Our company provides excellent levels of service and we pride ourselves on the outcomes we achieve for the service user. However we recognise that in order to demonstrate this quality we need to employ safe, evidence based, up to date practices as well as robust and transparent work practices.
With this in mind we have a detailed series of steps in place throughout the whole support service from referral evaluation, assessment of needs, service implementation, risk management /reduction, support delivery and on-going service/individual performance review.
These focus on all aspects of the service users’ experience and determine how we design, implement, monitor and review our services. This process is completed “in-house” and we share the findings of this process to our partners/stakeholders at least annually.
A major part of this internal system is Practice/Performance Supervision. Our nursing team hold regular Nursing Team Meetings, to share individual and group practice on various clinical topics. These meetings also enable a true team approach to consistency in the delivery of training, guidance and responses to service users’ needs and their family/ regular care givers.
Each member of the Nursing Team receives regular 1:1 performance based supervision from our Clinical Lead.
Our Clinical Lead receives external 1:1 Clinical Supervision to ensure the clinical support service we provide is both safe and in line with generally accepted clinical practice’s.
All our Community Support Workers ( CSWs ) undertake a rigorous and comprehensive training and development plan to ensure they are safe and competent to deliver clinical and other skills to assist a Service User in their daily activities. This is overseen by a member of our Nursing Team and when complete is then signed off by the Clinical Lead.
In addition to our internal governance processes we encourage and are subject to regular compliance reviews by our NHS and Local Council commissioners at a service level basis and also during individual Service User reviews. We are of course regulated and inspected by the Care Quality Commission ( CQC ).
Quality Assurance
Optima Health and Social Care Ltd uses digital cloud based technology to assist us in delivering safe and effective services. This means that our CSWs access the relevant information regarding the Support and Care Plans, on personal hand held mobile devices.
This software also guides the CSW to deliver the relevant support activity or ‘task’ in a time ordered fashion and allows our Care Managers to monitor what actual activities are being delivered and recorded as being required for each visit or support session.
A further additional quality assurance process is the service users’ Lead Health Professional. We recognise that ultimately this person holds clinical responsibility and as such our Individual Support Plans are delivered in line with the service user’s Lead Health Professional’s guidance.
Optima Health and Social Care Ltd welcomes ‘ad-hoc’ feedback from any user of our service or connected people involved in the lives of our service users. We will also invite feedback on our services generally asking for anonymous feedback on themes such as responsiveness, how well calls are answered, how effective our service has been etc.
A major part of our service delivery is discussing regularly with our service users and the people who pay for or are involved in overseeing the services we provide. These are usually prearranged and allow us to capture the feedback directly and respond accordingly.
We genuinely believe, if we don’t get feedback on what we provide – how can we improve?
Service Monitoring Technology
Optima Health and Social Care Ltd has invested in additional software solutions to manage more effectively the support services we provide. This means all relevant information is stored very securely using ‘cloud’ based technology , from the UKs leading health and social care software provider. This means where ever we are, we can be in touch with all the data we need to ensure that are services are delivered in a smooth, consistent and reliable manner.
The software will prompt the CSW to complete an activity such as Medication Administration, Pre – Session equipment checklist, etc. CSWs must complete all tasks before they can ‘log off’ and leave. The details of when the task was completed versus when the task was planned are also monitored using the software.
This technology also allows for our employees and in particular our CSWs to be monitored in ‘real time’ to ensure they have arrived/left when planned and thus ensuring service user’s expectations are met.
Hence there are no disputes of hours delivered and who came and on what days. It takes the stress away for the service user and their care givers in signing off time sheets. It frees up CSWs to concentrate on delivering the high quality care we are known for and not to worry about competing time sheets etc.
All software we use has secure storage and two factor authentication / verified access levels for our employees. All data kept is extremely safely and Optima Health and Social Care Ltd have achieved the government’s kite mark for cyber security called Cyber Essentials Accreditation.
Individual Support Plan
A major part of our service is the Individual Support Plan ( ISP ). A lot of people and organisations call this a ‘Care Plan’. We like to think of this in a different way as we want people to take as much control as possible of their own lives and life choices. We feel that Individual Support Plan better captures this approach.
This is embedded within our Values (see separate details and explanation) which is threaded throughout everything we do. The Service User is in control of their own life choices and support needs.
As our relationship with you grows, we recognise that each person, irrespective of their needs, almost always experience changes in their needs, just like any other person. These changes are influenced by their health, environment, relationships etc. In other words their needs are constantly evolving.
In order that we ensure our service can develop alongside a person’s support needs, we have developed a comprehensive assessment and review process. This process identifies any improvements or otherwise in a persons needs and will inform the ISP and ultimately any developments in the plan.
This is a three stage process:
- Full ‘whole person’ assessment process (both pre-service and on-going)
- Individual Support Plan – Detailed explanation of how we support the service user with their particular and individual needs
- Comprehensive Review Process (1 month[implementation period] / 6 months / then every 12 months)
Sign Posting
Our service is not limited to what we can provide. We recognise that there are organisations who may be better placed to assist you with more specific issues. Our service, if agreed by the service user, will ‘point’ service users in the right direction for any additional assistance that they may need.
These external organisations may also assist service users with choosing the right care /support provider, as well as ensuring that they deliver actually what they promise. Optima Health and Social Care Ltd does not receive any fee from other organisations they sign post a service user to.
Examples of other organisations / services are:
- Local Council Adult/Children’s Services
- Local Advocacy Services
- Local Independent Visitor Scheme
- Local Solicitors
- Local Benefit Advisory Service
- Local / National Specialist Equipment Services
- Conference / Forums for Adults with Disabilities
- Local Connexions / Job Centre Plus Services
- Local Speciality Help Groups