Topic 4 How organisations promote quality care Codes of Practice Charters Organisational Policies

Codes of practice What are they? These are documents produced by service providers, organisations etc on how workers/professionals should behave at work Policies are developed from codes of practice What are the purpose of codes of practice? Set out guidelines and rules for the practice of particular procedures- advice on behaviour Define the quality of care clients can expect from h&sc services Codes can then be used to check actual procedures and measure if a service is providing good quality care

Two main purposes of codes of practice are to: Protect and promote clients’ rights Interpret law and guide carers/professionals in making decisions and taking action. Examples of codes of practice that exist include: BASW principles for social work UKCC code of professional conduct for nurses Code of practice for special ed. Needs Fair employment code of practice

Nursing & Midwifery Code of Practice (UKCC) The code of practice states that nurses & midwives should: Respect all service users as individuals Obtain consent before giving treatment Protect confidential information Co-operate with others, in a team Maintain professional knowledge & competence Be trustworthy Act to identify & minimise risks to service users

Equal Opportunities Code of Practice This code sets out to reflect day-to-day practice within an organisation & tends to focus on: Staff selection Training & professional up-dating Staff knowledge & understanding of policies & procedures Fostering positive attitudes in staff Support systems for people who use services Support systems for staff

June 2006 Describe 3 ways codes of practice help care workers promote quality care.

Organisational Policies These are written documents which basically lay out relevant codes of practice for the organisation. Many organisations give examples of the policies they have in their ‘mission statement’, which is a document received by service users when they first enter a particular setting (eg residential nursing home). Any organisation should have a number of policies to guide their care workers & inform their clients.

Examples of policies in care settings Confidentiality Recruitment Health and safety Complaints procedure Communication Access to records Moving and handling Equal opportunities

Equal Opportunities Policy This should contain the following: A policy statement An implementation plan A section on how the policy is going to be monitored A section evaluating the policy Targets & timescales set to improve future performance

A policy statement outlines the aims & outcomes of the organisation in relation to the particular issue. The policy statement is linked to the organisation’s vision/mission statement. For example, the policy statement of an EOP will outline what the organisation intends to do in relation to equal opportunities. An implementation plan will lay out how the organisation intends to ensure the EOP will be put into practice. It clearly indicates what methods will be implemented to monitor & measure progress & who is responsible for ensuring that this does happen.

The section on how the policy is going to be monitored explains to staff & clients how the organisation is going to check that the policy is being adhered to. For example, this might be through questionnaires, inspections, complaints, data on gender/ethnicity of staff etc. The section evaluating the policy sees whether the implementation of the policy has ensured fair representation from all groups in the community & whether high levels of customer satisfaction exist or not. This section highlights strengths & weaknesses of the organisation in the area of equal opportunities. The final section of the policy focuses on targets. After evaluation, targets are set to improve future performance. This is done within a given timescale.

Purpose of a policy/benefits of a policy When discussing any policy, it is important to realise that a policy benefits both the service user (client) & the service provider (care worker). A policy is also of benefit to the actual organisation.

Benefit to the service user

Benefit to the service provider

Benefit to the organisation

Implementation of policies It is important that organisations ensure that all their policies are being put into practice. How can this be done? Senior management & staff need to be committed towards the policy. They can do this taking responsibility & be in charge of its implementation. A named person within the organisation should oversee & be responsible for the policies & ensuring they are being practiced.

Staff training on the various policies needs to take place so that they are aware of policies, their implications & how they should be implemented. Otherwise, they will be uninformed. Regular staff meetings should take place with management & all staff members so that the content of policies are communicated & feedback is given. Again, this keeps staff informed.

How can policies be monitored? Any organisation can ensure its policies are being monitored by using the following methods: Collection of statistical data. This allows the organisation to monitor what changes have taken place through the relevant policy. Feedback from clients & care workers. By distributing questionnaires or having a comments box, people can say how effective they feel the policy is & if it is working.

Staff training. Care workers get feedback on effectiveness of policies & allows them to share ideas on how well policies are working. Staff inspection. This allows management to check if policies are actually being implemented by staff. They will be able to observe staff & see what is working well & what isn’t. They will then be able to make improvements for change. Regular staff meetings. Staff & management able to raise issues & share concerns about the policies & discuss how they could be better implemented.

Advertising Jobs It is essential that advertising is done in a fair manner. How can advertising promote equal opportunities? Jobs should be advertised in a range of papers. Why? Jobs should be advertised in a range of formats. Why? Do not use discriminatory language. Why? An equal opportunities logo should be displayed along with the advert. Why?

Interviewing Procedures & Equal Opportunities It is important that equal opportunities are promoted within interview procedures of all organisations. How can this be done? Mixed interview panel in terms of gender, ethnicity, religion etc. Why? Interview times varied throughout the day & flexible. Why? Venue accessible to all. Why?

Same questions asked to all interviewees. Why? No personal or family questions asked. Why? Non-discriminatory questions asked. Why? Best candidate selected on the basis of merit. Why? Interview procedure to follow organisation’s Equal Opportunities Policy. Why?