Peacehaven House Care Home is a NFP (Not for Profit) organisation dedicated to caring for the elderly in Southport, on the North West Coast of England. Set in a large traditional building near the town centre, the Registered Charity provides residential care for 55 residents and employs 63 staff.
Established in 1949, Peacehaven organises a wide range of social activities for elderly ladies and gentlemen who are independent in spirit but that require assistance with various aspects of day-to-day living. A very strong sense of community is fostered and residents are provided with the opportunity to have their say in the home through their own elected committee.
Over its long history of service Peacehaven has moved with the times; now more than ever before, with regulations, regulators and inspection practices seemingly in a constant state of change there is a need to keep in step. Like all care providers, Peacehaven needs to be able to successfully adapt to work within the continually changing compliance framework in which the health and social care sector finds itself today.
The Challenge
As a relatively small single site care organisation Peacehaven is rooted in the local community with a committed team of staff. In her ninth year as Registered Manager at Peacehaven, Lynne Nuttall says: “Historically, every situation was dealt with by using a common sense way of doing things. It was not very efficient, because in a sense we were reinventing the wheel every time without much reference to policy and procedure.”
Much of the compliance process was without emphasis on policy and was dependent on what was in the head of one key person. From her position as an administrator back then, Lynne Nuttall makes the observation: “At that time standards were high, but the approach was dated and it was difficult to maintain continuity after the key person’s departure.”
As Lynne Nuttall became appointed as Registered Manager, it was clear the historical approach was inadequate. “Against the background of tightening regulation it was clear we needed to adopt a structured approach to compliance that enabled continuity, promoted greater professionalism and a better management ethos,” Lynne Nuttall says.
The Solution
An internet search identified a number of potential suppliers and further evaluation led to the appointment of QCS which has provided the compliance management system to Peacehaven for 8 years. QCS was selected because of its approach of tailoring the system to meet the customer’s needs.
“Other compliance system providers tried to steamroller us into their way of doing things. QCS offered us the refreshing alternative of listening to what we wanted and its system is flexible, allowing it to be shaped to meet the needs of our organisation, staff and residents,” says Lynne Nuttall.
The online facility is set up for certain members of senior staff and trustees of the charity; those with access to the online system are able to download policy and procedure documentation. This is tailored and ready to be put to use to ensure that everyone is clear on the compliance requirement for any aspect of operating the care home.
The Results
The QCS compliance management system proves highly effective in daily use. “We obtained a 3 Star ‘Excellent’ rating after our most recent inspection by CQC and it showed that we were fully compliant,” Lynne Nuttall says. “As well as looking after the needs of residents through Care Planning, it is used for staff matters such as discipline and grievance issues. It is also highly effective for managing safeguarding and any complaints that may occasionally arise over residents’ care.”
“Although as a care home you have high standards and may have done nothing wrong, you may have to undergo a CQC investigation if a complaint is made. The QCS compliance management system enables us to follow the correct procedures and lets us provide the audit trail to show that staff members have followed the regulations,” says Lynne Nuttall.
One benefit of QCS solution that is not readily apparent is how the system is driving best practice and improved care across the entire customer base of QCS system users. Lynne Nuttall says: “We have worked with the QCS Compliance Director since day one and consultation remains an ongoing part of the service. Recent discussions have included tweaking the system to accommodate how we manage palliative care at Peacehaven. QCS believe these may be of benefit to other service providers and could be adopted system wide.”
QCS compliance management is also helping the modest size care organisation to leverage other areas of technology to enable better care services. “In the near future through Wi-Fi services and mobile devices we are hoping to reduce our need for paper from that of a small forest down to a small tree. The Wi-Fi network will enable greater use of the online service on tablet devices, providing greater flexibility for staff in Care Planning,” Lynne Nuttall says.
Peacehaven House Care Home
- Modest scale, NfP residential care home in North West England employing 63 people
- Places for 55 elderly ladies and gentlemen requiring assistance with day-to-day living
- Long established, charitable organisation promoting independent lifestyles
Challenges
- Overcome historical situation of dependence on one key person and minimal reference to policy and procedure
- Tightening compliance framework drove the need to adopt more efficient approach to observing regulations
- Needed to improve compliance continuity, professionalism and management ethos
Solution
- 8 year track record of supplying QCS compliance system to Peacehaven
- Listened and tailored system to meet customer requirements
- Combination of printed and online resources
- Printed manuals available to all staff with management access to online system
- Download customised policies and procedures for managing any aspect of care
Key results
- 3 Star ‘Excellent’ report after most recent CQC inspection
- Highly effective for managing compliance in care planning, staff discipline and grievances, and safeguarding and complaints
- Promotes best practice and improved care standards across QCS customer base
- Enables better care through the use of technology by providing access to QCS online compliance resources on Wi-Fi connected mobile devices