CHIS issues call to arms over perception of care
By David Waters, Managing Director CHIS and PrimeCare Insurance
5 July 2011
Media coverage of the terrible treatment disabled patients received at a residential hospital has delivered a serious blow to the public's perception of quality in the UK's care sector. Businesses and organisations operating in our industry need to take action now before their commercial viability suffers a similar fate.
No-one would deny these are tragic events, however it now falls on all players in the care sector, supported by their industry associations, the Government, and its official regulator the Care Quality Commission (CQC), to improve their services and minimise long-term damage to the industry and its patrons (a collective term used here to include patients, service users, residents, clients or whatever you call your customers).
In putting things right, it will also be critical that fallout is carefully managed to ensure widespread public perception of care standards provided throughout the UK is not unfairly swayed by harsh or inaccurate representation in the media.
The vast majority of care businesses in the UK provide loving and attentive care to their patrons and are well run, but things running smoothly hardly rates as newsworthy, so of course it doesn't get media attention.
The headlines are overwhelmingly reserved for the Winterbourne View debacle, the financial plight of Southern Cross, Dame Jo Williams' critical responses to the public outcry over domiciliary care and other similar stories.
Collectively set your own quality standards
I strongly urge all care providers to work together through your local and national associations and demand official recognition for the quality and level of care services delivered in your business.
You also have an opportunity now (and I believe an absolute duty) to collectively weed the poor performers out.
Remember, you don't need to wait for the Government regulator to raise or lower the bar - there's no reason why you and your association can't set its own standards at a level you can attain and be proud of as a group.
Your associations, or their authorised representatives, can then be mandated to audit and evidence the quality of care services you deliver, or at least provide mechanisms which enable you to conduct reliable, ongoing self-assessments.
Reputations are maintained with pride
At CHIS and PrimeCare Insurance, we work closely with the National Care Association (NCA) and its members.
Interestingly, we note the claims experience for NCA member clients is better than for non-association member clients. Why is this?
We believe members strive to uphold the values implied by the reputation of the association they belong to - they seek ways to achieve and demonstrate their agreed quality standards.
The RNHA's blue cross, for example, has for many years been widely recognised as a symbol of quality, one which is worn by all its members with well-deserved pride.
Years of industry experience has also allowed us to develop a sense and understanding of the differences between good care businesses and the rest.
While we don't always get it right, we find that business operators who make the effort to become active members of their association invariably deliver superior service than those who don't.
Use legitimate benchmarks
Wherever possible, it is crucial to use recognised symbols which the public already perceive as positive.
Investors in People (IiP) accreditation for example, is valid evidence of the quality staff, the management of those staff and by extension, the quality of care which is invariably delivered to customers.
For those of you who don't have IiP endorsement, you may want to find another way to demonstrate how you induct, train, manage and care for your staff, and how they in turn care for your patrons.
Watch your industry indicators
As a rule, well-trained staff tend to enjoy their jobs more - they know they're doing a good job and their patrons are pleased with the quality of care they receive.
Long-term staff retention (especially the key good staff) is vital for any good business, and the combination of training and good management goes a long way to help business operators achieve this.
Insurance claims are another key indicator of service quality and business health.
Any business can be forced to make a claim at some point, but a business with several claims (particularly liability claims) is invariably one with potentially serious problems.
Looking forward
We believe care associations could have an important role to play in regulating the members they serve and lifting quality standards industry-wide.
By acting on behalf of their members, associations can detail areas needing improvement and demonstrate the quality standards attained.
Could this be a more powerful tool for both the care businesses and for the public at large?
We think it probably would, and this approach to regulation could potentially reduce the combined cost to industry across the board.
Plus, better performing businesses could benefit from improved quality, using their resources better, and as a side benefit, reduce the cost of their insurance cover. The greater the evidence of your quality standards, the lower your overall costs in so many ways - especially your time.
PrimeCare Insurance and CHIS offers this article as a call to action - we hope it stimulates further debate and prompts care business operators to take the initiative in improving the quality of care and restoring the British public's faith in the UK's care system.
If you'd like to join the debate - it's your livelihood after all - please either take this up with your association or contact David Waters at CHIS/PrimeCare Insurance by email david@chis.net or phone on 01273 645921 (direct).
Together we're stronger.
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