What Are The Theories That Underpin Health And Social Care Practice
Introduction
In an attempt to demonstrate the Principles of Health & Social care and based on the ABC Care Homes case study, this essay would explain how the principles of support are applied in a care home setting as well as outline the procedures that could be used in protecting service users and colleagues as well from harm while analysing the benefits accruable to a adopting a person-centred approach when dealing with services users. More so, the essay would explain ethical dilemmas as well as the implementation of policies and codes of practice, and how they are developed, while evaluating the impact of such policies on the organisation as a whole. Theories that underpin the care practice would be discussed while the effectiveness of …show more content…
inter-professional workings would be considered. The essay would also explain and evaluate the implementations of policies and procedures while making recommendations to develop the level of contributions that is required of a Manager of a care home, for the purpose of meeting good practice.
1.1 The care services provided by the ABC Care Home are based on the principles of care. These principles provide the underpinning structure for good practices in the health and social care services as well as influence the quality of the services rendered by the care worker. The core principles of care includes: Promoting anti-discriminating practice,
promoting and supporting individuals rights,
promoting and supporting individuals beliefs and identities,
confidentiality as well as promoting effective communication. These principles of care are expected to be followed whenever the care worker engages the service user in order to ensure that both the care worker and the service user (client) are protected. One of such principles is the principle of support. “A care worker that imbibes the principle of support is expected to promote anti-discriminatory practice, promote and support the individual service user’s beliefs and sense of identity (Cook & Sanders, 2009:15); promote confidentiality as well as facilitating effective communication between care workers and the service users while supporting their exercising of their rights.
In ABC Care Home, the client’s right to dignity is supported. The clients have the right to privacy. The clients are bathed with the door of the bathroom closed as well as ensure that the curtain of the hospital bed are drawn round the bed whenever they are hospital bed-bound, receiving treatment or having bed bath. More importantly, ABC Care Home also ensures that the service users are not spoken to in a demeaning manner, using condescending expressions such as darling or my love (Basford and Oliver, 2011: 26). ABC Care Homes seek to include the service users in making decisions that affects all aspects of their care such as feeding and treatments, as well as give them the information that they need to make such choices. For instance, the opinion of client X is sought regarding the type of food that he prefers and his preferred timing. The client feels empowered when he sees that what he requested for is what has been provided for him and at the requested time. The service users are also encouraged to do things for themselves in order to make them less dependent on the care workers. For instance, client Y is encouraged to feed herself, switch on the television as well as read newspapers and books rather than relying on the care-worker to get them snappily done for them. Service-users’ empowerment is taken seriously as they are given the necessary support in terms of provision of assistance , adaptation programmes as well as information that would enhance the quality of their choices. ABC Care Home programmes does such therapy classes for their clients in order to improve the functional use of their body that is disabled or medically impaired for the purpose of improving their sense of independence.
1.2 It is important to ensure that a care home remains a place where both clients and professional colleagues can work and live, as the case may be, without the fear of being harmed or abuse. Abuse refers to the deliberate act of inflicting harm on another person as well as subjecting them to treatment that could harm them (Barnard, 2009:72). He further stressed that abuse could be in the form of sexual, physical, psychological, financial as well as sheer neglect.
At ABC Care Homes, there is a firm obligation to ensuring that the risk of harm or abuse is reduced and the possibility of future occurrence prevented. The procedures adopted in protecting clients as well as staff from harm, which forms part of the company’s workplace health and safety policy are detailed below as follows:
Review and Assessment of the Risk of Harm
ABC Care Homes, seek to protect its staff and clients by understanding first, the how, where and when they may be at risk. Factors such as the nature of service, surrounding, actions of staff as well as the organisation itself are taken into consideration. Circumstances in which staff and client’s safety may be jeopardised are identified and actions are agreed to reduce the occurrence of such incidence.
Clients are informed about their rights and responsibilities.
ABC Care Homes ensures that clients and members of staff are protected from any form of harm and abuse. The company affirms their safety and well being, however, the clients and the members of staff have responsibilities to play an active part in protecting themselves from harm. More so, the clients and members of staff are told about how their safety will be protected and the actions that are required of them in such circumstance during the course of using the service. The service level agreement signed with the client also contains a section that addresses risk of harm identification, prevention as well as response.
Dealing with physical threat and aggressive behaviour
ABC Care Homes have a prompt and well sustained mechanism of dealing with threats that are physical as well as aggressive behaviour. Circumstances that may represent greater risks of harm and abuse such as poor supervision, clients with multiple needs as well as dealing with clients with drugs and mental illness, amongst others are identified and appropriate risk response.
Minimising and dealing with other risks.
ABC Care Home seeks to minimise the risk of harm by ensuring that safety practices are directly related to the risk of the harm identified above. These they ensure by maintaining sound strategies which are well documented in the health and safety policy. Focus is on control of behaviour and physical threat, providing safe environment for both clients and staff alike. More so, they ensure that evacuation procedure is in place as well as ensure that relevant contact details are highlighted.
At ABC Care Home, clients and staff are protected from potential harm and signs of abuse through well established policies and procedures, and where identified, cases of harm and abuse are swiftly dealt with. More so, trainings are giving to the care workers to assist them in identifying signs of abuse as well as improve their awareness and reporting such incidence to the organisation.
1.3 Person-centred approach emphasises the need for the service user to be placed at the centre of their care and be given the opportunity to participate in the management of their care (Cook & Sanders, 2009: 44). They opined that this type of approach is otherwise referred to as client-centred approach. Following a person-centred approach with the service users of ABC Care Home is important because a person centred practice enables the care worker to know the service user very well, thereby enabling the rendering of services that are more specific to the needs of the clients. More so, such approach will enable the patient to feel more supported which in turn could lead to the patient feeling more empowered as well as facilitate positive behavioural changes (Jones & Atwal, 2009:13). They further stated that person centred approach will make positive difference to the level of service users’ satisfaction as well as improve health worker’s sense of professionalism. This aligns with the argument of Pritchard (2008:9) who state that “person-centred approach makes healthcare to be provided in a more favourable environment as well as being responsive to individual differences and preferences.” It is also important to note that the person centred approach enables service users to either consent to, or refuse a treatment since they are part of the decision making process. They also receive treatments that tallies with their values and beliefs.
1.4 Care Homes like ABC Care Home seek to provide the excellent care for their clients in manners that would seek to balance clients’ satisfaction for legislation and policy requirements which leads to a constant conflicting dilemma (Evans, 2008:39) ABC Care Home is faced with such working difficulties and increasingly so, due to the more difficult health care environment. In the case of Mrs M, a 67 year old service user in the residential care home who is a chain smoker and drink whisky. The doctors, social worker as well as the manager of ABC Care Home have not been able to make Mrs M to cease this damaging habit. Mrs M is wriggling in pain and in need of further help but the doctor is unwilling to prescribe stronger painkiller partly because of its possible addiction. ABC Home Care is caught up in an ethical dilemma in that, while they are committed to supporting Mrs M’s independence, dignity, choices and empowerment by allowing her to continue with habits that fuel her addictions; they are also obliged to protect individual client from any form of harm or abuse. It remains a fact that it is within Mrs M’s right to choose to continue in habits that encourages addictions and habit that may stand in the way of her health, then it becomes harmful; and the Care Home is duty bound to protect her from harm. The dilemma that the Home Care is faced is whether to respect Mrs M’s right to choice and sense of independence and then continue to see her scream in pain or strongly encourage her to take up habits that would improve her health, thereby increasing her chances of securing further medical intervention.
2.1 The ABC Care Home emphasise the importance of sound policies, regulations, legislation as well as code of practice to the delivery of quality care to the service users. Care workers in ABC Care Home are expected to abide by codes of practice as well as apply established policies while adhering to the procedures that underpin the good practice of care work in the company.
Policy could be described as a statement of intent that guides decisions for the purpose of achieving rational outcome (Pritchard, 2008:18).
He further said that Policy guides workers as to how specific tasks should be done within the care setting. In ABC Care Home, efforts are made to ensure that the policies reflect the underpinning principles of care. Some of the policies of ABC Care Home that is relevant to care workers’ area of competence includes but not limited to Equal Opportunities policy, confidentiality policy, complaint policy, Admission policy as well as Health and Safety Policy. These policies reflect the underpinning principles of care that are followed by the care workers when discharging their duties. On the other hand, code of practice could be described as “a document which highlights an understanding of how work should be done and specific situations should be dealt with (Ellis et al., 1995:33). The aim of a code of conduct is to set standards for good practice within the organisation. Organisations such as the ABC Care Homes have developed code of practice for their care workers. This code of practice establishes the principles and standards by which the care workers are expected to abide while emphasising the importance of equality of opportunity. The Care Home is operating in accordance with the regulations specified by the Care Quality Commission as empowered by the Health and Social Care Act …show more content…
2008.
2.2 Given their importance, it is important to ensure that these documents meet the requirements of the national policy. In the Health and Social Care industry, the requirements of importance includes and not limited to NICE guidance, National Minimum Standards as well as the Quality care Commission amongst others. The policies and the procedures will be subject to upgrade as new national requirements are released. The documents have to be developed in accordance with the requirements of the national health policy. The first step in developing policies and procedures that aligns with the national policy is to familiarise with the requirements of the national health policy, then decide on the information that is to be included in the policy and the procedure. Then, the Care Home would then conduct a risk assessment in order to prioritize each aspect of the national health policy as it affects their operations. It is important for the assessment to take into consideration the priorities and the requirements of the national policy. After the priorities are identified and agreed upon, existing templates may be used and then modified to suit the requirements of the national policy. The draft is then submitted to the management team. After the approval, then a pilot is test run and once completed, the final draft is submitted for final approval at the board level. It is important to state that policies are relatively easy to put together while procedures are more time consuming (Jones & Atwal, 2009:19), so it is important to commit assignments of such significance into the hands of experienced managers.
2.3 The impact of policy, legislation as well as the codes of practices on the policies and practices of an organisation such as the ABC Care Homes cannot be overemphasized.
Policies, regulations and legislations have enabled the home to improve its working practices and policies. More so, without sound policies and procedures that is relevant to the requirements of the national policy as well as meets the needs of the local clients. Also having the relevant documentations would enable the Care Home to show that they are providing quality service and developing their services. The level of the management that approves the documentation further shows the commitment of the organisation to quality of service, which would in turn improve the degree of trust that the client and other external stakeholders have in the organisation. Policies and procedures are important, in that they provide a basis for the implementation of a system upon which all facets of the care home’s services could be measured. They serves as the basis upon which the expectations of the service users, delivery of quality care as well as the compliance with governmental and professional regulations are based. It is important to note that without appropriate policies and procedures being implemented, the improvement of the level of the quality of the services being rendered will be difficult to facilitate. Without policies and procedures, achievements will be based on the individual efforts of staff instead
of planned system of work aimed at producing an expected outcome.
3.1 & 3.2 The understanding of the theories that underpins care is very important. One of such theories is the caring theory which is the states that health workers’ demonstrating that “they care about the patients is as important to their well-being as what clinical activities would offer” (Watson, 2005:5). Organisations such as the ABC Care Homes uses care theories such as this to link the care activities to the expectations of the clients. The Caring theory covers five areas, namely: “promoting anti-discriminatory practice, promoting and supporting individual’s right, promoting and supporting individual’s identities and beliefs, promoting confidentiality as well as promoting effective communication (Watson, 2005:17). For instance, in promoting anti-discriminatory practice, ABC Care Homes ensures that service-users in its care are not discriminated against. Service-users such as older people, people with physical disabilities, people with mental health problems, people from minority ethnic or religious groups, people with learning difficulties as well as women or people with certain sexual orientations such as gays and lesbians. In promoting and supporting individual’s rights, ABC Care Homes ensure that the right to privacy with respect to hygiene and feeding are respected. We ensure that the bathroom doors are closed when bathing. We ensure that service users’ right to choice is promoted. For instance, ABC Care Home ensures that the service user is involved in the process of making decision regarding what they eat and the treatments they receive. The rights to independence, safety and empowerments are also ensured. ABC Care Homes promotes and supports the identities and beliefs of its service users. For instance, service –users are allowed to celebrate their religious festival whenever they deem fit. The Care Home also ensures that feeding preference such as vegetarianism is respected and they are allowed to dress the way they want. The records of service users are privately filed and kept with only authorised individuals granted access to them. Information is not shared with third party without expression permission from the service –users. More so, ABC Care Homes promotes effective communication. They recognise that some service users speak other languages, have hearing impairments as well as have limited understanding. The Care Home use Lip Reading, Makaton, Sign Language as well use of pictures and interpreter to promote communication. The application of these has significantly improved their approach to life and assists them in adopting a more positive approach to life while appreciating the cultural differences of the service users (Holland and Hogg, 2001:47).
3.3 The effectiveness of Inter-professional working on the services users in ABC Care Homes cannot be over-emphasised. Inter-professional working refers to “the interactions between healthcare professionals for the purpose of sharing knowledge and ideas in order to ensure that patients or service users are exposed to high quality of care”(Jones & Awal,2009:21). The adoption of inter-professional working is effective in ABC Care Homes because services users are now able to manage their circumstances because of the increase confidence and comforts that they have in system because of the fact that they are now exposed to the various specialised expertise which offers them social, psychological as well as medical perspectives to their treatments (Cook & Sanders, 2009:66). More so, it creates an overall positive atmosphere because Interprofessional workings enable the service users to find easier to adapt to their changing circumstances as they pursue their various health-related goals (Wallance & Davies, 2009:14).
4.1 As a newly appointed manager, my role is pivotal to the successful running of the home. I am accountable to the management, as well as to external authorities such as the Care Quality Commission while setting the direction for the staff that I am managing. It is important that I provide a visible leadership that will instil confidence in both the members of staff and the service users. It is my responsibility to maintain a line of communication with the relevant external bodies, most especially to report major incidents to the Care Quality Commission (CQC) as required by the law. It is also my responsibility to design a system that is capable of assessing and measuring the quality of the services that we are rendering to the service users. More so, as the Manager, it is my responsibility to conduct risk assessment in order to identify risks that could undermine the safety of our clients.
4.2 Due to the recent negative feedback from stakeholder such as the Care Quality Commission, which is capable of negatively impact the future of the Care Home, it is important for me to carry out my roles, responsibilities as well as duties in manners that would enhance the development and implementation of sound health and social care organisational policy (Henderson et al., 2010:11). It is important for me, as a newly appointed manager, to come up with measures that would create a progressive culture for the purpose of addressing the damaging issues that have been raised by the inspectors from the Care Quality Commission. More so, it is important for me to bring my strong sense of commercial awareness to bear in organisation such as ours as well as create a strategy that would reposition the organisation while securing its future through the meeting of the required standards and adherence to principles that facilitates the meeting of clients’ needs. My contribution is very important because I occupy a very unique position. I account to my superiors and the external regulatory bodies as well as manage the needs of clients as well as manage the needs and expectations of the service users. That puts me in a good position to make contributions that would influence the direction and the quality of the health and social organisational policy of ABC Care Homes.
4.3 As the manager of ABC Care Home, I would strongly recommend that we go back to the drawing board by revisiting our policies and procedures. I would ensure that we review our recruitment policies to ensure that only qualified personnel are drawn to the organisation. More so, emphasis will be given to training and retraining as well as encourage continuous professional development of staff. I will give performance appraisal a priority in order to identify the strengths, weaknesses as well as the opportunities that the organisation can avail itself of. More so, I would develop sound grievances and complaint procedures that would deal with people’s concerns as well as create a culture of openness and professionalism. Most importantly, I would embark on a mission of damage limitation in order to put a stop to the process of closing down the home as well as seek to improve the image of the home. In addition, I would ensure that the policies and procedures of the organisation are reviewed in the light of the ten essential standards that we have been found to be non-compliant with.
References
Basford, L. and Oliver, S. (2011) Theory and practice of Nursing: An integrated approach to caring practice
Cook, G. & Sanders, J. (2009) ABC of Patient Safety. London. John Wiley & Sons
Ellis,R., Gates,R. and Kenworthy, N. (1995) Interpersonal Communication in Nursing: Theory and Practice. London: Churchill Livingstone.
Evans, S. (2008) Community and ageing maintaining quality of life in housing with care settings. Bristol: Policy Press.
Henderson, E. S., Martin, V. and Charlesworth, J (2010) Managing in health and social care. New York: Routledge
Holland, K. and Hogg, C. (2001) Cultural Awareness in Nursing and Health Care: An Introductory Text. ISBN: 0340731338
Jones, M. & Atwal, A. (2009) Preparing for Professional Practice in health & Social Care. Chicester. Wiley-Blackwell.
Lishman, J. (2007) Handbook for practice learning in social work and social care: knowledge and theory. London: Jessica Kingsley
Pritchard, J. (2008) Good Practice in safeguarding adults: working effectively in adult protection. London. Jessica Kingsley.
Wallance, C. & Davies, J. (2009) Sharing Assessment in health & Social Care – a Professional Handbook for Inter-professional Working. London. Sage.
Watson, J. (2005) Caring theory as ethical guide to administrative and clinical practices. Nurse Adm Q.; 30(1):48-55.
Bibliography
Burgess, C., Pritchatt, N. and Shaw, C. (2007) Easy steps, S/NVQ Level 2 Health & Social Care, Oxford: Heinemann Publisher
Moonie, N. et al., (2003) BTEC National Care, Endorsed by Edexcel, Oxford: Heinemann Publisher
Stretch, B. and Whitehouse, M. (2012) BTEC Level 3 National, Health and Social Care: Student Book 1 & 2 (Level 3 BTEC National Health and Social Care)
Webb, R. and Tossell, D. (1998) Social Issues for Carers: Towards Positive Practice, 2nd Edition. Hodder Arnold Publishers. ISBN: 0340706252
In an attempt to demonstrate the Principles of Health & Social care and based on the ABC Care Homes case study, this essay would explain how the principles of support are applied in a care home setting as well as outline the procedures that could be used in protecting service users and colleagues as well from harm while analysing the benefits accruable to a adopting a person-centred approach when dealing with services users. More so, the essay would explain ethical dilemmas as well as the implementation of policies and codes of practice, and how they are developed, while evaluating the impact of such policies on the organisation as a whole. Theories that underpin the care practice would be discussed while the effectiveness of …show more content…
inter-professional workings would be considered. The essay would also explain and evaluate the implementations of policies and procedures while making recommendations to develop the level of contributions that is required of a Manager of a care home, for the purpose of meeting good practice.
1.1 The care services provided by the ABC Care Home are based on the principles of care. These principles provide the underpinning structure for good practices in the health and social care services as well as influence the quality of the services rendered by the care worker. The core principles of care includes: Promoting anti-discriminating practice,
promoting and supporting individuals rights,
promoting and supporting individuals beliefs and identities,
confidentiality as well as promoting effective communication. These principles of care are expected to be followed whenever the care worker engages the service user in order to ensure that both the care worker and the service user (client) are protected. One of such principles is the principle of support. “A care worker that imbibes the principle of support is expected to promote anti-discriminatory practice, promote and support the individual service user’s beliefs and sense of identity (Cook & Sanders, 2009:15); promote confidentiality as well as facilitating effective communication between care workers and the service users while supporting their exercising of their rights.
In ABC Care Home, the client’s right to dignity is supported. The clients have the right to privacy. The clients are bathed with the door of the bathroom closed as well as ensure that the curtain of the hospital bed are drawn round the bed whenever they are hospital bed-bound, receiving treatment or having bed bath. More importantly, ABC Care Home also ensures that the service users are not spoken to in a demeaning manner, using condescending expressions such as darling or my love (Basford and Oliver, 2011: 26). ABC Care Homes seek to include the service users in making decisions that affects all aspects of their care such as feeding and treatments, as well as give them the information that they need to make such choices. For instance, the opinion of client X is sought regarding the type of food that he prefers and his preferred timing. The client feels empowered when he sees that what he requested for is what has been provided for him and at the requested time. The service users are also encouraged to do things for themselves in order to make them less dependent on the care workers. For instance, client Y is encouraged to feed herself, switch on the television as well as read newspapers and books rather than relying on the care-worker to get them snappily done for them. Service-users’ empowerment is taken seriously as they are given the necessary support in terms of provision of assistance , adaptation programmes as well as information that would enhance the quality of their choices. ABC Care Home programmes does such therapy classes for their clients in order to improve the functional use of their body that is disabled or medically impaired for the purpose of improving their sense of independence.
1.2 It is important to ensure that a care home remains a place where both clients and professional colleagues can work and live, as the case may be, without the fear of being harmed or abuse. Abuse refers to the deliberate act of inflicting harm on another person as well as subjecting them to treatment that could harm them (Barnard, 2009:72). He further stressed that abuse could be in the form of sexual, physical, psychological, financial as well as sheer neglect.
At ABC Care Homes, there is a firm obligation to ensuring that the risk of harm or abuse is reduced and the possibility of future occurrence prevented. The procedures adopted in protecting clients as well as staff from harm, which forms part of the company’s workplace health and safety policy are detailed below as follows:
Review and Assessment of the Risk of Harm
ABC Care Homes, seek to protect its staff and clients by understanding first, the how, where and when they may be at risk. Factors such as the nature of service, surrounding, actions of staff as well as the organisation itself are taken into consideration. Circumstances in which staff and client’s safety may be jeopardised are identified and actions are agreed to reduce the occurrence of such incidence.
Clients are informed about their rights and responsibilities.
ABC Care Homes ensures that clients and members of staff are protected from any form of harm and abuse. The company affirms their safety and well being, however, the clients and the members of staff have responsibilities to play an active part in protecting themselves from harm. More so, the clients and members of staff are told about how their safety will be protected and the actions that are required of them in such circumstance during the course of using the service. The service level agreement signed with the client also contains a section that addresses risk of harm identification, prevention as well as response.
Dealing with physical threat and aggressive behaviour
ABC Care Homes have a prompt and well sustained mechanism of dealing with threats that are physical as well as aggressive behaviour. Circumstances that may represent greater risks of harm and abuse such as poor supervision, clients with multiple needs as well as dealing with clients with drugs and mental illness, amongst others are identified and appropriate risk response.
Minimising and dealing with other risks.
ABC Care Home seeks to minimise the risk of harm by ensuring that safety practices are directly related to the risk of the harm identified above. These they ensure by maintaining sound strategies which are well documented in the health and safety policy. Focus is on control of behaviour and physical threat, providing safe environment for both clients and staff alike. More so, they ensure that evacuation procedure is in place as well as ensure that relevant contact details are highlighted.
At ABC Care Home, clients and staff are protected from potential harm and signs of abuse through well established policies and procedures, and where identified, cases of harm and abuse are swiftly dealt with. More so, trainings are giving to the care workers to assist them in identifying signs of abuse as well as improve their awareness and reporting such incidence to the organisation.
1.3 Person-centred approach emphasises the need for the service user to be placed at the centre of their care and be given the opportunity to participate in the management of their care (Cook & Sanders, 2009: 44). They opined that this type of approach is otherwise referred to as client-centred approach. Following a person-centred approach with the service users of ABC Care Home is important because a person centred practice enables the care worker to know the service user very well, thereby enabling the rendering of services that are more specific to the needs of the clients. More so, such approach will enable the patient to feel more supported which in turn could lead to the patient feeling more empowered as well as facilitate positive behavioural changes (Jones & Atwal, 2009:13). They further stated that person centred approach will make positive difference to the level of service users’ satisfaction as well as improve health worker’s sense of professionalism. This aligns with the argument of Pritchard (2008:9) who state that “person-centred approach makes healthcare to be provided in a more favourable environment as well as being responsive to individual differences and preferences.” It is also important to note that the person centred approach enables service users to either consent to, or refuse a treatment since they are part of the decision making process. They also receive treatments that tallies with their values and beliefs.
1.4 Care Homes like ABC Care Home seek to provide the excellent care for their clients in manners that would seek to balance clients’ satisfaction for legislation and policy requirements which leads to a constant conflicting dilemma (Evans, 2008:39) ABC Care Home is faced with such working difficulties and increasingly so, due to the more difficult health care environment. In the case of Mrs M, a 67 year old service user in the residential care home who is a chain smoker and drink whisky. The doctors, social worker as well as the manager of ABC Care Home have not been able to make Mrs M to cease this damaging habit. Mrs M is wriggling in pain and in need of further help but the doctor is unwilling to prescribe stronger painkiller partly because of its possible addiction. ABC Home Care is caught up in an ethical dilemma in that, while they are committed to supporting Mrs M’s independence, dignity, choices and empowerment by allowing her to continue with habits that fuel her addictions; they are also obliged to protect individual client from any form of harm or abuse. It remains a fact that it is within Mrs M’s right to choose to continue in habits that encourages addictions and habit that may stand in the way of her health, then it becomes harmful; and the Care Home is duty bound to protect her from harm. The dilemma that the Home Care is faced is whether to respect Mrs M’s right to choice and sense of independence and then continue to see her scream in pain or strongly encourage her to take up habits that would improve her health, thereby increasing her chances of securing further medical intervention.
2.1 The ABC Care Home emphasise the importance of sound policies, regulations, legislation as well as code of practice to the delivery of quality care to the service users. Care workers in ABC Care Home are expected to abide by codes of practice as well as apply established policies while adhering to the procedures that underpin the good practice of care work in the company.
Policy could be described as a statement of intent that guides decisions for the purpose of achieving rational outcome (Pritchard, 2008:18).
He further said that Policy guides workers as to how specific tasks should be done within the care setting. In ABC Care Home, efforts are made to ensure that the policies reflect the underpinning principles of care. Some of the policies of ABC Care Home that is relevant to care workers’ area of competence includes but not limited to Equal Opportunities policy, confidentiality policy, complaint policy, Admission policy as well as Health and Safety Policy. These policies reflect the underpinning principles of care that are followed by the care workers when discharging their duties. On the other hand, code of practice could be described as “a document which highlights an understanding of how work should be done and specific situations should be dealt with (Ellis et al., 1995:33). The aim of a code of conduct is to set standards for good practice within the organisation. Organisations such as the ABC Care Homes have developed code of practice for their care workers. This code of practice establishes the principles and standards by which the care workers are expected to abide while emphasising the importance of equality of opportunity. The Care Home is operating in accordance with the regulations specified by the Care Quality Commission as empowered by the Health and Social Care Act …show more content…
2008.
2.2 Given their importance, it is important to ensure that these documents meet the requirements of the national policy. In the Health and Social Care industry, the requirements of importance includes and not limited to NICE guidance, National Minimum Standards as well as the Quality care Commission amongst others. The policies and the procedures will be subject to upgrade as new national requirements are released. The documents have to be developed in accordance with the requirements of the national health policy. The first step in developing policies and procedures that aligns with the national policy is to familiarise with the requirements of the national health policy, then decide on the information that is to be included in the policy and the procedure. Then, the Care Home would then conduct a risk assessment in order to prioritize each aspect of the national health policy as it affects their operations. It is important for the assessment to take into consideration the priorities and the requirements of the national policy. After the priorities are identified and agreed upon, existing templates may be used and then modified to suit the requirements of the national policy. The draft is then submitted to the management team. After the approval, then a pilot is test run and once completed, the final draft is submitted for final approval at the board level. It is important to state that policies are relatively easy to put together while procedures are more time consuming (Jones & Atwal, 2009:19), so it is important to commit assignments of such significance into the hands of experienced managers.
2.3 The impact of policy, legislation as well as the codes of practices on the policies and practices of an organisation such as the ABC Care Homes cannot be overemphasized.
Policies, regulations and legislations have enabled the home to improve its working practices and policies. More so, without sound policies and procedures that is relevant to the requirements of the national policy as well as meets the needs of the local clients. Also having the relevant documentations would enable the Care Home to show that they are providing quality service and developing their services. The level of the management that approves the documentation further shows the commitment of the organisation to quality of service, which would in turn improve the degree of trust that the client and other external stakeholders have in the organisation. Policies and procedures are important, in that they provide a basis for the implementation of a system upon which all facets of the care home’s services could be measured. They serves as the basis upon which the expectations of the service users, delivery of quality care as well as the compliance with governmental and professional regulations are based. It is important to note that without appropriate policies and procedures being implemented, the improvement of the level of the quality of the services being rendered will be difficult to facilitate. Without policies and procedures, achievements will be based on the individual efforts of staff instead
of planned system of work aimed at producing an expected outcome.
3.1 & 3.2 The understanding of the theories that underpins care is very important. One of such theories is the caring theory which is the states that health workers’ demonstrating that “they care about the patients is as important to their well-being as what clinical activities would offer” (Watson, 2005:5). Organisations such as the ABC Care Homes uses care theories such as this to link the care activities to the expectations of the clients. The Caring theory covers five areas, namely: “promoting anti-discriminatory practice, promoting and supporting individual’s right, promoting and supporting individual’s identities and beliefs, promoting confidentiality as well as promoting effective communication (Watson, 2005:17). For instance, in promoting anti-discriminatory practice, ABC Care Homes ensures that service-users in its care are not discriminated against. Service-users such as older people, people with physical disabilities, people with mental health problems, people from minority ethnic or religious groups, people with learning difficulties as well as women or people with certain sexual orientations such as gays and lesbians. In promoting and supporting individual’s rights, ABC Care Homes ensure that the right to privacy with respect to hygiene and feeding are respected. We ensure that the bathroom doors are closed when bathing. We ensure that service users’ right to choice is promoted. For instance, ABC Care Home ensures that the service user is involved in the process of making decision regarding what they eat and the treatments they receive. The rights to independence, safety and empowerments are also ensured. ABC Care Homes promotes and supports the identities and beliefs of its service users. For instance, service –users are allowed to celebrate their religious festival whenever they deem fit. The Care Home also ensures that feeding preference such as vegetarianism is respected and they are allowed to dress the way they want. The records of service users are privately filed and kept with only authorised individuals granted access to them. Information is not shared with third party without expression permission from the service –users. More so, ABC Care Homes promotes effective communication. They recognise that some service users speak other languages, have hearing impairments as well as have limited understanding. The Care Home use Lip Reading, Makaton, Sign Language as well use of pictures and interpreter to promote communication. The application of these has significantly improved their approach to life and assists them in adopting a more positive approach to life while appreciating the cultural differences of the service users (Holland and Hogg, 2001:47).
3.3 The effectiveness of Inter-professional working on the services users in ABC Care Homes cannot be over-emphasised. Inter-professional working refers to “the interactions between healthcare professionals for the purpose of sharing knowledge and ideas in order to ensure that patients or service users are exposed to high quality of care”(Jones & Awal,2009:21). The adoption of inter-professional working is effective in ABC Care Homes because services users are now able to manage their circumstances because of the increase confidence and comforts that they have in system because of the fact that they are now exposed to the various specialised expertise which offers them social, psychological as well as medical perspectives to their treatments (Cook & Sanders, 2009:66). More so, it creates an overall positive atmosphere because Interprofessional workings enable the service users to find easier to adapt to their changing circumstances as they pursue their various health-related goals (Wallance & Davies, 2009:14).
4.1 As a newly appointed manager, my role is pivotal to the successful running of the home. I am accountable to the management, as well as to external authorities such as the Care Quality Commission while setting the direction for the staff that I am managing. It is important that I provide a visible leadership that will instil confidence in both the members of staff and the service users. It is my responsibility to maintain a line of communication with the relevant external bodies, most especially to report major incidents to the Care Quality Commission (CQC) as required by the law. It is also my responsibility to design a system that is capable of assessing and measuring the quality of the services that we are rendering to the service users. More so, as the Manager, it is my responsibility to conduct risk assessment in order to identify risks that could undermine the safety of our clients.
4.2 Due to the recent negative feedback from stakeholder such as the Care Quality Commission, which is capable of negatively impact the future of the Care Home, it is important for me to carry out my roles, responsibilities as well as duties in manners that would enhance the development and implementation of sound health and social care organisational policy (Henderson et al., 2010:11). It is important for me, as a newly appointed manager, to come up with measures that would create a progressive culture for the purpose of addressing the damaging issues that have been raised by the inspectors from the Care Quality Commission. More so, it is important for me to bring my strong sense of commercial awareness to bear in organisation such as ours as well as create a strategy that would reposition the organisation while securing its future through the meeting of the required standards and adherence to principles that facilitates the meeting of clients’ needs. My contribution is very important because I occupy a very unique position. I account to my superiors and the external regulatory bodies as well as manage the needs of clients as well as manage the needs and expectations of the service users. That puts me in a good position to make contributions that would influence the direction and the quality of the health and social organisational policy of ABC Care Homes.
4.3 As the manager of ABC Care Home, I would strongly recommend that we go back to the drawing board by revisiting our policies and procedures. I would ensure that we review our recruitment policies to ensure that only qualified personnel are drawn to the organisation. More so, emphasis will be given to training and retraining as well as encourage continuous professional development of staff. I will give performance appraisal a priority in order to identify the strengths, weaknesses as well as the opportunities that the organisation can avail itself of. More so, I would develop sound grievances and complaint procedures that would deal with people’s concerns as well as create a culture of openness and professionalism. Most importantly, I would embark on a mission of damage limitation in order to put a stop to the process of closing down the home as well as seek to improve the image of the home. In addition, I would ensure that the policies and procedures of the organisation are reviewed in the light of the ten essential standards that we have been found to be non-compliant with.
References
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Henderson, E. S., Martin, V. and Charlesworth, J (2010) Managing in health and social care. New York: Routledge
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