some very straight talking by James: advising managers that we cannot complain about challenging and disruptive behaviours but not then be prepared to address them. He asked us the difficult and slightly uncomfortable question of ‘What is the fear when we fail to address unacceptable behavior of team members and is that fear short or long-term?’ James encouraged anyone involved with managing a team to have the confidence to deal quickly and effectively with behaviours that are fundamentally damaging to the practice. Most of us came away energised by the day and with the request for perhaps another; but one that would focus on the positives of building an elite team. Watch this space… Gillian Page, VPMA Director

CPD DIARY

Not long to go! Have you registered yet?

VPMA-SPVS Congress January 27-28, 2017 Celtic Manor Resort, Newport

The veterinary event that creates a buzzz!

NEW TO OWNERSHIP STREAM Synopses of presentations SETTING UP FROM SCRATCH Brian Faulkner, The Colourful Consultancy & thecolourfulconsultation.com Brian Faulkner shares his experience of setting up four practices from scratch. He will summarise the strategies of recruiting a team and building a culture and client base around a clearly defined business objective. Looking back, he is able to share some of his mistakes as well as the traps he managed to avoid. He will discuss pricing strategies and the dangers of setting out without a clear sense of whether you are operating a ‘footfall’ strategy or whether you are offering a higher end, and thus higher yield, approach.

OWNERSHIP OPTIONS Setting up from scratch is just one ownership option available these days. Joint Venture Partnerships with, for exapmple, Medivet or Vets4Pets is another. Additionally, it is no longer a requirement for owners to be vets and so non-MRCVSs can set up from scratch or become a JVP. In this session, Brian Faulkner includes several case studies: a vet who has set up from scratch, a non-vet who has been an owner, and a the remaining two are JVPs, one with Medivet and the other Vets4Pets.

CREATING A BUSINESS PLAN THAT WORKS FOR YOU Peter Gripper, ANVAL What is a business plan and why do we need one? At its simplest it is a roadmap for your business that lays down what you want to achieve and how you are going to get there. In this session, Peter Gripper will share his wide experience of practices at every stage of their lifecycle; help you to think about what sort of practice suits you; and explain how to create a business plan that is also a life plan. Do you, for instance, want to work and live in a specific part of the country? Do you want a business that will allow you to take time out to start a family two years down the line? Is this a business for life or a quick turnaround with a view to selling it on in five years’ time?

RAISING THE FINANCE; WHAT THE BANK WANTS TO SEE Nick Lawrence FCCA, Moore Scarrott Drawing on his extensive banking experience, Nick Lawrence will approach the session both from the perspective of the potential lender as well as the borrower. Building on Peter Gripper’s talk on business plans, he will explain how to present a financial proposal that is robust and will stand up to the scrutiny of the banks. He will also discuss the banks’ current appetite to lend to the veterinary sector for both ‘start ups’ and established veterinary practices. This will not only cover the risk assessment undertaken by the lender but also the impact this has on pricing, security and key financial covenants.

PANEL DISCUSSION THE DAY WILL CONCLUDE WITH A PANEL DISCUSSION www.practicelife.biz z December/January 2017 z Practice Life

CPD DIARY

NEW TO...

This year’s Congress is packed with new features and ideas and the ‘New to...’ lecture streams are proving a popular draw.

The New to Management stream has been drawn up by the VPMA team and offers those just moving into a management role, or taking on management responsibilities as part of their role, a solid introduction to the challenging situations faced by PMs. The SPVS team has put together a thought-provoking set of lectures focusing on New to Ownership for those who are interested in becoming practice owners, whether vets or other members of the team. From the legals of employment law to creating your own business plan, this stream will give a flavour for what’s involved in ownership. There are many many lectures for the more experienced manager too, who is keen to continue learning the ins and outs of business, finance and what makes humans tick – and don’t forget everyone can come together to discuss their learnings at one of the fabulous social events.

NEW TO MANAGEMENT STREAM Synopses of presentations

MANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP: CAN I DO BOTH? Gillian Page, Co-owner and Business Manager of Ayrton Veterinary Hospital near Edinburgh In this session we look at the differences between these two concepts, the natural overlap between them and how to develop a well-run veterinary environment so they run together. Gillian offers a balanced perspective having been a head nurse and now a practice owner. She shares her experience of management and leadership from both sides of the management team.

THE PEOPLE BEHIND THE ORGANISATIONS – RCVS, VDS, BVNA, BVA A representative from each organisation will present Find out from the people involved in running and contributing to the different veterinary organisations what they do, how they influence and represent our industry and how they can help you and your practice. This session will also include the latest update on the Practice Standards Scheme and nurse training and apprenticeships.

INTRODUCTION TO KPIS: WHY YOU NEED THEM AND WHAT TO DO WITH THEM Georgina Hills, Business Support manager, Independent Vetcare and Helen Sanderson, Strategic Business Development Manager, Vets4pets In this session we will look at KPIs both in terms of practice and clients and recommend which five to focus on to help you understand what is really happening in your practice. Using practical examples to demonstrate how to interpret the information and then ideas on how to respond to the trends you see, this session will provide you with real-life tips to take back to practice.

PROFIT AND LOSS – A PRACTICAL APPROACH Mark Harwood, Hazlewoods An interactive session on how to read and understand profit and loss reports, with real life (anonymous!) examples for you to interpret, analyse and sum up.

QUESTION TIME WITH OUR PANEL OF EXPERIENCED MANAGERS VPMA panel Everything you wanted to know about practice management but were too afraid to ask... To finish off the New to Management stream there will be an open discussion session where you can ask our panel of experienced Practice Managers from a range of practices – independent and corporate – just what they would do (or wouldn’t do!) across a broad range of situations. A must for all those with burning management questions! www.practicelife.biz z December/January 2017 z Practice Life

CPD DIARY

Highlights – Editors’ Picks The slogan for VPMA-SPVS Congress is ‘Where the practice team comes together’. But that’s not only to learn; it’s also to socialise! The congress is renowned for its buzzy atmosphere and sense of fun, and this year that will be even more prominent. For those arriving for Congress on Thursday there is a change from the networking dinner and quiz night of previous years, with the introduction of comedy from Fred MacAuley (see below) and magic from Meghan Knowles-Bacon (pictured above), who is a member of the Magic Circle. Some of you may recognise Meghan as she is also an RCVS Practice Standards Officer! This year’s theme for Friday night’s Presidents’ Banquet is ‘Oscars After Party’ so expect lots of glitz and glamour and another great night with fellow SPVS and VPMA members. The networking dinner and comedy night is on Thursday January 26 and tickets cost £42; tickets for the Oscars Banquet on January 27 cost £77. Visit the website for details www.vpma-spvs-events.co.uk/congress/

Comedy Cabaret with Fred MacAuley Scottish Comedian Fred MacAuley trained as an accountant before the unlikely career switch to stand-up comedian and has been entertaining audiences across the world ever since. You may recognise him from his regular appearances on TV panel shows Have I Got News for You, Mock the Week and QI.

Fred the comedian He makes frequent appearances on national television on stalwart shows including Mock the Week, QI and Have I got News For You, but little can top his achievement of lasting seven out of 11 nights on Comic Relief Does Fame Academy. Before his comedy career took off, he studied at the University of Dundee and graduated with an MA in Accountancy and Jurisprudence. He received an honorary doctorate from the same university in 2006 in appreciation of his time there as rector. Fred is married with three grown-up children. His witticism means he is greatly in demand as an after-dinner speaker and awards presenter, and he has been invited to speak in Australia, Hong Kong, US, Iceland, France and Spain. So put your hands together in a warm welcome for the great Fred MacAulay!

“Rib-achingly funny, one of the funniest men alive” Sunday Times

In Conversation with RICHARD DIXON Founder of Vets Now SATURDAY JANUARY 28, 11.20AM Practice Life z December/January 2017 z www.practicelife.biz

CPD DIARY

Behavioural economists Ed and Claire on the Congress bill Ed and Claire first worked together on the BBC TV programme, Trust Me, I’m a Doctor where they set up experiments to see how an understanding of human behaviour could help motivate groups of people to take more exercise. Both Ed and Claire are ‘Behavioural Economists’. Traditional economics assumes humans behave in a rational and self-interested way, and that we make decisions that are most advantageous to ourselves. However, the evidence shows that we can be easily influenced and even fooled into thinking a certain way, that we are often delusional, and that inertia, apathy and even loyalty can ‘nudge’ us into behaving in a certain way. When a waiter asks you if you would like a ‘large’ glass of wine, or when your utility bill goes up a year after you switched to that ‘great deal’, you are being ‘nudged’ into behaviour that is disadvantageous to your health or your bank balance. But increasingly governments are Ed and Claire (from left) with Michael Mosley looking to behavioural economics to influence people for their good of BBC 2’s Trust Me, I’m a Doctor. and the good of society, such as the staggering 85% reduction in consumption of plastic bags after the compulsory 5p charge was introduced. Ed and Claire will explain the theory in more detail with examples from their work for the NHS and further afield, including aid work in Pakistan and Vietnam. In November they will visit a large London veterinary hospital to see how behavioural economics is already being applied in vet practice and may suggest a few other things that we could all be doing to nudge vets and nurses towards certain behaviours and improved pet owner compliance and footfall.

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WHAT’S COMING UP

As our 2016 CPD events draw to a close, we’d like to share some feedback from those who attended the various courses SPVS-VPMA Events provided throughout the year. Keep a look out for our 2017 calendar of events. Training the Veterinary Receptionist

Looking at a different perspective to our role as receptionists ting Multichannel Marke e research lin on much I was unaware of how aximise the chance of to m clients do. I learnt how rch into client visits ea res t tha converting Appraisals and recruitment

ic and looking at Maximum engagement with top ues. Good facilitator things using different techniq

The Consulting Nurse

Allowed vision on how to combine nurse and vet time Managing Difficult Situations

Really good self-analysis and learning abou t different personality types, strengths and weaknesses

Pricing Policy

Learnt how to cost procedures and aim for better margins

First and Last Im

pressions Superb course co nt en t and delivery. Practical and in te better! Could be ractive - couldn’t be marketed specifi for PMs and re ceptionists I wo cally uld say Improving Your Bottom Line

We were asked what we wanted to cover so you found out what we all wanted to know Video-Making for Social Me dia

It was all very releva nt and stayed on topic all day Whole new area that can be added to practice marketing/cl ient education

Facebook Focus

We’ll be going hom with some really useful suggestions and epra al ideas i.e. marketing calendar & socictic al media policy Thought all of the ormation given was exactly what i/weinf required to help the business to excel on our FB page How to be a Fair, Reasonable & Legal Boss refreshing view to Employment law

Look out for the next issue of Practice Life It’ll ‘spring up’ before you know it! Out March 2017 TOPICS INCLUDE: • Preparing your team for PSS inspection • What do millennial clients want? • Litigation

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