Caring is a call beyond a Job
Caring is not just another job in the community, it is a momentous call to serve and bring hope to those in need. A carer is an agent for the realisation of a better quality of life for those in need of care. Those for whom care is provided are often vulnerable, frail or have mental challenges. Circumstances for those in need of care are sometimes near impossible to withstand for some carers and necessitate resilience, patience, tolerance, humility and many more qualities which largely demand humility on the part of the care professional. The sad part of care dynamics is the lack of knowledge on the part of most stakeholders (family, care professionals, lawyers, friends, neighbours, etc). In this blog we aim to inspire our audiences to gain knowledge and insights into healthcare in order to prepare them for the eventuality when situations arise to get care for self or for a loved one. While we do not have every answer on caring for those in need, we believe the insights we share written in simple language instil a good mindset on the challenges and requirements for good care.
In healthcare, caring is not simply the presence of one person looking after another. The professional training required is not mere tick box play. The notion of care and caring is not a simplistic matter, but life enhancement in what may be trying circumstances. Caring is also not merely a standard one-jacket-fits-all scenario, care has to be personalised because those in need have different requirements, hence different service users have different needs which MUST be incorporated into their care plan. The care plan is the daily schedule of care activities which is developed through mutual co-production with the service user, their family, other agencies and the care provider. In this instance the primary focus is the needs of the service user as everything should mirror what is best for the person receiving care.
The regulator for care in England (UK) is the Care Quality Commission (CQC), essentially, they are the custodian of safe care for adults especially where personal care is involved. To the extent that there is a regulatory body, that does not eliminate abuse and neglect that is often reported widely in the press. Ultimately the call for safe care is to all stakeholders and hence families and care service providers should put in place robust monitoring mechanisms to ensure safeguarding for those being cared for. Where care is needed, whether it is your own care or for a loved one it is therefore paramount that you give consideration to the elements that really matter for quality care. CQC has five parameters referred to as key lines of enquiry being, Safe, Caring, Reliable, Effective and Well-led (SCREW). Are these factors key lines of enquiry a consideration for you in determining a provider for care for you or your loved one? If you do not consider these elements as you select a provider for care you are not far from disappointment.
Understanding SCREW for Quality in Care
Safety is often mentioned in tandem with safeguarding ensuring that those in care or vulnerable are protected and the other term often used is non-maleficence (do no harm) as a commitment to safe service in the right environment. The quest is to ensure that those receiving care are not exposed to any harm or potential harm. This requirement necessitates risk assessment and strategies for risk mitigation in care.
Caring underscores the support to ensure a healthy life where necessary provisions are catered for in an environment that is respectful and upholding the rights of individuals as well as meeting their needs. In such instances the main consideration is to be person-centred, ie everything done puts the service user (person being cared for) at the centre of the service delivered.
Reliable refers to consistency in doing something. It is important that whatsoever one does in delivering a service or in a production process the result should not vary from time to time. Whenever delivering care the provider needs to put in place a system that ensures consistency in delivering quality. This is the foundation of quality whereby the focus is on meeting needs consistently using a system and measures of quality for the service.
Effective service delivery is critical. Effectiveness is a key tenet of management and leadership which underpins the attainment of set out objectives. When delivering services an effective provider meets objectives and that is dependent on a reliable system. In meeting the set out objectives it also mirrors cost management that optimises operations through efficient utilisation (not wasting resources).
Well-led is a strategic posture of an organisation. In respect of a care provider this is largely about good organisation that delivers. The elements of management leadership ensure that teams are motivated and inspired to excel in delivering service. Well-led organisations are professional in their conduct of their operations. Well-led practices require sound planning, organising, staffing, coordination, motivation, resourcing, etc to work well and deliver outstanding service.
What Next?
We will be delighted to hear from anyone who has a passion for health and welcome contributions to our Infinity Comfort Care blog. We believe what we are doing can make a difference to multitudes of people in need of information.
For more details on the dynamics of the requirements of care delivery you can reach out to the Care Quality Commission (CQC) regulations on their website.
At Infinity Comfort Care (www.infinitycomfortcare.co.uk) we aim to give you insights and raise your awareness of healthcare practices.
