Strategies for Achieving Quality in Health and Social Care Settings

This report provides a detailed analysis of quality management within the Health and Social Care (HSC) sector. It begins by exploring differing perspectives on quality from various stakeholders, including healthcare providers, care users, and external governing bodies, such as the Care Quality Commission and government bodies. The report then delves into the role of external agencies in setting quality standards, highlighting the influence of non-departmental public bodies, government bodies, and charity organizations. It also examines the impact of poor service quality on stakeholders, considering social, professional, and personal consequences. Furthermore, the report identifies and evaluates existing standards for measuring quality, such as NICE guidelines and NHS performance frameworks, and analyzes different approaches to implementing quality systems, including social, personal, and professional strategies. The case study focuses on a care home facing an MRSA outbreak, emphasizing the need for quality improvement measures to protect residents and improve service delivery.

Managing
Quality

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
TASK 1 DIFFERING PERSPECTIVES OF QUALITY IN HSC..................................................1
1.1 The perspectives that stakeholders connected with HSC regarding quality.....................1
1.2 Role of external agencies in setting standards for quality in HSC...................................2
1.3 The impact of poor service quality on the stakeholders connected within HSC..............3
TASK 2 STRATEGIES FOR ACHIEVING QUALITY IN HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE
SERVICES.......................................................................................................................................4
2.1 Standards that exist in HSC for measuring quality..........................................................4
2.2 Evaluating approaches to implement quality systems......................................................5
2.3 Analyzing potential barriers to deliver quality health and social care services in HSC...6
TASK 4............................................................................................................................................7
4.1 Evaluating methods regarding internal and external perspectives...................................7
4.2 Impact that involving users of services in evaluation process has on service quality.....8
CONCLUSION ...............................................................................................................................8
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................9

INTRODUCTION
It can be evaluated that it is essential for health care workers to provide better
facilities to care users for achieving and enhancing quality in HSC. However, the
organization following quality management perspective is required to undertake quality
assurance and control processes so that delivered products and services can be attain
consistent quality. The main aim of the report is to assess the quality standards for care
home and thus enhances the quality services of care setting in order to attain
satisfaction (Gorla, Somers and Wong, 2010). Also, it is crucial for health and social
setting to ensure that different policies and principles such as Human Rights Act,
Equality Act should be followed so that best care can be rendered to individual.
Furthermore, it is significant for care providers to undertake effectual tactics for
achieving quality in HSC.
The present study, overviews a case scenario that states that recently the local
borough is facing the issue of spreading of infections diseases which is linked to
Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) within their care home of elderly
residents. Hence, being a care worker it is essential to overcome the prevailing
conditions and thus provide better care faculties such as antibiotics to overcome the
infection (Hernon and Altman, 2010).
TASK 1 DIFFERING PERSPECTIVES OF QUALITY IN HSC
1.1 The perspectives that stakeholders connected with HSC regarding quality
There are different perspectives that connects stakeholders in regard to render
the best quality services within HSC. These are discussed underneath-
 Health care providers- Care workers are the main strength of the HSC as they
play the main role in delivering services to patients and fulfilling their needs.
There are numerous care workers within care home such as doctors, nurses,
support staff and management. Thus, all these people are required to handle and
manage the quality of services within care setting so that satisfaction can be
achieved (Hockings, 2006). However, it is essential for them to assess the
suspected infectious diseases and provide required antibiotics in order to
overcome the people who suffered from such problems. For this care home
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management is required to provide proper training sessions so that care
providers can learn to determine the requirements of patients and deliver the
best quality services to overcome the infection. The living area of patients and
their food should be safeguarded so that it does not come in contact with the
virus.
 Care users- The perspective of patients is that they required high class quality
health care services from care home in order to improve their living conditions.
Therefore, management of HSC is required to provide proper clean and healthy
environment to care users so that they can prevent themselves from infection.
For instance, it is essential for workers to provide safety guidelines to the care
users regarding the protection measures and instruct elderly patients to avoid
share eating, accommodation with anyone for certain time being (Kerzner, 2013).
 External governing bodies- There are different external bodies such as Health
Service Commissioners, Care Quality Commission etc. plays a main role to set
the quality standards within care setting. Such governing bodies instruct care
organization to undertake proper measures so that best quality services can be
rendered to patients and help them to overcome diseases. It is crucial for care
home to meet the possible standards as set by governing bodies of UK and
render the best quality services to care users to achieve results (Kwak and
Anbari, 2006).
1.2 Role of external agencies in setting standards for quality in HSC
There are different external agencies that play a main role in setting quality
standards within care home. It is as follows-
 Non-Departmental Public Bodies- It is the main external agencies which
involves National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), Care Quality
Commission (CQC) etc. However, all these bodies formulated policies for care
home that they need to follow in order to provide quality services to patients.
They also undertake different care home, hospitals and clinics in order to provide
best practices safeguarding the interests of care users. Their main role is to
implement effectual health care services and instruct patients to follow certain
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guidelines to avoid infections within care setting (Maignan, Ferrell and Ferrell,
2005).
 Government Bodies- It is essential for UK health care department to maintain
certain policies with the aim to manage quality standards within HSC and for this
they need to implement the best rules and policies to overcome infections.
However, it is the duty of the care organization to enhance its service quality and
provide best benefits to users. Also, the health inspector is required to monitor
the implemented policies within care home that it is practiced regularly or not as it
helps organization to overcome the infections. Thus, it is essential for
government bodies to maintain standards such as avoid share eating,
accommodation etc. so that infections can be avoided (Reeves and et.al., 2011).
 Charity organizations and NGO's- It is the duty of charity institutions and
NGO's for improving the quality measures and setting best care standards so
that patients can be treated well within HSC. They keep a close watch on the
principles such as Equality Act, and Discrimination Act so that no care users
should be harmed by care providers. Also, it is essential for NGO and trustees to
regularly visit the care home and measure the quality standards in order to
overcome the infectious diseases (Freedman, 2002). Different actions need to be
undertaken so that service quality can be maintained within organization.
1.3 The impact of poor service quality on the stakeholders connected within HSC
It can be evaluated that rendering poor service quality has diverse impact on the
stakeholders within HSC are as follows-
 Social Impacts- The main impact of poor service quality on care users is that it
can cause harm to their health which sometime leads to death. Thus, it results in
social impact that states that if people dies because of ineffective service quality
then it affects the health and care policies formulated by government. For
instance, it is the duty of the care providers to guide the patients, family
members, friends and community to safeguard themselves from the infectious
virus prevailing in the society (Fulga, 2013). Therefore, it is essential for care
home to protect the patients from such type of viruses so that elderly people
living in the society could be protected from poor service quality.
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 Professional Impacts- It impacts the care providers such as doctors, nurses
and support staff to undertake different measures so that quality health services
can be rendered to service users. For instance, if care organization does not
focus on cautions to prevent the ineffective service quality that affects the
requirements of service users (Gavrielides, 2011). Therefore, proper standards
should be set of delivering quality services that satisfied the needs of individuals.
Also, proper training sessions are planned to enhance the knowledge of
employees regarding using the innovative technology and improve the service
quality so that satisfaction can be attained among care users.
 Personal Impacts- The impact of poor service quality in HSC impacts on
attaining dissatisfaction among care patients as their needs and wants are not
fulfilled. However, it is essential for care provider to determine and fulfill the
needs of care users otherwise it impacts on their health. For instance, as per the
case care providers are required to provide best services to infectious patients so
that they can overcome the disease and attain satisfaction (Kajonius and
Kazemi, 2015).
TASK 2 STRATEGIES FOR ACHIEVING QUALITY IN HEALTH AND
SOCIAL CARE SERVICES
2.1 Standards that exist in HSC for measuring quality
It involves different standards that are available within care setting with the aim to
measure service quality especially in residential care facilities. It is as follows-
 Quickly evaluating the performance of HSC in relation to service providers-
There are different quality standards suggested by NICE and thus it enables care
providers to follow such guidelines in order to ensure best services to be
rendered to patients suffering from infectious diseases. Furthermore, there are
different regulatory bodies such as NICE that helps in measuring the quality
standards provided by care home so that well being of patients can be enhanced
(Thibault and et.al., 2007).
 NHS performance framework- Care home is required to undertake NHS
framework in order to set direction and also provide responsibility to the care
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home. For instance, NHS performance framework involves five international
performance goals that helps in covering the main activities within care setting. In
order to deliver the best quality services to patients there are five domains such
as effectiveness, safety, experience, satisfaction and attaining goals (Vlachos
and et.al., 2009). The care providers are required to provide the best care and
support as per the principles of NHS so that performance can be attained.
Hence, each and every care home is required to follow the NHS framework so
that best service experience can be provided to patients.
 Requirement of quality care and services- The main duty of the service
provider is to determine the needs and requirements of patients in order to
deliver them quality care and services so that enhancement can be attained
effectively. Furthermore, it is essential to satisfy the patients, family members,
friends by providing them relevant information regarding the service quality. As
per the case, it is significant for care providers to determine the requirement of
antibiotics so that infectious patients can overcome the disease and attain
satisfaction (Negi, 2000).
2.2 Evaluating approaches to implement quality systems
It involves different approaches assessed that helps in implementing quality
systems within care setting. These are as follows-
 Social approaches- It is essential for care organization to undertake different
social approaches so that best quality systems can be implemented within care
setting. However, it is essential for business to undertake the best practice
related to social guidelines with the aim to share experience and knowledge
among care providers to improve the health and well being of infectious residents
(Palakurthi, 2008). Also, it is essential for the management of care setting to
render coaching and training to workers so that they can understand the usage of
equipment and thus deliver effectual services to patients. Thus, it helps in
development of skills and competencies of workers as well as care home so that
quality systems can be implemented effectively.
 Personal approaches- Here, the care home assesses the personal potential of
individuals and also engage them in implementing the quality system so that best
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results can be attained. For instance, care home is required to identify the needs
of patients and then implement required quality systems within business so that
best services can be rendered to them. Also, the care workers are required to
instruct properly regarding the guidelines so that performance of care services
can be improved and attain satisfaction (Pang, 2003).
 Professional approaches- As per the case, it can be stated that it is essential
for care setting to implement required changes related to quality system such as
implementing innovative technology machines so that best cure can be given to
individuals. Thus, manager of the care home is required to organize training
sessions for doctors and support staff in order to make them learn about the
usage of machine so that they can render best services to patients (Smith, 2009).
2.3 Analyzing potential barriers to deliver quality health and social care services in HSC
It can be evaluated that are different barriers that lead to deliver quality health
and social care services within care home. These are as follows-
 Professional barriers- There are different professional barriers such as building
quality culture in care setting so that needs of service users can be satisfied.
Also, it is essential for management to engage every care providers with the aim
to deliver quality services to patients and satisfy their needs. However, at certain
point of time they face barriers in offering quality services to patients who are
suffering from infectious virus. Furthermore, another barrier that is faced by care
providers regarding inappropriate resources and equipment with the aim to
perform the duties well. Hence, it leads to perform poor quality services to
patients within HSC (Thibault and et.al., 2007).
 Personal barriers- Furthermore, there are different personal barriers that lead to
provide poor quality services to patients. For instance, such care providers fail to
take initiative in order to provide quality services to users and thus fail to
overcome infectious diseases. For instance, doctors and support staff faces
issues regarding gaining proper training and mentoring regarding the equipment
used in treating the patients so that it affects delivering services (Vellnagel,
2013).
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 Social barriers- There are different social barriers faced by individual while
delivering quality services to patients. For instance, ineffective communication is
the main problem that is faced by care providers in order to render services to
patients. Thus, due to lack of understanding among patients and service
providers it affects the quality of health care services. Also, sometimes the
service providers lack in developing connection with patients so that best
relationship could not be developed (Health services research. 2013).
TASK 4
4.1 Evaluating methods regarding internal and external perspectives
It can be evaluated that the care home in West London is currently facing issues
regarding infectious diseases such as MRSA that affects the elderly patients.
Therefore, it is essential for care setting to undertake effectual measures in order to
overcome the virus by providing antibiotics. Also, care home is welcoming potential
solutions from different stakeholders and external bodies (Fulga, 2013).
Internal Perspectives
Questionnaire- Here, the care providers are required to carry out an survey involving
different questions relating to disease within care home from patiets and their family
members. Thus, with the helps of such method it helps in analyzing different solutions
so that best results can be attained.
Focus groups- They are also considcred as the best way through which individual
collect data from different people regarding the prevalining diseases. Here, the scholar
is required to focus on the ideas of different people in order to overcome the problem.
External Perspectives
Inspection agencies- It involves NICE, CQC that helps in monitoring and inspecting the
care home as they are delivering best quality services to patients ort not. For instance,
they are required to assess that the care setting is following proper guidlines regarding
the safety policies of patients. Also, different questions have been asked regarding the
diseases to professional doctors in regard to overcome the diseases (Gavrielides,
2011).
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4.2 Impact that involving users of services in evaluation process has on service quality
It can be stated that the hospital services are best used by the care users and
thus they possess major influence on enhancing and decreasing the brand image of
care home in market. For instance, it is essential for care organization to overcome the
diseases identified within limited time span so that best results can be gained.
However, it is essential for care home to posses positive attitude of patients towards
service quality so that their needs can be satisfied. While, care providers need to
overcome the negative attitude of patients so that they can overcome their problems
soon (Gorla, Somers and Wong, 2010).
CONCLUSION
From the report it can be identified that managing quality is the best way through
which best practices can be rendered within care home. However, it also helps in
overcoming the infectious diseases faced by care users. Moreover, care organization is
required to maintain quality standards so that best practices can be provided to patients.
At the end, different barriers such as personal and professional need to be overcome so
that poor quality services can be avoided.
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