Assure safe and effective performance

This standard is about assuring safe, effective and values-aligned performance. You set clear expectations for safe practice, monitor performance, identify risks and take timely action to maintain safety, quality and compliance. You provide guidance, feedback and support to enable colleagues to perform effectively and address issues that may compromise safety or standards of practice. You use organisational policies, procedures and professional requirements to guide your decisions and ensure performance is consistent, fair and aligned with organisational priorities. You evaluate your approach to strengthen how safety and performance are assured over time. 

This standard applies to managers and leaders at all levels across all sectors.

1. Assess organisational priorities, standards of practice and risk requirements to determine what safe and effective performance looks like in your area of responsibility. 
2. Clarify the expectations, standards and behaviours required to maintain safe and effective performance and confirm colleagues’ understanding to support consistent practice. 
3. Identify the skills, knowledge and resources colleagues need to perform safely and effectively and take action to ensure these are in place. 
4. Monitor performance against agreed expectations, standards and procedures to identify achievements, risks and issues that require action. 
5. Identify and address behaviours, practices or conditions that may compromise safety, quality or compliance to prevent harm and maintain standards. 
6. Provide timely, constructive feedback to strengthen safe and effective performance and support continuous improvement. 
7. Support colleagues to follow organisational policies, procedures and professional standards to maintain safe and compliant practice. 
8. Use accurate and relevant information to assess performance concerns and make evidence-based decisions that maintain safety and quality. 
9. Take proportionate action when performance may compromise safety, quality or compliance, in line with organisational procedures, to maintain standards and accountability. 
10. Escalate risks, concerns or incidents in line with organisational and professional requirements to ensure timely and appropriate action. 
11. Provide guidance, coaching and resources to help colleagues address performance issues and meet required standards. 
12. Identify factors that may affect colleagues’ ability to perform safely and effectively, and take action to reduce or remove these barriers. 
13. Promote a culture where colleagues feel able to raise concerns about safety, quality or performance to support early intervention and continuous improvement. 
14. Review and adjust performance expectations, processes or support when circumstances change to maintain safety and alignment with organisational priorities. 
15. Evaluate the effectiveness of how safe and effective performance is assured to identify opportunities to strengthen practice, systems and outcomes.

1. The meaning of safe and effective performance and how it supports organisational priorities, quality and compliance. 
2. How organisational standards of practice, policies, procedures and professional requirements define safe and effective performance. 
3. How to clarify expectations, standards and behaviours that support safe and effective performance. 
4. The skills, knowledge and resources colleagues need to perform safely and effectively. 
5. Methods for monitoring performance, identifying risks and recognising achievement. 
6. Factors that may compromise safety, quality or compliance and how to reduce or remove them. 
7. How to provide constructive feedback that strengthens safe and effective performance. 
8. How to use accurate and relevant information to assess performance concerns and make evidence-based decisions. 
9. Organisational and professional procedures for addressing performance concerns and maintaining safety, fairness and accountability. 
10. How to escalate risks, concerns or incidents in line with organisational and professional requirements. 
11. How to provide guidance, coaching and resources that support colleagues to meet required standards.
12. Factors that influence colleagues’ ability to perform safely and effectively, and how to address them. 
13. How to promote a culture where colleagues feel able to raise concerns about safety, quality or performance. 
14. How to adjust expectations, processes or support when circumstances change. 
15. Relevant theories and models that inform performance management, risk management, safety culture and continuous improvement.

The following values underpin this standard. They are integrated throughout the performance criteria and knowledge and understanding requirements and inform how individuals approach their work, make decisions and interact with others.

• Fairness - assessing performance consistently, transparently and proportionately.
• Integrity - using evidence, standards and organisational requirements to guide decisions.
• Responsibility - taking ownership of safe, effective and values-aligned performance.
• Vigilance - identifying risks, concerns and changes that may affect safety or quality.
• Inclusion - ensuring colleagues have equitable access to support, guidance and resources.
• Openness - encouraging colleagues to raise concerns and respond to feedback.

The following behaviours underpin this standard. They are integrated throughout the performance criteria and knowledge and understanding requirements and inform how individuals approach their work, make decisions and interact with others.

• Act with integrity, ensuring decisions are fair and evidence-based.
• Take accountability for safety and performance.
• Act with vigilance, identifying risks and concerns promptly.
• Act with fairness, applying standards consistently.
• Be inclusive, ensuring colleagues have equitable access to support and development.
• Role-model safe and responsible practice, consistently and visibly.
• Practise self-care, maintaining habits that support balanced and effective leadership.