We had an interesting and productive get-together in the Care Roadshow this week at Hampden Stadium in Glasgow.
There were many service providers with stands giving information on what they did. This ranged from independent inspection agencies, Disclosure Scotland stand providing advice, and the Dementia Services Development Centre from Stirling University. Of course QCS was there too, as main sponsor.
Ongoing seminars were held throughout the day, including activity work, whose sessions were boisterous and highly participative, enjoyed by all!
Wendy Perry, Learning and Development Officer from Dementia Services Development Centre told us about the importance of understanding and communication in supporting and responding to people who have dementia.
Donald Macaskill is the Chief Executive of Scottish Care, an umbrella organisation for care and support providers. He outlined the development and history of human rights, and their fundamental importance in social care. Indeed, he suggested all human rights involve social care in their application. He also pointed out the Scottish context, including the current review of National Care Standards involving a rights based approach. On their website he welcomes this approach, while pointing to some of the complexities: rights can be qualified or restricted, for example, but can we do that for standards? And application of rights involve an interpersonal dynamic for consensus, while standards suggest something more than that.
However, Scottish Care are supportive of the rights based approach and provide much information on their website about implementing people’s rights. They also were major contributors to the Scottish Human Rights Commission’s ‘Care about Rights?’ initiative: this provides rights information and training online for all care services.
The Care Inspectorate is currently aiming to transform how it does its work, as Rami Okasha, their Director for Strategic Development told us. The revised Care standards have now had their over-arching principles approved as:
- Respect;
- Compassion;
- Inclusion;
- Responsiveness;
- Safety;
- Well-being.
The new standards will be formed as draft, and are planned to be sent out for wide consultation this autumn, with gradual phasing in from 2017.
A new approach to inspection is currently developing also. Rami told us that the focus is moving from enforcing compliance, towards ensuring good outcomes for service users. More proportionate and targeted inspections will aim to encourage and support innovation. This should result in more partnership and collaboration between services and the inspectorate, a development which will surely be welcomed by all. We hope these changes will assist in continuing the progress in the quality of care and support provided nationally.
Lastly (but not least!) our own Head of Care Quality, Ed Watkinson, gave a talk on the journey to achieve excellence in care, particularly through inspection grading.
Ed gave us very practical tips on managing inspection, including sound evidence gathering, preparing and involving staff and service users, and indeed the inspector. Smiles are very helpful also! He pointed out that demonstrating sustainability of quality is very important, as is showing how quality of life is improved and not just maintained by your service.
Listeners welcomed the talk, clearly many services are aiming at the elusive but rewarding target of excellence. QCS is happy to give further help and advice on this.
Overall it was a busy, productive and interactive day. We hope you enjoy further Care Roadshows which are planned if you can come along.
