I have confidence in the organisation providing my care and support
I have been describing each week, one of the five headline outcomes which form the main structure of the new National Health and Social care standards. These will be fully introduced from April 2018 and can be downloaded in their final form from the Scottish Government website. (https://beta.gov.scot/publications/health-social-care-standards-support-life/pages/2/)
This fourth headline outcome is to do with the confidence in, and assurance about the quality of the organisation providing the care and support. As with the other outcomes, what people can expect is summarised under the five established principles of care. The following is a summary of these as applied to this outcome.
Dignity and Respect
The organisation is committed to implementing human rights and involves and assists people in tackling health and social inequalities.
Compassion
In the care and support provided, I am valued and everyone is treated with respect. Where things might go wrong, or my rights are not respected, I receive an apology and the organisation takes responsibility for its actions.
Be Included
I can visit the service, if possible, and meet the people providing the care before I decide if it is for me. I can be meaningfully involved as a partner in the work and quality improvement of the organisation and of the service. The organisation listens to, and learns from my feedback, and where possible I take part in recruiting and training people.
Responsive Care and Support
Best practice, guidance and evidence is taken into account in how the service is provided. Where the service is planning to close, or can no longer meet my needs, proper notice is given to me so that I am supported to arrange alternative care and support. The service has proper safety procedures, including for unexpected or emergency situations. I receive consistent and stable support from people I know, even through any change in the service or organisation. If I am cared for by a team, or by different services, there is good co-ordination to provide me with consistency and continuity of support. I understand that my private information is confidential and respected, only being shared with others where appropriate.
There is an ethos of continuous improvement in the organisation, with the focus on quality assurance and responding to complaints and concerns. I know how to make a complaint and I can have this investigated without any negative consequences for me. If my care and support are delayed or unavailable, this is explained to me and I am supported to find an alternative.
Wellbeing
The service is well led and managed. People have all necessary resources and information, and are properly recruited and trained. People who provide my care and support are encouraged to do this in an innovative way. Where I have a carer, their needs are assessed and support is provided where needed.
Conclusion
This headline outcome is a very good summary of people’s rights and expectations of how the service provides care and support, and of how this is experienced. Services should ensure that they have sufficient information about human rights, and that this is available to the people they support.
There is an organisation in Scotland which can provide support in this, the Alliance. This organisation describes itself as a ‘ national third sector intermediary for a range of health and social care organisations.’ Its members include national support providers as well as small, local volunteer-led groups and people who are disabled, living with long-term conditions or providing unpaid care. They have a publication on ‘Being Human: A human rights-based approach to health and social care’, which can be downloaded from http://www.alliance-scotland.org.uk/news-and-events/news/2017/01/being-human-a-human-rights-based-approach-to-health-and-social-care/#.WddKXkzMyRu
