This guidance was put together by colleagues at Greater Manchester Resilience Hub.
Buddy guide
If it is necessary for staff to be deployed to unfamiliar teams, environments, and job roles, to perform emotionally challenging tasks, then consider the establishment of peer-support mechanisms such as a ‘buddy system’.
Role and expectations of the buddy
The primary role of a buddy is to take a little time to check-in with the individual or individuals allocated to them, or their buddy, and offer peer support when needed.
It is not always possible for a single manager or team leader to monitor the wellbeing of all team members. Especially when the work is demanding and the environment busy. Routine provision of supervision or line management may also be disrupted during periods of crisis, or too infrequent to pick up on issues in a timely manner. It is therefore helpful for everyone to have a buddy.
Most staff are familiar with the idea of being allocated a temporary mentor or colleague during periods of induction when joining a new team or department, here the role is to help orientate and support the new member of the team.
The establishment of a buddy system is an extension, in that buddies have a longer-term role of monitoring and supporting one another. Changes in behaviour, mood, and communication can be more easily picked up if the observer has a base line idea of how the individual ordinarily operates. If a buddy gets to know what is normal for one or two peers, and everyone has a buddy, then the chances of picking up on potential support needs within teams is maximised.
There are lots of ways for individuals to be buddied up such as; experienced staff with less experienced staff or senior staff with junior staff. Individuals could also be grouped based on protected characteristics such as gender or ethnicity. Or staff could be allowed to buddy with someone they naturally gravitate towards.
The important factor is that buddies need to feel comfortable to work together and talk to each other. Although not essential, buddies will ideally be on shift together or at least work on the same days to enable them to touch base with one another on a regular basis. Consideration can be given to clustering staff into small ‘buddy systems’ of three or four staff to promote the likelihood of sharing shifts with one buddy.
Individuals or ‘buddy systems’ could be allocated a mentor, whom they frequently find themselves on shift with, to provide additional guidance, orientation, and some pastoral care.
How peer support works within a buddy system
It is the informal support we offer to our colleagues. It is the “how are you?”, “how’s your day been?” at the end of the shift or day. It is paying attention to changes in the behaviour of your peers (noticing someone becoming more withdrawn, drinking more, appearing agitated or fatigued, or just not seeming themselves) and checking it out with them, “hey what’s going on?”.
It is checking that someone is eating, hydrating, and taking breaks while at work. It is about providing a non-judgmental listening ear when your buddy needs to just share how tough their shift or day has been, and validate their experience. It is about encouraging your buddy to approach others for further advice and support if they seem to be persistently struggling.
What it is not
It is not about forming deep emotional relationships with others. It is not about becoming someone’s therapist or counsellor. It is not about being available 24hrs a day, becoming dependent, or overly attached. It is not about spying on others. It is not a substitute for good management and supervision.
Buddy system in practice
One example of the buddy system in practice is within Pennine Care’s Military Veterans’ Service (MVS). Where NHS clinicians are frequently working remotely over a large regional footprint performing demanding psychological interventions to current and former armed forces personnel.
The exposure to frequent and detailed graphic traumatic narrative can be challenging and isolating. Each clinician has a buddy with whom there is an expectation they check-in with at the end of each working day to find out how their buddy’s day has been and offer informal peer support as and when required. It is the responsibility of the buddies to ensure arrangements are made for periods of absence, or buddy cover.
The Buddy system within the MVS doubles up for safe remote working practices too, and there is a clear escalation process should a buddy not check-in with their allocated buddy at the end of each day. To ensure this works properly, each buddy has their counterpart’s work and personal mobile numbers and email addresses.
Where staff are required to wear personal protective equipment (PPE), consideration could be given to the benefits of allocating buddies at the beginning of shifts. Buddies can provide practical care by assisting each other to put on or remove PPE, and also use the time to check on the wellbeing of each other.