Use and develop systems that promote communication free essay sample

There are many groups of people a Manager needs to communicate with in order to do the job effectively and efficiently. Staff need to be one of the first and most important groups. A Manager running a 24 hour service must recognise their staff are the promoters and advocates of the service in a Managers absence, next would be the service users themselves. Any service will have other health professionals attached, such as GP’s, OT’s, speech and language therapists. Families need to be included in any changes, or plans for the service, and close friends of individuals. Case Managers, commissioners and if registered, CQC all must be kept current, along with Operation and Regional Managers of the organisation. 1. 2 Communication in a service has to be constantly monitored and adapted if not proving to be effective. A communication book is an excellent communication tool, staff make a note of any appointments, telephone calls, meetings that have happened during their shift. When staffs come on duty they must first read the communication book, and then sign each entry. This way the Manager can be sure all staff has had the information. Staffs have a handover period of time, as one shift goes off duty, and as the next shift start. It is important to have a process, for example if working in a nine bedded service, start with room 1 and discuss anything relevant to that service user, then room 2 etc. That way no one individual is left out, this can often happen when there has been an incident surrounding 1 or 2 people, the handover can then be dominated by the incident and things can be forgotten. Handover sheets are a CQC requirement. This will indicate who is leading the shift, fire officer, first aider and who is responsible of medication. It will have a detailed list of jobs required, and staff sign once these have been completed. Within the handover sheet will be other forms that may need completing depending on the happenings of the day or the day of the week. This could include, water temperatures, menu planning, laundry, house shopping. Incident sheets are also mandatory, and can lead a change of outcome or procedure. Each service should have a procedure to follow when completing an incident sheet, and a list of people who the require a copy of the completed form. Supervision is a more person centred form of communication, as is Annual Performance Reviews of staff. Staff meetings are a place where roles and responsibilities can be agreed, and Managers can see which individuals are on board with a possible change, and who may need support/training. Emails are now a major part of communication in a service, and can be almost immediate if waiting for a response, a good way of ensuring emails have reached, and been read, are to attach a response flag to the email, this will indicate to the sender that the email has been opened. House meetings are an essential way for staff to learn if there are outstanding issues within the home, some service users prefer to speak when in a group, they need the safety net of others. Advocates often hold meetings in the service, and service users decide if they would like staff present. Service Managers should liaise with the advocate to ensure any issues or concerns raised can be addressed. Reviews of individuals are held every 6 months, case Managers, family, friends, other health professionals and any relevant day care units are all invited, this is an arena for goals and changes to be set in motion. Each service user will have a key worker, a member of staff who is responsible for the necessary paperwork for that person. The key worker will update the care plan, a person centred document which holds all the information on each individual. Any changes to routine, health, medication are recorded and notes for each review are made from the information gathered in the plan. As a Manager of a registered service all of the paperwork and policies and procedures in the home will be inspected annually by an inspector from the Care Quality Commission (CQC). The Care Standards Act 2000 introduced regulations to protect the privacy and dignity of people receiving care. it has put in place an independent regulatory system regarding care services. This can be challenging for the staff of a service as the CQC standards can be conflicting with the commissioners (the borough that are paying for the individuals to live in each home) standards. Alongside this organisations can have uniform paperwork that is expected to be in place, the Operations Manager to the service will do a monitoring visit to each home on a monthly basis, and could ask for a procedure to change, or to implement a new piece of legislation. The Manager would then need to send a copy of the proposed change to both the CQC and local commissioner for approval. Another challenge to effective communication is part time employment. Waiting for a response to something urgent, when the person concerned is not back at work for 2 days is frustrating. It also means effective handover periods and staff communication is essential. This is when the communication book, and minutes to meetings that have taken place, are vital. They support the lines of communication. Staff sickness is a challenge, if short notice and agency staff has to be used, this puts pressure on the permanent staff member, as they have to ensure the temporary staff is aware of their duties as well as carrying out their own responsibilities. Some long term members of staff can show reluctance to change, and communication can break down, especially if a relatively new member of the team has an idea. Staff can dismiss the idea, or believe the ‘old way works fine’. Families can also believe they know what’s best for their siblings/children, even when they possibly haven’t lived together for years. The service user may be involved in a relationship or an activity they do not wish their family to know about, and this can cause families to challenge staff as they believe staff are hiding things or withholding information they believe they should be party to. 1. 4 Please see 2. 3 1. 5 Everyone responds in different ways to a situation. A good Manager will know their staff team and their service user group and will choose the correct way/time to communicate with them. An individual with a hearing or speech problems will respond to being in a small group or one to one session when being faced with an important issue to be discussed, Makaton or sign language can be used, or a pictorial aid. To increase awareness to sign language a ‘sign of the week’ could be introduced. The individual who uses signs can choose a word that is important to them, or a word they use most when excited or upset and their verbal communication lets them down. This can be put up in pictorial form on the notice board, and discussed with both staff and service users, staff can encourage everyone to use this sign. It gives the home another passage of communication. Managers who have something important to discuss with their team may prefer to have a meeting off site, and if faced with a new approach or major change a team building day or training course may be useful. Some families liked to be informed of anything that is happening to their loved one, and they like to speak to the Manager to assure them. Others may not need that level of contact and may email occasionally for an update. As a Manager you will know the families and if an email or phone call avoids conflict make a note in your diary weekly/monthly to contact a family member. This can ensure the families don’t speak directly to the service user and cause unnecessary upset. Staff who have been on annual leave or away sick should be given time on their return to read all necessary paperwork in order for them to be up to date in the happenings of the service. Ensure staffs sign all entries they have read, this is evidence for the Manager all information has been passed on. Head Office requires certain administration details, sickness, annual leave, pay increments. These types of details are recorded monthly on a ‘staff return’ form and processed at head office. 2. 1 All service users must have an up to date Care Plan and Assessment of Needs from the Care Manager in compliance with the Community care Act 1990. Care plans are the core of any service, and should be updated each time there has been a medical visit, one to one discussion, planning any changes to routine. These are always reviewed by CQC, commissioners and your own organisation. The object of a care plan is to ensure every need of the individual has been looked at and is being met. It should look at the person, not the disability, it should be looking at always promoting independence while always considering the person involved. An assessment of needs, which can also be referred to as a skills analysis, is a very useful document. It can monitor progression and deterioration and action can be taken to reflect this. This should be updated yearly, however if at any time the staff feel action should be taken outside of the time scale of one year, a meeting would be called to discuss an action plan and this would be acted upon. Risk assessments are an essential part of any care plan. They underpin the independence of each person and ensure all aspect of the situation has been discussed and any risk eliminated. As result this could show the risk is too great, this should not mean the idea ends here, it should be an opportunity to look at others ways to reach a positive outcome. Positive outcomes are what CQC and commissioners want to see, if you can show the process through the care plan, risk assessment and one to one meetings you can ensure all inspectors your duty of care to the service user was foremost in all planning. Each service user has the right to an annual review which should be attended by their case manager, or a reprehensive from that organisation. Due to restraints on time this is not always the case. Managers should ensure the review takes place and the minutes are forwarded if unattended by social services. This is the opportunity for service users to discuss the previous year, they can invite anyone they wish to attend, and minutes are recorded. Service user meetings should be held monthly, again these minutes will be inspected by CQC and the commissioner as these meetings are a requirement in the CQC standards. These meetings can be open to discuss many things, choosing colour schemes for the home, furniture or re designing their rooms and garden. When a communal room is due for an update the service users will agree on a scheme that pleases them all. This would also be noted in their care plans, their particular preferences and with regard to environment including any cultural needs. 2. 2 All of the communication systems in place in any service are only effective if they are being used. Managers should be monitoring these systems and ensuring they are working correctly. If it is practise for each member of staff to sign entries in a communication book, Managers should question why, if this is not happening. Use supervision sessions with staff to discuss why a procedure has been over looked and constantly update a system that appears to be struggling. Have a procedure that works for you to monitor systems in your home. Use your electronic diary to schedule monitoring a practise, or the desk diary. Have a list on your desk to check a different system each day or week. Use your staff, delegate through supervision or team meetings a different policy or procedure to each member of staff. It then becomes their responsibility and you can look at the effectiveness of this in supervision sessions. It is important to remember you are part of a team and staff should be as responsible as the Manager in wanting all practises to be upheld. 2. 3 An issue when working for a large organisation is the office hours of head office staff. To ensure you can get the response you need, take time to put a list together of the working hours and direct telephone numbers for key people for your service. Evidence is essential when working in a busy service, if you have a new policy or procedure to introduce, make a list of all staff in your service, including casual staff. Put this in front of the policy and through the communication book ask staff to sign next to their name once they have read the policy. Managers can then check the sheet to see who has read it without having to ask each staff member, or write another reminder. Discuss training at each team meeting, record this on to a training matrix. You can use the system to highlight to you when mandatory training is needed, and if this can be attached to your company intranet, it can also show you of any future training courses relevant to your staff and service. Attend your local forums; this is an excellent way of meeting other service providers and passing on good practises. Monitoring other services within your organisation is another good way of sharing good working systems and staff attending team meetings at other homes can bring on answers to a problem or concern that has arisen in your service. Use large distribution lists on your email. Most organisations will have all service Managers under one heading, email your query to everyone at once, someone may have already have the answer/form /system you require. 2. 4 If you are part of a large organisation, utilise the wealth of knowledge and experiences. Use your regional meetings to record the specialised fields your colleagues have trained in. Have a list of email addresses and telephone numbers, this can be delegated to staff, not everything needs to be led by the Manager. If you know of a service where someone who worked in a particular service before and has firsthand knowledge of a situation, ask the key worker of the individual you want to support to contact them. Make sure you give the member of staff the time to visit if necessary, and give them a slot at your next team meeting to feed back to the rest of the team. Training can come in all sorts of guises. Use health care professionals attached to your service, most speech therapists will come in at your team meeting and give some advice on the way to support an individual. These can sometimes be more useful than a whole training session as they are person centred because you all know the service user you want to support. Include the service users in training where relevant. Fire safety, food and hygiene, health and safety are areas that are important for everyone to be aware of the risks. It promotes independence for the individual and empowering for them to be involved in the running of their home. 3. 1 Partnership working in any service needs to be built on a mutual trust and respect. Once you have this within your relationship it ensures good honest practise. If you have attended a meeting, always ensure you leave the meeting with a clear understanding of what is expected of you and what you expect from others. Give yourself a time limit to work to and if that isn’t looking possible be sure to contact the parties involved so they are aware of any delay. Use organisational paperwork whenever possible, this will be useful for whoever is monitoring your service if they are responsible for several different homes, their time within your service will be limited. It can be better spent than trawling through forms if they know what to look for monitoring can be simplified. Know your role and the role of other professionals attached to the home. Don’t waste time discussing an issue with someone who cannot support you, go directly to the individual who is responsible and who within their role can best help you. Do not be afraid to challenge, it can be healthy in partnerships to be honest and tell someone directly what is it you need from them. You do not always need to like the person you are dealing with, but you can respect their position and the role they play. 3. 2 Sharing records through email is can be an effective way of communication and it’s fast. However always be mindful of who can have access to information that could be confidential. Use the response system on your email so you have a record to show your email has been read. Using uniform paperwork is effective, but if it’s not completely suitable for each of your service users adapt it and as long as you share the changes with all relevant parties this should be acceptable. Evidencing through your service is a common and effective way to communicate your needs to others, you can show the system works/fails by having the evidence at hand. One to one meetings are still a much needed form of communication, this is where you build your relationships with individuals, emails and telephone calls are easier once you have met. Agree on a frequency you are going to communicate, make a note of when you next need to contact the relevant person. Good working partnerships are essential to ensure the rights outcomes you want for your service. 3. 3 All of the communication system previous mentioned, can be adapted to best fit the needs of the individual service user. Use your team meetings to throw open a discussion, brain storm concerns the team may be experiencing. Be ready to welcome new ideas and often you will find yourself in the role of mediator. Look at everyone’s point of view before make any decisions that will cause a major change. Be ready to compromise and adapt the original idea, perhaps with reviews attached to the change. Ask everyone to monitor the concept and bring their findings to the next meeting. Always set timescales and be sure everyone is on board with this. Ask individual people you are liaising with their preferred method of communication. Someone may be happy to correspond through emails only, while others may prefer a meeting or telephone call. Know your network of professionals and use them. Don’t be afraid to ask their advice or support when faced with a situation which is new to you. People would rather be able to help than be waiting for a piece of work you may not have even started. 4. 1 Managers are bound by standard 9, in the Care Standards and article 8 of the Human Rights Act. This clearly states what information is required and how to store the information. Records will need to be kept in a secure place in accordance with the standards, and any information stored on a computer should be accessed with a password only by the Manager or named person. As employers, you will need to be aware of the data Protection Act (1998) Data Protection Act (1998) An employer holds personal data on all employees and service users (in the case of the care industry) and therefore has to adhere to the Data Protection Act. An employer must respect confidentiality at all times and: †¢Process personal data fairly and lawfully †¢Ensure personal data is, adequate, relevant and not excessive †¢Ensure personal data is accurate, and where necessary kept up to date †¢Ensure personal data is not kept for any longer than is necessary †¢Process personal data in accordance with the rights of the individuals to whom the information relates. †¢Ensure that personal data is not transferred to a country outside the EEU (unless the country to which the information is to be sent ensures and adequate level of protection for data. Freedom of Information Act The Freedom of Information Act enables people to gain access to information held by public authorities in two ways: †¢Publication Schemes – every public authority must make some information available through publication schemes. A publication scheme is both a public commitment to make certain information available and a guide on how that information can be obtained. †¢General Right of Access – people have a right to make a request for any information held by a public authority and the authority has to comply with the Act by responding. This right came into force on the 1st January 2005. Although these are clear guidelines on sharing information, confidentiality can still be an issue within a home. Families are questionable, they believe they have a right to their relations personal details and do not understand if they are not given all of the details. As a Manager your duty of care lies with the service user, and if they have asked for some of their information not to be shared, you must adhere to their wishes. However, there may be a time when it’s necessary to share something, if a service user tells you something you know is harmful or even abusive, you must pass this on. In this instance you must tell the person, who has disclosed this to you, that for their own safety you will be telling either ‘the Manager, senior staff on duty, Care Manager etc’. 4. 2 Another way to have yourself prepared for such an event is to have an Authorisation to Discuss Form. This can be explained and discussed with the service user, their family and Care Manager prior to them moving in, and once this is signed it becomes a safety net for you if such a situation should arise. Remember who is present at the meeting. Not everyone might need to know all of the items on the agenda. Be mindful if someone is at a person’s review, representing their day care for example, they can be asked to leave once they have had their item discussed. If you have an inspection from CQC, either a planned inspection or an unannounced, they will and can look at everything within the service. Any paperwork to do with the service users must be available and any staff information. Staff files must be kept in a locked cabinet and only the Manager should have keys. However there has to be another person, in a Managers position, who can be on site in 20 minutes with keys. So in the event of the Manager being out of the service and not able to get in, either annual leave or sickness, the Inspector can access the files. Some organisations have an agreement with CQC and all staff files can be held centrally, if your organisation has this agreement, it takes the responsibility off the Manager. An Inspector will visit Head Office annually and view all of the files at the one time. 4. 3 At the end of the day all of the procedures and policies you have in place are there to ensure you are providing the best service possible for the service users in your home. Inspectors, Care Managers, commissioners and families will want to see evidence that the service user is at the heart of the service. You can show this with minutes to house meetings, setting up an informal chat with the Inspector and a service user, or through an advocate. These methods are effective because the service user remains in some control as what they divulge. It can be like living in a gold fish bowl for the service user, they are aware everyone coming in to the service can read personal and confidential information on them. While it is necessary to have a complete picture and can be dangerous if details are left out, remember if you are using a member of staff from an agency, that you possible won’t see again, they may not need to have all the details of all the service users. You can use a ‘pen picture’ of individuals. This can give an overview of the person but not include personal details. This works well when there are two or more staff working together, the contracted staff who knows the service well can guide the agency staff through the shift. UNIT 1 USE AND DEVELOP SYSTEMS THAT PROMOTE COMMUNICATION There are many groups of people a Manager needs to communicate with in order to do the job effectively and efficiently. Staff need to be one of the first and most important groups. A Manager running a 24 hour service must recognise their staff are the promoters and advocates of the service in a Managers absence, next would be the service users themselves. Any service will have other health professionals attached, such as GP’s, OT’s, speech and language therapists. Families need to be included in any changes, or plans for the service, and close friends of individuals. Case Managers, commissioners and if registered, CQC all must be kept current, along with Operation and Regional Managers of the organisation. 1. 2 Communication in a service has to be constantly monitored and adapted if not proving to be effective. A communication book is an excellent communication tool, staff make a note of any appointments, telephone calls, meetings that have happened during their shift. When staffs come on duty they must first read the communication book, and then sign each entry. This way the Manager can be sure all staff has had the information. Staffs have a handover period of time, as one shift goes off duty, and as the next shift start. It is important to have a process, for example if working in a nine bedded service, start with room 1 and discuss anything relevant to that service user, then room 2 etc. That way no one individual is left out, this can often happen when there has been an incident surrounding 1 or 2 people, the handover can then be dominated by the incident and things can be forgotten. Handover sheets are a CQC requirement. This will indicate who is leading the shift, fire officer, first aider and who is responsible of medication. It will have a detailed list of jobs required, and staff sign once these have been completed. Within the handover sheet will be other forms that may need completing depending on the happenings of the day or the day of the week. This could include, water temperatures, menu planning, laundry, house shopping. Incident sheets are also mandatory, and can lead a change of outcome or procedure. Each service should have a procedure to follow when completing an incident sheet, and a list of people who the require a copy of the completed form. Supervision is a more person centred form of communication, as is Annual Performance Reviews of staff. Staff meetings are a place where roles and responsibilities can be agreed, and Managers can see which individuals are on board with a possible change, and who may need support/training. Emails are now a major part of communication in a service, and can be almost immediate if waiting for a response, a good way of ensuring emails have reached, and been read, are to attach a response flag to the email, this will indicate to the sender that the email has been opened. House meetings are an essential way for staff to learn if there are outstanding issues within the home, some service users prefer to speak when in a group, they need the safety net of others. Advocates often hold meetings in the service, and service users decide if they would like staff present. Service Managers should liaise with the advocate to ensure any issues or concerns raised can be addressed. Reviews of individuals are held every 6 months, case Managers, family, friends, other health professionals and any relevant day care units are all invited, this is an arena for goals and changes to be set in motion. Each service user will have a key worker, a member of staff who is responsible for the necessary paperwork for that person. The key worker will update the care plan, a person centred document which holds all the information on each individual. Any changes to routine, health, medication are recorded and notes for each review are made from the information gathered in the plan. 1. 3 As a Manager of a registered service all of the paperwork and policies and procedures in the home will be inspected annually by an inspector from the Care Quality Commission (CQC). The Care Standards Act 2000 introduced regulations to protect the privacy and dignity of people receiving care. it has put in place an independent regulatory system regarding care services. This can be challenging for the staff of a service as the CQC standards can be conflicting with the commissioners (the borough that are paying for the individuals to live in each home) standards. Alongside this organisations can have uniform paperwork that is expected to be in place, the Operations Manager to the service will do a monitoring visit to each home on a monthly basis, and could ask for a procedure to change, or to implement a new piece of legislation. The Manager would then need to send a copy of the proposed change to both the CQC and local commissioner for approval. Another challenge to effective communication is part time employment. Waiting for a response to something urgent, when the person concerned is not back at work for 2 days is frustrating. It also means effective handover periods and staff communication is essential. This is when the communication book, and minutes to meetings that have taken place, are vital. They support the lines of communication. Staff sickness is a challenge, if short notice and agency staff has to be used, this puts pressure on the permanent staff member, as they have to ensure the temporary staff is aware of their duties as well as carrying out their own responsibilities. Some long term members of staff can show reluctance to change, and communication can break down, especially if a relatively new member of the  team has an idea. Staff can dismiss the idea, or believe the ‘old way works fine’. Families can also believe they know what’s best for their siblings/children, even when they possibly haven’t lived together for years. The service user may be involved in a relationship or an activity they do not wish their family to know about, and this can cause families to c hallenge staff as they believe staff are hiding things or withholding information they believe they should be party to. 1. 4 Please see 2. 3 1. 5 Everyone responds in different ways to a situation. A good Manager will know their staff team and their service user group and will choose the correct way/time to communicate with them. An individual with a hearing or speech problems will respond to being in a small group or one to one session when being faced with an important issue to be discussed, Makaton or sign language can be used, or a pictorial aid. To increase awareness to sign language a ‘sign of the week’ could be introduced. The individual who uses signs can choose a word that is important to them, or a word they use most when excited or upset and their verbal communication lets them down. This can be put up in pictorial form on the notice board, and discussed with both staff and service users, staff can encourage everyone to use this sign. It gives the home another passage of communication. Managers who have something important to discuss with their team may prefer to have a meeting off site, and if faced with a new approach or major change a team building day or training course may be useful. Some families liked to be informed of anything that is happening to their loved one, and they like to speak to the Manager to assure them. Others may not need that level of contact and may email occasionally for an update. As a Manager you will know the families and if an email or phone call avoids conflict make a note in your diary weekly/monthly to contact a family member. This can ensure the families don’t speak directly to the service user and cause unnecessary upset. Staff who have been on annual leave or away sick should be given time on their return to read all necessary paperwork in order for them to be up to date in the happenings of the service. Ensure staffs sign all entries they have read, this is evidence for the Manager all information has been passed on. Head Office requires certain administration details, sickness, annual leave, pay increments. These types of details are recorded monthly on a ‘staff return’ form and processed at head office. 2. 1 All service users must have an up to date Care Plan and Assessment of Needs from the Care Manager in compliance with the Community care Act 1990. Care plans are the core of any service, and should be updated each time there has been a medical visit, one to one discussion, planning any changes to routine. These are always reviewed by CQC, commissioners and your own organisation. The object of a care plan is to ensure every need of the individual has been looked at and is being met. It should look at the person, not the disability, it should be looking at always promoting independence while always considering the person involved. An assessment of needs, which can also be referred to as a skills analysis, is a very useful d