Analysis of Partnership in Health and Social Care: A Detailed Report

This report provides a detailed analysis of partnership working in health and social care, using Dilly's Diabetic Center as a case study. It explores various aspects of partnership, including the implementation of training programs for diabetic patients, philosophical approaches such as empowerment and information sharing, and the importance of collaborative working and power sharing. The report examines the challenges faced by the center, such as staffing issues and communication problems, and suggests strategies for improvement, including the recruitment of new staff, the use of technology for data management, and the promotion of effective communication. Furthermore, the report distinguishes between multi-agency and case-specific partnerships, highlighting their respective goals and applications in healthcare. Overall, the report emphasizes the significance of effective partnerships in enhancing the quality of services and improving patient outcomes in health and social care settings.

Working in Partnership
in Health and Social
Care

TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
TASK 1............................................................................................................................................3
1.1.................................................................................................................................................3
1.2.................................................................................................................................................5
TASK 2............................................................................................................................................7
2.1.................................................................................................................................................7
2.2.................................................................................................................................................9
2.3...............................................................................................................................................10
TASK 3..........................................................................................................................................12
3.1...............................................................................................................................................12
3.2...............................................................................................................................................13
3.3...............................................................................................................................................14
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................15
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................16

INTRODUCTION
A partnership can be considered as a systematic organizational arrangement in which
both parties develop cooperation for mutual interests. It can be done between two big private
organizations along with non-profit firms. The main aim of partnership is to enhance
coordination among activities of both organizations in order to achieve common goals (Mackay
and et.al., 2012). In the context of health and social care, an organization develops partnership
contracts with doctors and other health care institutions for facilitation of best services to patients
or service users. It also develops good relations with other firms.
This report presents various aspects of partnership with respect to Dilly’s Diabetic
Center. In this process, this report evaluates several partnership philosophies that will enhance
coordination. It evaluates different kinds of management approaches which assist Dilly’s
Diabetic Center in order to promote positive aspects of partnership working among medical
professionals and between firms related to health care. This research also analyses effect of
partnership working to enhance overall efficiency of organizations along with quality of service
for service user. Report also presents a range of organizational outcomes in the form
improvement in services through partnership working.
TASK 1
1.1
Dilly’s Diabetic Center makes efforts in order to facilitate a range of training and
educational session to provide distinct kinds of information to patients of diabetes. With the help
of these kinds of training session, diabetic patients can control and manage their diet and exercise
so as patients can control health problems which may be faced by patients due to improper food
habits and etc. In order to achieve these objectives, management of health care firm organizes 8
week training program (Carnwell and Carson, 2015). In this, health care manager conducts a
detail discussion regarding symptoms of diabetes and organization also develops a diet plan for
different service user that will reduce effect of diabetes. In the process of training, the
management of Dilly’s Diabetic Centre also takes suggestion from service user about whole
educational activity. With the help of this, firm can improve service quality by implementing
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new services. So, partnership working of Dilly’s Diabetic Center with various other
organizations and professionals helps patients regarding symptoms of diabetes and along with
systematic diet plan for patients of diabetes that will assist patients for managing their day to day
operations and food habits as per the information provided by health care firm. It will avoid
serious elements of diabetes and provides a quality life. Some important philosophical approach
is taken by Dilly’s Diabetic Centre which is explained as below: Empowerment: The term Empowerment means delegation of different kinds of authority
and knowledge that assists people in order to manage distinct kinds of situation
themselves. In this aspect, managers of health care firm make efforts to empower patients
By empowering patients, Dilly’s Diabetic Centre can provide wide range knowledge and
information about several situations so as patients could take proper action in situation of
medical emergencies related to Diabetes. With the help of various exercises, an
individual can improve his health. It can be considered as a most important tool to
increase involvement of patients for health-care activities as per the needs of patients. Distribution of information with medical professionals: The case study determines that
the effectiveness of 8 weeks training programs can be influenced by proper sharing of
different kinds of information with patients along with their family members (Savage and
Ford, 2008). This information h will assist patients for maintaining healthy life style with
the help of various medical professionals. In order to achieve this objective, doctors and
health care staff distributes information among patients and other services users regarding
symptom of emergency situations along with necessary actions to handle it. So, families
of diabetic patients and can easily manage conditions of health emergency with the help
of several steps and actions. This process enhances understanding among public and
patients regarding serious health problems. Enhancement of collaborative working: The management of Dilly’s Diabetic Centre also
considers collaborative organizational practices for developing of organizational structure
that will improve health of diabetic patients. In this process, managers promote
partnership with other business firms (Read, Corcoran and Jackson, 2011). With the help
of this approach, Dilly’s Diabetic Centre can offer wide range of services to patients. In
addition to that health-care organization can share resources that would lower cost of
operations and improve service quality. This thing also enhances efficiency of health care
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unit because managers also take views of other individuals and service user. It increases
understanding of patients because health care unit presents several aspects like treatment
and etc. with other experts.
 Power Sharing: With respect to the partnership of Dilly's Diabetic Center with
Lewisham GP it needs to share its power and it is the key process of partnership. In
health and social care organizations, decisions can be improved by understanding the
roles and responsibilities of each partner. With the help of negotiation, both the partners
can take their business to new heights. This will also help in tighten the bond between
both the partners (Munn-Giddings and Winter, 2013).
 Independence and respect– This area is likely to aid towards increasing involvement of
patients for health-care activities as per the needs of patients.
 Autonomy - Giving autonomy to patients is likely to aid in improving service quality by
taking patient’s opinion into consideration.
 Making informed choices – By making informed choices, there can be reduction in the
overall dependency of medical services. Firm can ensure safety of patients and reduces
impact of diabetes on the health of individuals.
From the above approaches, it is clear that partnership will help the organization in
providing quality services to the service users. It is only possible due to exchange of ideas and
thoughts which will result to get an innovative and fresh idea regarding the improvement in
health and social care firm.
1.2
The case reflects that patients and managers of Dilly’s Diabetic Centre are facing many
problems and discrepancies in treatment process. This thing develops negative perception of
health care and reduces satisfaction level of patients. In order to reduce gap in service quality, the
authority of Dilly’s Diabetic Centre should have to recruit of new workers and employees that
will improve organizational capabilities for achieving management objectives. Health care unit is
facing several problems due to lack of efficient staff such as most of the patients have to bring
their urine and blood samples by their own which is not possible for every patient along long
waiting period in order to get health care services (Wild and et.al., 2012). The health care unit
can adopt various tactics for recruiting of new candidates in the form of publication of vacancies
in newspapers and etc and human resource consultancy.
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The case study shows various problems such as misplacement of blood sample and
improper recording of treatment procedure which are faced by mangers and staff of Dilly’s
Diabetic Centre. This thing creates gapes in service quality and reduces organizational efficiency
in facilitation of distinct kinds of services. In order to resolve these kinds of problems, firm
should develop universal formats and resisters that will assist staff members to keep systematic
records of various aspects (Mockford, Staniszewska, Griffiths and Herron-Marx, 2012). In this
aspect, organization could use different kinds of computer software and hardware that helps staff
of health care organization in order to manage distinct kinds of data related to personal
information of patients. This tactic may reduce the chances of misplacement of blood sample. It
also increases accessibility of information because staff members can easily acquire information
of service users within few seconds with the help of latest technologies. With the help of above
mentioned strategies, Dilly’s Diabetic Centre can reduce waiting times between treatments
because computer software and technologies help managers in order to manage an efficient
schedule of treatment and list of appointment in particular day. In this regards, health-care staff
fixed the schedule of patients at particular date and time that will avoid waiting time and prevent
patient from anxiety. It also increases the satisfaction level of patients.
Communication plays an important role in providing proper and quality services to the
patients. With the help of effective and polite communication skills, care workers can improve
their relationship with the patients. This will also help in maintaining respect and dignity of the
patients (Munn-Giddings and Winter, 2013). Effective communication helps in convincing the
service users for any kind of treatment or medicine as per their disease or disorder. This also
helps in understanding the past and present life of clients and with the help of this information,
doctors of Dilly's Diabetic Center can provide proper treatment to them.
Organizational communication is most important part of any kind of organization. In
context of current case, an efficient communication system develops mutual understanding
between medical staff of Dilly’s Diabetic Centre and service user about different health issues.
This approach will assist both parties for resolving health issues in a proper manner. In order to
provide the best treatment, medical staff should have to carefully solve the problem and
difficulties of patients (Olsson, Engström, Skovdahl and Lampic, 2012). By understanding
problems of workers efficiently, medical professionals can provide best treatment. In order to
enhance efficiency of organizational operations, manager needs to promote sharing of
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information with the help of proactive communication medium. This thing increases corporation
and coordination among medical staff. Proper communication may further aid in eliminating the
overall waiting time that exists in between treatments. It is likely to aid in the prevention of
patient’s anxiety and improve patient’s satisfaction level that occurs if he/she is made to wait for
too long.
TASK 2
2.1
Multi-agency partnership is created by several health care organizations in order to meet
mutual goals. But, in Case specific partnership, management develops partnership with other
health care firms according to needs of particular case. Multi-agency partnership operates wide
range of organizational operations as compared to case specific partnership (Health and social
care working in partnership, 2007). In development of Multi-agency cooperation, health care
unit should enhance relationship between staff of both firms. In case specific, staffs related to
particular case are managing relationship.
The primary goals of case specific partnership are to identify health issues of particular
patients and facilitation of treatment. In this process, all parties and health care firms carry out
joint efforts in order to provide best treatment with some unique way. On the other hand, multi-
organizational partnership is generally used to carry out detail research and development of
activities to identify causes of new diseases as well as development of an efficient treatment
procedure (Munn-Giddings and Winter, 2013). With the help of this process, manager can
resolve health issues faced by several individuals from either common cause or different causes.
So, the managers of health and social care firm can easily resolve problems of people within less
cost. To manage treatment for individual suffering from mental illness, manager evaluates
several procedure of treatment. In order to facilitate best services, managers develop partnership
with other health care organization in order to get expert advice related to particular case. With
the help of this approach, organization can facilitate best treatment to an individual suffering
health issues (Lu and et. al. 2010). The joint efforts of professionals of both organizations lead
good results in terms of health benefits. So, health care organization can provide large number
mental patients with an appropriate manner. In order to deal a specific mental case, care unit has
to adopt of case-specific partnership. This approach will help of organization for facilitation of
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special services and treatment. On the basis of above assessment, it can be said that multi-agency
partnership is more beneficial for health care organization. This is because it provides wide range
of new professional knowledge to medical experts, sharing of resources can reduce service cost
etc. It also increases ability of staff to mange health-care operations with employees of other
firm.
Multi-agency partnership is preferable for the social care organizations as it provides
them an opportunity to make their relationship strong with the workers of both companies which
is good for its working environment. Good relationship with the care workers results to high
level of job satisfaction which leads them to improve their performance for the progress of firm
(Savage and Ford, 2008). In addition to it, detailed research takes place in this approach which
can help the firm in taking proper and strategic decisions for their workers and patients. It will
also help in increasing trust for resolving the issues effectively by understanding the reasons
behind them.
Similarity between multi-agency partnership and case specific partnership:
Both types of partnership manage large number of mental patients. They further provide
good returns. This is because; both organizations can share large number of resources in terms of
medical staff and other equipment (Bernard, 2013).
Difference between multi-agency partnership and case-specific partnerships with respect to
the mental health services:
In case specific partnership, mental health services give focus to the disease or disorder
of the patient and tries to find out the best treatment with joint decision. On the other hand, multi
agency partnership needs detailed study and research for determining the treatments of new and
specific mental disease or disorder. It also provides a wide range of resources as compared to the
case-specific partnership for resolving the problem because of strong relationship with the staff
of both companies. From this differentiation, it is clear that for new mental disease, mental health
service needs to follow multi-agency partnership as it will help them in collecting proper
information about the problem. In contrast to it, for the mental disease which is known to the
social care workers, they can use case-specific partnership. Joint decision will be taken by them
to use new and proper method for recovering the problem effectively.
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2.2
There is a range of considered by NHS in development different kinds of partnership for
development of several solutions related to distinct health issues. Some important approaches
are explained below which can be implemented by managers of health care firm in order to
handle positive partnership in the process of treatment of patient suffering from mental health
issues: Coalition model: With the help of this system, health and social care organization can
develop different kinds of teams of medical professionals and nursing staff formation of
an efficient treatment procedure for patient facing mental health problems (Kereiakes and
Willerson, 2004). In this process, teams are also divided into subdivisions that preform
different elements of treatment procedure according to needs of patients. In this process,
managers and medical staffs develop social relations with staff of other health care unit. Unified model: According to this concept, managers consider several principle and
practices for treatment mentally ill patients on the basis of organizational structure and
rules and regulations. In this, medical staff follows rules and principles determined by top
managers. Problem-orientation partnership: This partnership is designed to manage common
problems of both health care organizations. This system also assists medical practitioners
in order find solution of a person suffering from mental health problems (Mackay and
et.al. 2012). It is a very effective tool for developing common understanding on particular
task.
 Ethical partnership: It is a systematic designed partnership which aims to improve a
better way of living for both clients and service users suffering from many problems.
With the help of this approach, managers can meet health needs of patients suffering
from mental health.
In handle an individual suffering with mental health problem, different agencies of UK
have developed a range of approaches that ensure safety of rights on a patients (Hughes and
Urwin, 2013). In this aspect, Humanistic theory is very useful for health and social care
organizations. On the basis of this approach, management can enhance quality of decision-
making process and will facilitate best services and treatment to patient suffering from mental
health problems.
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For the positive promotion of partnership, firms can follow the following theories:
Enforced co-operation: Proper cooperation of partners results in enhancing the
productivity and profits of business. Cooperation also helps in using innovative strategies and
decisions for resolving the issues (Bernard, 2013). Sharing of ideas and perception leads to
provide partners a fresh and new idea that can be effective for the organization. For improving
the future of partnership, it is important to have cooperation among partners at present.
Game Theory: As per this theory, both the partners get identical payoffs for a set of
strategies. In this, cooperation of partners can be based upon the reciprocity but once this theory
is established properly, it helps in taking right strategies for the business by neglecting wrong
and inappropriate plans (Savage and Ford, 2008).
2.3  Full time working: According to this model, staff members work in organization by
spending some period and hours with reference to employment contract and appointment
terms and conditions. In this, an employee manages same kind of job and perfumes a set
of activities that will reduce chances of mistakes (Munn-Giddings and Winter, 2013).
This process increases proficiency of an individual in particular job that increases
goodwill of staff. This process and inflexible working conditions lead stress and reduces
productivity. Employee is also facing problems in order to manage social life because an
individual gets only few hours to spend time with family. Part time working: On the basis of this section, staff members of health and social care
manage their job and work for a segment of time, not for full working day (Fox, 2012).
This process helps workers in order to maintain proper balance between personal and
professional job. This aspect assists employees in management of social activities. It also
reduces stress among workers because they can meet all responsibilities with an effective
manner. This system will increases cost of organization because firm has to appoint extra
part time worker for managing of several business operations.
 Flexible Working: This system is mainly followed by top medical practitioners. In this,
top medical professionals manage different kinds of activities according to needs to
medical institutions (Alakeson, 2013). This thing increases efficiency of an individual by
maintaining proper balance between office and home works. This process also reduces
expenditures of health care organization (Ellaway and Macintyre, 2009). Employee can
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perform several tasks in one day. This method increases chances of delays in various
organizational projects. It creates problems for top management in order to manage
several tasks with an efficient manner.
With help of collaborative working, the managers and employees of health and social
care organization in proper utilization of various resources according to needs of consumers.
This system encourages employees in order to share different kinds of medical equipment and
other resource that will decrease overall operational expenses of firm. By developing common
understanding, firm can enhance corporation among worker that will improve quality of health
care services and satisfaction level of business entity (The learning, teaching and assessment of
partnership work in social work education, 2015). It leads communication or transmission of
information between employees and other organizational partners. By transmitting different
kinds of data with other partners, firm could create positive impact of outcomes and satisfaction
level of consumers. But, differences in working methods also affect collaborative working.
When full time workers of one organization are handling special case that times part time other
workers cannot manage their job practices with them. It will create problems in coordination
among staff member of both health-care unit. It will reduce effectiveness and efficiency of
outcomes of partnership working.
Advantages and disadvantages of different working practices:
Advantages of different working practices are:
 Increase in the satisfaction level of employees,
 Higher talent pool,
 Reduces absenteeism,
 Increases worker's commitment (Savage and Ford, 2008)
 Increases productivity.
On the other hand, disadvantages of different working practices are:
 Less teamwork,
 Reduction in initiatives,
 Inequality,
 Lack of proper communication among staff members.
The differences are likely to impact collaborative working by creating inappropriate work
on the account of decreased team work. Workers in this case may not make an attempt to
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