Handovers in care homes should accurately convey information about residents’ conditions and needs across shift changes. They ensure that everyone is made aware of everything significant that has occurred before they start their shift. This process safeguards the continued safety of both residents and staff.
Handover notes are handwritten or electronic documents that a member of staff completes and shares with the person relieving them of their shift. They should list the tasks that have been recently completed, any updates, and instructions for the next shift.
In this article we will explore the best ways to carry out an effective handover in your care home and discuss how handover templates can help the process.
The CQC single assessment framework is now live for all adult social care
providers across the country and the new CQC provider portal is currently live for selected providers, with limited functionality, e.g. restricted to some notification types.
With the Single Assessment Framework, the CQC is aiming for a more dynamic and data-led strategy that puts people’s experiences at the forefront of regulation and the heart of the assessment framework.
As a care provider, it’s crucial that you understand the new inspection regime and how these significant changes to the way they regulate and inspect may affect you. This article has been created to help you understand more about the CQC's new inspection and assessment framework and the background to these changes.
You can also download this comprehensive guide, and sign up for our compliance experts' monthly updates on everything CQC.
Dignity in care should be a priority for everyone working in the care sector. Promoting respect and dignity in care should focus on how care is designed and delivered. Both dignity and respect in health and social care form the fundamental pillars that shape the quality of a service that is provided to an individual and when implemented correctly, it can improve the interactions between service users and carers as well as their quality of life.
But preserving and promoting dignity and respect in care is sometimes easier said than done. How can you ensure staff know how to strike the balance between providing care and support, without compromising people’s dignity? The first step to preserving dignity in health and social care is understanding what it means and why it’s so important.
For over 30 years, we at The Access Group have digitised care services across the world. We aim to improve the lives of both service users and providers by giving them the freedom to do more. Working in the care sector for decades, we’ve seen great examples of how you can ensure dignity and respect. This article has been created from those experiences, to explore the definition and significance of respect and dignity in care, alongside various things you can do to promote and preserve it in your service.
Social care consultancy, or write policies and procedures yourself, use template services, or use fully digital solutions. There are now more options than to create, manage and maintain policies and procedures in your care service, but you’re probably wondering which one is best for you?
Many care providers have find themselves in a similar situation, and there are now more options than ever to develop and manage your policies and procedures. So to help, I’ve written this article.
Care policies and procedures are essential to registering and operating a care service anywhere in the UK. You need to keep your policies and procedures up to date; with regulations, legislation, best practice and the manner in which your service operates. Failing to do so could land you in hot water with your regulator, and could even impact the quality and safety of the care you provide.
Working out the right staff to resident ratio is a common and pressing concern for both care homes and nursing homes. It’s a trickly balancing act involving both financial and ethical considerations. You want to run your home as efficiently as possible while still safeguarding the safety and wellbeing of your residents.
The CQC’s official position on staff ratios is set out in Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014: Regulation 18.
In the guidance to Regulation 18, the CQC states:
“Providers must deploy sufficient numbers of suitably qualified, competent, skilled and experienced staff to make sure that they can meet people's care and treatment needs and therefore meet the requirements of Section 2 of these regulations (the fundamental standards).”
If you’re wondering “How many carers for 30 residents?” or “How many carers should be on a night shift?” or any other similar questions, the regulations do not offer one-size-fits-all answers that can apply across all services.
As set out in the CQC’s guidance, the correct approach is to learn how to answer these questions in a way that is unique to your service. This article will show you the most effective methods and tools to use to determine the right staff ratio for your needs.
Feedback in health and social care is often overlooked. When it comes to understanding the experiences, perspectives and needs of people drawing on support, caregivers and regulatory bodies, nothing can compare to care feedback. In England, CQC feedback forms are the cornerstone of continuous improvement and quality assurance in care, so should be taken advantage of.
Good communication in health and social care is the first step to developing good relationships with people and generating consistent feedback that can be used to praise your team or motivate them to change and improve the care your service offers. It’s also key to promoting empowerment in health and social care, which gives people in your care the feeling of control and autonomy over their lives.
We at The Access Group have been working with care services across the country for over 30 years, providing them with high-quality digital services, support and information to help them succeed. We have put this article together along with other useful resources to help you understand feedback in health and social care, its importance and how you can use feedback to improve your quality of care.
Knowing how to achieve an outstanding CQC report starts with considering the CQC’s five key questions: are services safe, effective, caring, responsive, and well-led? These questions form the basis of the CQC’s inspection and assessment framework, and they address what the CQC needs to see in terms of high-quality, safe, and person-centred care.
This article will break down the methodology behind the CQC’s rating process. We will share proven strategies that you can implement to improve your CQC rating. By committing to these strategies and continuously striving for excellence, you can work towards getting your own outstanding rating.
Person-centred care means the person is placed at the heart of their care. This ensures that the person has a choice in how they want their care and support delivered. By keeping the person fully informed they can contribute to their own safeguarding.
Person-centred care is especially important in care planning where it is now recognised as a key driver of the provision of high quality care.
Person-centred care’s benefits are:
- Flexibility: Individuals are free to tailor their care to their own needs instead of having a one-size-fits-all solution forced upon them.
- Responsibility: By giving individuals the responsibility to make their own care decisions, they become more empowered and engaged.
- Autonomy: Individuals who are responsible for their own health are more incentivised to make better lifestyle choices such as healthy eating and regular exercise.
- Independence: By enhancing the quality of individuals’ care they become less reliant on health services and more able to remain independent for longer.
- Happiness: Individuals who know they are receiving the most suitable care for their needs will be less anxious, more confident, and more happy.
In this article, we will define person-centred care, share examples of person-centred care in action and explain why it is important for health and social care.
Reflective practice in health and social care brings a wide range of benefits for health and social care professionals, patients, and their loved ones. With the approach often being embedded within training across many industries, reflective practice predominantly started in healthcare where the approach was heavily adopted across different industries with health and social care now at the forefront.
But, what exactly is reflective practice and why is reflective practice important in health and social care?
At the Access Group, we are aware many different approaches are being advised to help improve outcomes and care delivery. We understand that reflective practice goes further than talking or writing about your day, instead, it is about analytically evaluating your experiences to deliver better person-centred care in the future.
By the end of this article, you will have a better understanding of what reflective practice is in health and social care and how it may differ between the two, as well as how it works, why it is important, and how often reflective practice should be used.
Medicines management or medicines optimisation is defined as ‘the clinical, cost-effective and safe use of medicines to ensure people get the maximum benefits from the medicines they need, while at the same time, minimising potential harm’ by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency.
Unfortunately, the frequency of medication errors in UK care homes has increased, which compromises the safety of residents across the UK and tarnishes the reputation of care homes.
Are you concerned about medicine errors and the associated risks in your care home? Perhaps you’ve recently had a near miss, or are anxious about when one might happen?
