These are the procedures that are of most importance to our service users; they are core to the delivery of quality care services. Any survey of service users’ priorities of quality care places the consistency and reliability of workers as their priority. These procedures set out how we would deliver good quality services which would meet the needs of our service users.

It is the responsibility of management to ensure that this organisation employs staff in sufficient numbers and with appropriate skills to respond effectively to the needs of the service users for whom we provide services. The registered manager therefore should keep under review the size and composition of this organisation’s workforce and correlate this with the profile of needs presented by current and predicted service users. Where there is a poor match, necessary action on recruitment or training, or in other personnel areas, should be initiated.

This organisation wishes to provide as wide a range of skills as possible to meet the needs and preferences of service users. Line managers should therefore maintain a review of the capabilities of each of the workers for whom they are responsible. The objective should be to add to the workers’ skills and experience through balanced and varied workloads, incorporating new sorts of work if possible, and through appropriate training and supervision so that they can make as broad a contribution to the work of the organisation as possible.

When this organisation accepts a referral and agrees to provide a service, the responsible manager needs to ensure that the new work is allocated to a worker with the appropriate skills and experience to meet the needs and preferences of the new service user. This is of course subject to other workload pressures, but for every new case, we should seek a match between the service user and the worker that is as good as possible.

The process of matching a worker to the specific needs and preferences of a service user becomes even more important where a service user has specific needs arising from dementia, mental health problems, sensory impairment, physical disabilities, learning disabilities or substance misuse problems, or where our service is for intermediate care or respite care. In any of these instances, the manager responsible for case allocation must ensure that the worker allocated to the service user has the appropriate skills and experience, and is prepared carefully for the new work. Use might be made of knowledge possessed by other workers for briefing a worker new to such a situation, and managers should use the opportunities of internal training and group supervision sessions to facilitate this sort of sharing.

Similar care must be taken in selecting a worker to take on the care of a new service user from an ethnic, social, cultural or religious minority. This organisation cannot and would not wish to guarantee that a service user would invariably be assisted by a worker from the same group, but we should make use of the personal knowledge gained from a worker’s membership of a minority group where this is appropriate. A worker’s ability to understand the language of choice of a service user may be particularly helpful. Where a worker is to become responsible for the care of a member of a minority with which he or she has not previously had much experience, the worker should be carefully briefed to be able to provide appropriate services with tact. Some matters such as diets, toileting procedures and religious observance may be of particular sensitivity.

When this organisation is asked to provide a short-term service either as or contributing to, a respite care or intermediate care service, special steps need to be taken to ensure that the allocated worker understands and is capable of responding to the particular demands and pressures of these forms of service.

We have a responsibility at all times to ascertain and take into account the wishes and feelings of service users. Workers who pick up any views about the service from a service user with whom they are working should pass these on to their supervisor, who should consider the implications both for that particular service user and for the service in general. All staff should encourage and help service users to make decisions about their care. We will comply with any special local arrangements for self-assessment by service users

We have a responsibility to provide service users with full information about services and offer opportunities for choice wherever possible.
If a service user expresses a wish to change the pattern of the service they receive – e.g. a variation in the number, length or timing of worker visits, or a change in their task schedule – this should be reported to the supervisor and considered immediately.

If a service user expresses a wish for a change of worker, this should be similarly reported and explored by the supervisor.
If it appears that this organisation is not able to meet the needs or preferences of a newly referred service user, the manager should consider advising on an alternative source of service, either by referring the service user to the social services department or by directly suggesting another organisation. If a situation arises wherein an existing service user develops needs or preferences that the current worker is not able to meet, then the manager or supervisor should consider whether an alternative worker would be more suitable and arrange this if appropriate. If exceptionally, it appears that we cannot in any way continue to meet the service user’s requirements, they should be referred elsewhere and appropriate arrangements made for this organisation’s services to be terminated.

If the service we provide is likely to be varied to any significant degree for a service user whose fees are being paid by a social services department, the manager should take steps to consult and obtain authorisation from the responsible social services care manager before implementing any change.

All staff should take steps to ensure that the provision of our service does not undermine a service user’s capacity to make decisions about their own care. Workers should take every opportunity to stress to service users with whom they work that they retain the right to organise their own lives and that our task is to meet their requirements as best as possible. Supervisors should take a similar stance when making monitoring visits. Managers are responsible for ensuring that this position is reflected in all of this organisation’s literature, and communications with service users and others.

As an organisation, we are obliged to see that all services are demonstrably based on good practice and reflect the relevant clinical and specialist guidance. The manager is responsible for reviewing new publications, government documents and professional guidance as it appears; for considering its relevance to our work; and, where necessary, for instituting appropriate changes in working practice, instructions to staff and staff training.

Adult Safeguarding
Advance Care Planning
Assessment of Need and Eligibility
Autonomy and Independence
Co-operating with other Providers
Care and Support Planning
Cyber Security
Dignity and Respect
Equality and Diversity
Mental Capacity Act 2005
Nutrition, Hydration and Food Safety
Sensory Impairment

Equality Act Codes of Practice:
https://www.equalityhumanrights.com/en/advice-and-guidance/equality-act-codes-practice

The Human Rights Act:
https://www.equalityhumanrights.com/en/human-rights/human-rights-act

Skills for Care: Equality and Diversity
https://www.skillsforcare.org.uk

SCIE Equality, Diversity and Human Rights:
https://www.scie.org.uk/training/co-production/equality-diversity-human-rights

Dignity in Care:
https://www.dignityincare.org.uk/

All staff, during induction, are made aware of the organisation’s policies and procedures, all of which are used for training updates. All policies and procedures are reviewed and amended where necessary, and staff are made aware of any changes. Observations are undertaken to check skills and competencies. Various methods of training are used, including one to one, online, workbook, group meetings, and individual supervisions. External courses are sourced as required.

Date Reviewed: May 2021
Person responsible for updating this policy: Carly Fortune
Next Review Date: May 2022