Demonstrating quality to your future customers

1. Demonstrating quality to your future customers Colin Angel, Policy Director

2. Why is quality a top agenda item? NHS and hospitals: Social care: Dignity and nutrition reports Meeting needs of people with dementia EHRC report on homecare CQC homecare inspection report • Winterbourne View and Morecambe Bay • Francis Report intoMid Staffordshire • Target-driven culture and failure to act on NHS mortality data • Whistleblowing and use of gagging clauses

3. Priority issues in homecareCQC Themed Inspection Report • Missed / late visits • Consider electronic monitoring systems • Resist “call cramming” • Careworker continuity • Inform users of unplanned changes • Training for coordinators • Quality monitoring • Need for QA Systems • Record and act on feedback from users • Staff training • Performance review • Training & development plans

4. Representing the sector:CQC Themed Inspections, 13 Feb 2013

5. “Caring for our future”Care and Support White Paper 2013 Government committed to: • A single portal for health and care(NHS Choices) • Access to clear information about the quality of individual providers • Work with organisations to develop comparison and feedback websites

6. Provider Profiles on NHS Choices • Provides a free directory listing: • NHS Choices receives >19 million visits / month • No additional charges to enhance profile: • A text description of the service • Images and videos; biographies of key staff • Types of services offered • Profiles will be extended to offer: • User reviews from 3rd party websites • “Transparency measures” reported by providers • Membership of organisations and quality schemes

7. Third-party ‘review’ websites • Plethora of sites developed/underway • Creation of NHS Choices may thin the field • Some review sites have alienated providers • Lack of robust moderation in user comments • Fee-paying basis for enhanced listings • Regard negative comments as a chance to improve • Create a positive impression through your response, where you have the ability to do so

8. New ‘transparency’ measures for social care • Initially 5/6 numeric indicators forhomecare and residential services • All measures are stated as positiveie. 100% score is “high” • Will be self-reported by the provider • Skills for Care’s NMDS can populate two of the measures • Participation is optional • But not participating may create a negative impression • Further indicators to be developed over time • Shared Lives and disability services under developemnt

9. What the transparency measures cover Homecare Residential Staff stability Staff qualifications Resolving complaints Medicines management Pressure care management Falls management • Staff stability • Staff qualifications • Resolving complaints • Scheduled visits successfully undertaken • Scheduled visits taking place on time

10. Update your profile on NHS Choices • Find out more from NHS Choices: • www.nhs.uk • Request editing access, by e-mailing: • thechoicesteam@nhschoices.nhs.uk • Write your content carefully: • Your audience are future customers(tell them what they need to know) • Use every-day language; avoid unrealistic claims • Proof-read text; use interesting, high-quality images

11. Nuffield Quality Ratings Review (Due March 2013) All provider reps said: UKHCA added: Must be suitable for people who use/provide homecare Unlike the scrapped CQC “Excellence Award” Must have a graduated scale of quality Not just “compliant” and “excellent” Little appetite for 3rd party awarding bodies or additional fees • Strong support for a ratings system • Must concentrate on users’ experience • Must not add to existing regulatory burden • Ideally, CQC should be the awarding body • Needs to be designed with providers

12. CQC’s Quality Survey?(UKHCA’s recommendations to King’s Fund) • Broad support for the principle • Especially in homecare where users are harder to reach • But: A one-size-fits-all survey won’t work • Must concentrate on user experience(not just regulatory compliance) • Results should be available to providers(Not just CQC) • Should allow comparison between self-funded and state-funded services

13. NICE Quality Standards • Intended to establish quality above compliance required by regulation • They are not another form of regulation • Standards to be published include • Dementia and Looked-after Children (April 2013) • Domiciliary care • Mental wellbeing and medicines management • Time to start planning: • How your businesses will use the Quality Standards • How you tell customers about your plans

14. Use of social media • Consider Twitter, Facebook & LinkedIn • Great for latest information about social care • Create a ‘presence’ among your customers • Highlight successes in your services • Positive messages about care • Link to news items of interest your audience • Engage in conversations about quality

15. Use your quality marks in public • Display your quality marks on your literature and website • Embed CQC’s “widget”on your website • UKHCA’s members benefit from our Code of Practice • Consider signing-up for TLAP’s “Making It Real” programme

16. Some “take-home” messages • Openness and information high on Government’s agenda • Social care expected to keep pacewith the NHS • Resistance isn’t a long-term strategy • NHS Choices is an excellent (free) opportunity • Sign-up for the “Transparency Measures” • Look at opportunities to engage with customers through social media

17. How to contact me Website: www.ukhca.co.uk E-mail: colin.angel@ukhca.co.uk Twitter: @colintwangel Telephone: 020 8661 8152