Transfer responsibility explicitly
Identify the outgoing and incoming responsible people and the handover time. Confirm the areas and contact devices transferred. Sending a group message does not establish acceptance. If the incoming person is absent, use the agreed escalation route instead of leaving a duty silently uncovered. Record an authorised substitution when one is arranged.
Share what affects the next shift
Include unresolved equipment faults, access changes and relevant approved safety instructions. Use factual descriptions and limit personal details to what the role requires. Keep patient records and confidential allegations in appropriate systems. Distinguish an observed issue from a rumour. Remove superseded instructions so the next person can recognise the current plan.
Confirm open actions
Ask the incoming worker to identify the highest-priority unresolved issue and whom to contact. Record who follows up each item. Close old problems with evidence rather than carrying an endless list forward. The blank handover worksheet on this site can provide a starting format. Check that the worker understands the priority, not just that the sheet was received.
Further reading
- 2026 guidance · Managing violence and aggression in health and social care ↗UK Health and Safety Executive · Source checked 2026-09-10
Source dates and country context matter. Read our editorial approach.