Capability and flourishing policy
Last updated
Last updated
The Bristol Cable is committed to creating a progressive, supportive workplace and we want our policies to reflect that. We’d like the way we work to actively challenge the power structures that reproduce inequality and injustice, and consciously choose to work in ways that are liberatory, or anti-oppressive.
Our policies have been written with these principles in mind and signed off by the entire staff team, who collectively run our Co-op.
Capability can be viewed as a continuum: from learning the skills we need in a role, to becoming fully capable in performing it, and finally moving into a space of flourishing in the role. When we take on a role, we move along this continuum.
In some cases the journey is smooth. We feel comfortable and confident in the role from day one, and as we get to know the role and the people we are working with, we feel ever-more able to take initiative and get things done while feeling at ease in our role.
In other cases the journey is rocky. We face challenges that prevent us from becoming capable and that limit our opportunities to flourish. We may not live up to the high expectations set up during our interview or discussion about stepping into that role.
We may even find that after years of being capable in our role we start to face challenges that cause our capability to be reduced. Sometimes these challenges may be systemic in our workplace, or in the wider world. Sometimes they will be personal situations or health issues that are beyond our control. We all go through different stages over our ‘working-age’ lifetimes, including commitments such as childcare, adult care and wider family support. Many of us will encounter illness, money issues, insecure housing, bereavements and changing life priorities, as well as fluctuations in ability and enthusiasm.
In this policy, we choose to use language that reflects our ethos of support, compassion and effectiveness to align our policies with our values. We believe that work should be enjoyable and enable every member of our organisation to flourish. We also believe that reaching the point of flourishing will require us to develop our capability and to address any challenges or barriers that prevent us from doing so. This policy lays out how we will do this in a supportive and compassionate way.
This policy applies to all employees following successful completion of the six-month probationary period. During this period you will be supported through our probationary review system (more information here: 2024 Updated: probation review process).
We recognise that being capable is about more than meeting certain minimum standards. We believe we feel capable in our roles when:
We understand the role and what is expected of us (see role descriptions).
We are producing the desired outcome for ourselves and for the Co-op.
We have the skills and knowledge needed for our role and have confidence in our ability.
We feel supported and enabled by the Co-op and our colleagues. Support can come from a number of different sources. For example, we might feel supported if we receive encouragement and positive feedback, if we have the time and information needed to do our job, or if we feel involved in decision-making processes. Feeling supported also means feeling like our contribution is valued and respected.
We feel comfortable about our physical and mental health.
We are not experiencing significant difficulties outside of work.
We are able to recognise when things aren’t going well and feel confident to raise concerns about our own capability.
Flourishing will mean different things to different people and is likely to change over time. For some it will mean learning new skills, for others it will mean having time to care for friends and family, for others still it will mean being creative. We recognise that flourishing is about more than what we achieve at work, and we aim to support all of our members to flourish in the way that is meaningful to them.
In the Coordinator role and our other role descriptions, we have collectively agreed to the following standards, which we expect all members to meet. This helps us to be accountable to one another by naming and understanding our mutual expectations. We also recognise that people will need to develop their capability in these areas and that they may need support along the way.
We contribute to clear and inclusive decision-making in the circles we’re part of. This includes sharing pre-reading and doing the reading in advance so you can participate. Staff also commit to letting the co-op know when they cannot attend and to providing any relevant information related to action points they hold.
All members commit to voicing their ideas and opinions in co-op meetings to help us collectively make good decisions. We agree to object if we are not in consent with a proposal.
We prioritise building relationships with colleagues through consideration, open communication and voicing our appreciation of one another. We agree to raise issues in a timely manner, and to be open to discussing what has happened without blaming and shaming others.
We build constructive feedback into our work and relationships in the spirit of mutual support and cooperation - we address issues to learn from them.
All members aim to meet agreed deadlines for work and commit to asking for help in good time if the deadline becomes unrealistic. Completing tasks and meeting role responsibilities is a transparent way to show respect for the work we are doing at the Bristol Cable and to our fellow colleagues.
As a co-operative, we are committed to creating a mutually-supportive working culture, in which open and honest communication and regular feedback are encouraged. In this way we hope to tackle issues early and make sure everyone has the support, training and information they need to do their work to the required standard. We will all receive, and should expect, regular feedback in the course of our work.
After completing your probationary period, you will be included in the Feedback and Development reviews where you will be encouraged to reflect on your work and write a Development plan (more information can be found here - 2024 Feedback & Development Reviews Guide).
Feedback and discussion at this stage should help you identify:
The elements of your role/s where you are currently developing your skills and capability.
The element of your role/s that you feel most capable of doing
The elements of your role/s where you feel you are flourishing, and what flourishing means to you.
Any requests of the co-op or your colleagues you would like to make to help you to move from developing to capable to flourishing over time, such as:
shadowing or meeting regularly with a more experienced member; or
joining a new circle to gain experience; or
Use your training budget to attend training
How you would like to receive feedback on your work, e.g. whether you’d prefer written notes or an informal chat, and whether you’d like to be asked in advance if you are open to feedback at a particular time (whether written or in person) prior to receiving it. Some people may be happy with very blunt, to the point feedback, and others prefer a bit of a softer approach, perhaps due to harmful previous experiences. This is your opportunity to set out what works best for you, and we all do our best to follow your preferred process wherever possible.
Your Feedback and Development review process is for you and for the Co-op to:
Help you identify your strengths, and the skills you’d like to develop.
Help you and the co-op to understand what flourishing means to you.
Help us make the most of your strengths and existing skills and to match your skills to the roles available.
Help us to provide you with feedback in a form most helpful to you.
Help the Co-op provide you with the support you need to develop & flourish.
Identify any tangible next steps related to any of the above, for you or the Co-op.
It will be shared with:
The People Circle.
We also encourage you to share it with other people that you work with. This will help them to understand and utilise your strengths, and to provide you with appropriate support and feedback.
Whatever your concern, you will not need to address this on your own. We hope that you will be supported by everyone in the co-op, and there are some key people who can help.
We encourage you to do one or more of the following:
Raise your concerns in your circle - we encourage everyone to be open and honest about how they are managing. We create space to share our current capacity and workload in our meetings. You are encouraged to share your honest assessment and to ask for help from colleagues whenever you need it. We recognise that sometimes we may feel guilt or shame about work we haven’t been able to complete and may find it hard to speak up. We collectively agree to approach these conversations without judgement - we may not always have an easy solution to hand and at times we may feel frustrated if delays in our colleagues’ work impacts our own, but we believe in creating a culture of honest communication, compassion and mutual support that recognises we all drop the ball sometimes.
Speak to your Review buddy, your peer or other chosen colleague - you do not need to wait for your catch-up meeting, you are encouraged to reach out at any time you need support with your work.
The People Circle are here to help, so please speak to a member at any time you need support. We recognise that everyone’s circumstances are different and you may have periods when your capability dips due to any number of issues, such as caring responsibilities, financial worries, health problems and feeling stressed out by life.
If you feel able to do so, please ask if the person concerned would be open to feedback and discussing the issue with you.
If you do not feel able to address a capability issue directly, feel that a concern you have already raised has not been addressed, or for any serious issues such as not following health and safety guidelines correctly or serious errors in work intended for external organisations, please talk to a member of the People Circle. They will discuss your concerns with you and consider the best course of action using this policy as the basis for guidance on next steps.
Giving and receiving feedback is not always easy. However, we believe that voicing and discussing our concerns with those involved will create a more cooperative and caring environment. We therefore want to help everyone to develop the skills they need to offer constructive feedback.
Here are some tips to help us all give fair and constructive feedback:
Remember to say thank you and offer appreciation to others for their work - positive feedback goes a long way to building trust and openness to more constructively critical feedback that may be needed in more challenging circumstances.
Avoid giving feedback in the heat of the moment. If you are feeling frustrated, upset or angry, take some time to reflect before speaking to the people/person involved.
Note down what you observed. What happened that made you want to give feedback?
Identify the needs that are not being met. This could be your needs, the needs of someone else, the needs of your circle, or the needs of the co-op. Try to distinguish between needs and preferences. Different people will take different approaches to tasks. This is perfectly acceptable, even if we don’t agree with the approach they are taking. It only becomes an issue if you feel that their approach is resulting in a need not being met.
Acknowledge how this made you feel and why. Try to be as honest as you can. For example, are there unequal power dynamics at play here that have triggered you to feel upset about what has happened?
Identify what you would like the people/person to do in future, and think about how you can best communicate this. Stress what positive action or change you would like to encourage - opportunities for future improvement are much easier to accept than bald criticisms or negative statements about the past.
Plan what you are going to say. Try to include your observations, how they made you feel, the needs that were not being met, and what you would like to happen in future.
Think carefully about how to provide feedback and, if you have access, check their Development Plan and/or User Guide to Me. If you cannot access these, consider what you know about how this person prefers to receive feedback, and whether it would be better to discuss the issues with them face-to-face, by telephone, or by email.
If someone has expressed a desire for face-to-face feedback, think carefully about when to offer it -try to find a quiet moment and ask them if it would be OK to give them some feedback before you deliver it. If they say no, respect their answer and ask them on another occasion.
If you are offered feedback on an area of your work that someone else feels isn’t up to standard, we know this can be difficult to hear. You might feel sad, angry or ashamed. You might become defensive. These are understandable reactions. However , feedback is often an opportunity for growth - we have all joined a cooperative workplace in order to work with others towards a common goal - working with others and being held accountable to others is part of that commitment. Receiving feedback is a chance to hear how your work is received externally and allows for honest reflection on how best to improve and push yourself to greater things in the future.
Take time to think about what has been said and to approach the feedback with curiosity.
Do you understand the feedback and why it has been given?
What can you learn from the feedback?
Are you clear about what you need to do differently in future? If not, return to the person who gave you the feedback and ask for clarification. Spend some time discussing and developing a shared understanding of the issue and how it can be addressed.
If, after taking time to think about the feedback you have received, you feel that it is unfair or unjust we would encourage you to either:
Talk to the person who gave you the feedback. Explain why you think the feedback is unfair or unjust.
Talk to your buddy, a member of your Circle or the People Circle. They might be able to offer a different perspective on the feedback or help you to talk to the person/people involved.
If you think that something that the co-op or your circle is doing is having a negative impact on our collective workload, please raise it in your circle first, and discuss bringing it to a Team Meeting as appropriate.
We believe that the best person to assess your capability is you. However, we also recognise that there are times when we are not best placed to assess our own capability, and on those occasions other members of the co-op may need to raise concerns with us.
Where concerns have been raised about your capability, the People Circle will work with you to offer support and practical help. We will meet with you to discuss:
How things are going (at home and at work).
How well you are meeting mutual expectations - we will provide feedback to you and invite your assessment.
A recent time period when all was going well - what conditions were different then and what could be replicated to help you feel more confident in your work?
Any barriers and challenges affecting your work and potential options for support.
Agreeing times to check-in with you.
Where issues with your work are ongoing and have not been resolved through feedback, informal discussion or Feedback and Development Reviews, with your agreement we may start the following procedure. This is designed to be a two-way process in which we explore opportunities for the co-op to support you to move towards capability and flourishing in all aspects of your work.
If there are concerns about your work, the People Circle may invite you to a first capability and flourishing conversation to discuss those concerns and consider what measures could be taken to support you. We anticipate a positive outcome, and will continue to ask for your communication and feedback in this process, and we will make every effort to work with you to improve the situation.
We will work with you to review your Capability and Flourishing Plan and draw up a support and action plan covering an agreed period to address:
Which elements of your role/s you are currently less comfortable with / in need of support to develop your capability in.
Whether there is anything the co-op or your colleagues could do to help you.
What actions you and the co-op can commit to taking in order to improve the situation, such as additional training, reallocation of certain duties (temporarily or permanently), additional support from colleagues, and where appropriate, support from external services.
The goal of any Capability and Flourishing Plan will be to specifically address areas of work where standards have not been met in a supportive environment and to create a roadmap to assist you in meeting the standards expected as set out in our definition of capability (and hopefully on a trajectory to flourishing).
We recognise that things can change, health issues or external pressures can have an impact on our wellbeing and reduce our capability at work. We will always approach this on an individual basis and work with you to explore any reasonable adjustments that could help you. We may suggest, with your permission, commissioning an Occupational Health assessment to help us understand how we can best support you.
We also recognise that for some people with long term health problems and/or challenging circumstances in their lives, capability and flourishing can be cyclical - we may have periods where we are absolutely flourishing in our work, and periods where everything feels difficult and we feel much less capable of managing and completing our work. We will always do our best to be supportive and compassionate.
We will arrange regular support meetings with you to discuss how things are going, decide on appropriate timescales for review, and revisit your action plan to make any amendments.
Where issues with your work are ongoing and have not been resolved through the Capability and Flourishing Support & Action Plan process, we may instigate the following procedure.
If there is no improvement within the agreed time period despite you and the co-op following the action plan, we may invite you to a formal hearing. Alternatively, if we believe this has become an issue of conduct, i.e. you are choosing not to complete your work to agreed standards rather than facing a genuine issue with capability, we may require you to attend a formal hearing under the terms of our disciplinary procedure.
This meeting is designated as a formal hearing, and as such you have the right to be accompanied by a Trade Union representative, colleague, friend or family member.
Where possible, the meeting will be led by a member of the People Circle or a member of the Board not previously involved in your Development plan.
During the meeting we will explore the concerns raised about your work, and invite you to share your thoughts about what has been happening from your perspective.
The outcome of the meeting may be a decision to:
take no further action;
refer the matter for investigation under the disciplinary procedure;
institute a further Support and Action Plan with clearly stated measures for improvement and review timeframes; or
draw up an urgent action plan (our equivalent of a written warning).
Notes of this meeting will be kept on file for 12 months.
If there is no improvement after step one within the agreed time period, or if there is a recurrence of issues with your work within 12 months, we may invite you to a final capability and flourishing review meeting to draw up an urgent action plan (usually for three months). This is our equivalent to a final written warning.
Where possible, the meeting will be led by a People Circle member or a member of the Board of Directors not previously involved in your Development Action Plan.
You will be asked to attend regular check-ins at agreed intervals. If at the three month point there has been insufficient improvement, you may be at risk of dismissal.
You have the right to be accompanied by a Trade Union representative, colleague, friend or family member.
Where we find that your performance has failed to improve despite following the 3-month action plan, you may be invited to a Dismissal Hearing and told that you are at risk of dismissal. You will be entitled to be accompanied by a colleague, trade union official, friend or family member.
The outcome of the meeting may be:
a decision to take no further action;
a further urgent action plan;
an offer of alternative work; or
a decision to dismiss you.
Any offer to move you to a different role / area of work will only be made where we have sufficient work available and where we are confident that you will be able to perform well in the new role. While you are free to refuse any offer made, the only alternative available may be dismissal.
If we believe that there is no alternative role available that would be suitable for you, and that you have not met an acceptable standard of performance, you may be dismissed. You will be provided with the reason for your dismissal in writing, including the date on which your employment will terminate, and your right to appeal. Dismissal as a result of following the process from capability and flourishing action plan to formal disciplinary hearing will be with full notice or a payment in lieu of notice.
You have a right of appeal. A request for an appeal should be sent in writing to the People Circle within 10 working days. Your letter should set out the grounds on which you believe that the decision was flawed or unfair.
An appeal panel of up-to three people will be convened to consider the matter. It will be led by a member of the People Circle, who, where possible, has not previously been involved, or by an external person (a trusted member of the co-op movement). You will be entitled to be accompanied by a colleague, trade union official, friend or family member.
The outcome of the appeal will be confirmed to you in writing, explaining the grounds on which the decision was reached.
The outcome of the appeal will be final.
Created December 2023 by Cait Crosse
Revised and reviewed by Maya Kaufman, Neil Sellers, Nick Plant - March 2024
Authorised by Coordinators: April 2024
Authorised by Directors: June 2024
Policies should be reviewed every 2 years, unless:
We approve a proposal that changes the policy
There’s a change to the organisation that will change the policy
There’s a change in the law that affects the policy
Every Bristol Cable policy should try to keep the following in mind:
Our approach, culture and values: Reflecting our culture; striving to promote integrity, equity, accountability and trust.
Compassionate culture: Prioritising what is best for good team working, power dynamics, wellbeing and cohesion.
Legality & affordability: Checked by the People Lead and Operations Lead within these parameters.
Framing: People may use our policies to gauge what kind of organisation we are. If they did, we’d like them to get a sense of our approach and values in the way that the policy has been written: with accessibility, the trust we place in our staff, and approachability in mind (rather than being legalistic and punitive).