Running head: UNIT 27 MANAGING QUALITY IN HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE

Unit 27 Managing Quality in Health and Social Care

[Name of the Writer]
[Name of the Institution]
[Date of Submission]

Managing Quality in Health and Social Care

LO3: To Evaluate Systems, Policies and Procedures in Health and Social Services
3.1. Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Systems, Policies and Procedures used in the
Organisation in achieving Quality in the Services offered
The effectiveness of procedures, policies and systems used within the organisation in
achieving quality in the nursing care service offered is substantial, as good results related to
achievement of quality can only be attained by following these guidelines only. In the
organisation, the procedures, policies and systems are implemented and adopted as they are trial
and tested methods and have been verified through experiences (German & Et al., 2001, p. 25).
In every nursing home, these procedures, policies and systems have found producing good
results especially with terms of providing quality care service.
Establishment of good procedures, policies and systems within an organisation such as a
nursing home is quite essential. Each staff member of the organisation must adopt them and
abide by them. They will help them in identifying things which these people will require to adopt
within their healthcare practice. These practices must be made mandatory for all the staff
members as they will allow them and guide them about ideas through which they can offer good
service to customers (Nieva & Sorra, 2003, p. 20).
Most importantly, innovation should be the main focus of these procedures, policies and
systems within the organisation. Along with this a good quality management of work load and
time must be provided and feedbacks must be collected from every other stakeholder and
customer. Also, errors must be minimized or eliminated. Innovation and changes must always be
supported by these procedures, policies and systems and to improve the service quality new
methods must always be adopted by the managers of the organisation (Varkey, Reller & Resar,
2007, p. 736). In order to provide efficient quality service, efforts towards minimization and
elimination of mistakes must also be carried out. This will also save the organisation from
incurring financial losses.
While carrying out the survey within the organisation, feedback from every concerned
person must be collected as gathered information from such survey will offer a lot advantages to
the organisation. It will identify areas that are in need of improvements and the feedbacks of the
stakeholders of the organisation. Along with this, it is also important to manage the task and time
as it will help the organisation in maximization of things and eventually leading to offering of
good quality service.

Managing Quality in Health and Social Care

3.2. Analysis of other Factors that influence the Achievement of Quality in the Organisation
One of the difficult concepts to be captured directly is quality. However, for quality
organisational or resident outcomes are mostly used as a proxy. There is always a significant
arguments regarding the relation between quality of life and quality of care, however, there is no
competition between them as they both are quality measures (Nutbeam, 2008, p. 2073). A study
for this nursing home indicates that one of the good indicators through which quality of care can
be assessed is the perceptions of residents about the nursing staff. In care homes, the division
between social and health care provision is epitomised by the significance of measures of
homeliness and of social care.
The willingness of all the staff and the management to provide better services in every
nursing home and hospital, the quality systems to be followed and the external agencies are
found as other factors that impact the achievement of quality in the organisation. Since assistance
to the sectors of health care is provided by external agencies, thereby, they are considered as
significant. In addition to this, for every health care and health care professional, the
benchmarking and the standards are also set by them (Bowling, 2014, p. 10). Other than this,
ways to enhance things, equipping health care professionals with more knowledge on how to
provide better quality care and training them in seminars or workshops are also done by external
agencies. Besides this, health care establishments are also scrutinized by them in order to make
sure that the right procedures and systems are followed by hospitals and nursing homes in
providing the care. Along with this, they also make it obligatory for all the health care
professionals to provide best quality care services to customers.
Similarly, quality systems are equally significant in impacting the quality achievement by
the organisation as these systems are the basic guidelines for every individual to be followed.
Guidelines provided by these quality systems are already proved and tested; therefore, they are
more like laws that conduct the governance of every type of health care institution. They are
related to adoption of the right methods in providing care so that success can be resulted. They
provide sufficient help in improving those areas that are required.
Besides policies and systems, it has also been found that the quality achievement can be
influenced by the workforce. This workforce involves the staff, the care workers and the
managers. These individuals should provide good quality service to customers not due to their
profession but also by their heart (Davies, Nutley & Mannion, 2000, p. 115). In striving to offer

Managing Quality in Health and Social Care

good quality care, sincerity must be reflected from their end.It has been found that safety and
health at work and team working are two main factors that influence the achievement of quality
in the organisation. The quality of care has found to be enhanced by health care workers that are
working in teams. To enhance and improve possibly through their team mates experiences, to
learn from one another and to share tasks are mostly the objectives of carers.
3.3. Ways in which the Health and Social Care Service could improve its Quality
Reviewing and education/training are two main methods through which the quality of the
social and health care service can be improved. Going through the collection of planned
activities or targets in order to check the progress, whether it is declining or improving is referred
to as reviewing (Ferlie and Shortell, 2001, p. 282). To enhance the conditions for better service
quality, then required precautions or actions are taken. For example, monthly reviews regarding
care plans of customers are carried out in this nursing home. In these care plans, certain things
are determined, for example, whether certain improvements are required within the residents or
any requirement of some enhanced care plan in handling and moving procedures, such as, use of
belts or hoist. These care plans also involve family interviews.
After careful identification and reviewing the required action is considered accordingly.
Besides these care plans, quarterly staff meetings are held for staff members. These meetings
also vary in case of any need or in order to discuss any current or previous issue. Methods of
how to carry on with the procedure is then forwarded in these staff meetings. Also, individual
supervisions are carried out by allocated staff. Areas that require improvement are identified by
each employee. This helps a lot in improving the service quality.
Second method is education/training. According to the defined standards and regulations,
acquiring skills and knowledge or some new information regarding how things are supposed to
be done is referred to as education/training (Klassen & Et al., 2010, p. 45). In nursing homes, one
of the essential aspects is training and educating, as it equip and update the service providers
with current and related information. It also enables the staff to offer the best service quality to
customers, so that they are satisfied. Trainings are carried out in this nursing home followed by
required supervision. However, in case of any need of re-training, necessary arrangements are
made. For the benefits of community at large, service providers and service users, these

Managing Quality in Health and Social Care

arrangements are offered, as the quality of service is promoted by it and preventable accidents
are minimized or reduced by it.
Other than this the social and health care can also improve its quality by committing
always of finding methods to enhance the smallest point stated with regard to care and by
following the right methodologies and all of the quality procedures, policies and systems.
Procedures, policies and systems are significant as they are based on previous experiences of
positive and negative consequences, thereby a lot of learning can be made through them
(Berwick, Nolan & Whittington, 2008, p. 752). Seeking feedback and carrying out surveys is
also one of the essential methods. Listening to customers will provide information about areas
that require improvements. Also, gathering data from previous studies and seeking comments of
people regarding the services provision and staffs performing on the job can also provide
significant information and help in improving the quality.

Managing Quality in Health and Social Care

References
Berwick, D.M., Nolan, T.W. and Whittington, J., 2008. The triple aim: care, health, and
cost. Health Affairs, 27(3), pp.759-769.
Bowling, A., 2014. Research methods in health: investigating health and health services.
McGraw-Hill Education (UK), p. 10.
Davies, H.T., Nutley, S.M. and Mannion, R., 2000. Organisational culture and quality of health
care. Quality in Health Care, 9(2), pp.111-119.
Ferlie, E.B. and Shortell, S.M., 2001. Improving the quality of health care in the United
Kingdom and the United States: a framework for change. Milbank Quarterly, 79(2),
pp.281-315.
German, R.R., Lee, L.M., Horan, J.M., Milstein, R., Pertowski, C. and Waller, M., 2001.
Updated guidelines for evaluating public health surveillance systems. MMWR Recomm
Rep, 50(1-35).
Klassen, A., Miller, A., Anderson, N., Shen, J., Schiariti, V. and O'Donnell, M., 2010.
Performance measurement and improvement frameworks in health, education and social
services systems: a systematic review. International Journal for Quality in Health
Care, 22(1), pp.44-69.
Nieva, V.F. and Sorra, J., 2003. Safety culture assessment: a tool for improving patient safety in
healthcare organizations. Quality and Safety in Health Care, 12(suppl 2), pp.ii17-ii23
Nutbeam, D., 2008. The evolving concept of health literacy. Social science & medicine, 67(12),
pp.2072-2078.
Varkey, P., Reller, M.K. and Resar, R.K., 2007, June. Basics of quality improvement in health
care. In Mayo Clinic Proceedings (Vol. 82, No. 6, pp. 735-739). Elsevier.