Registration Number: {{org_field_registration_no}}

Communication and Engagement with Service Users and Families Policy

1. Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to establish a framework for effective communication and engagement with service users and their families. {{org_field_name}} is committed to ensuring that all interactions are transparent, respectful, and person-centred, fostering trust, collaboration, and informed decision-making. By maintaining open and meaningful communication, we enhance the quality of care provided while ensuring compliance with Care Quality Commission (CQC) Fundamental Standards and best practices in the sector.

2. Scope

This policy applies to:

All employees, including care workers, coordinators, and management.
Service users receiving care, ensuring their voices are heard and respected.
Families and representatives, promoting involvement and information-sharing.
Regulatory bodies and partner organisations, ensuring compliance and collaboration.

It covers:

Methods of communication.
Involvement of service users in decision-making.
Engagement with families and representatives.
Handling feedback, complaints, and concerns.
Confidentiality and data protection.
Staff training and continuous improvement.

3. Legal and Regulatory Framework

This policy aligns with the following legal and regulatory frameworks:

Care Act 2014 – ensuring person-centred care, involvement in decision-making and access to independent advocacy where people have substantial difficulty being involved in care and support processes.
Health and Social Care Act 2008 and the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014 – including the Fundamental Standards such as person-centred care, dignity and respect, receiving and acting on complaints (Regulation 16) and the duty of candour (Regulation 20).
Mental Capacity Act 2005 – supporting decision-making for individuals who may lack capacity and ensuring that communication and engagement are conducted in line with best interests and, where applicable, with appropriate representatives or advocates.
Equality Act 2010 – ensuring inclusive, non-discriminatory and accessible communication and reasonable adjustments for disabled people.
Accessible Information Standard (AIS), under section 250 of the Health and Social Care Act 2012 – requiring us, where we provide NHS care or publicly funded adult social care, to identify, record, flag, share and meet people’s information and communication needs, particularly where they have a disability, impairment or sensory loss.
Health and Care Act 2022 and the Oliver McGowan Code of Practice on statutory learning disability and autism training – requiring CQC-registered providers to ensure that all staff receive learning disability and autism training appropriate to their role, including training on effective communication with autistic people and people with a learning disability.
UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and Data Protection Act 2018 – safeguarding personal data, confidentiality and secure handling of communication records.

4. Methods of Communication

To ensure effective and accessible communication, {{org_field_name}}:

Provides verbal, written, and digital communication methods based on service user preferences.
Uses plain language, translation services, and assistive technologies where needed.
Maintains regular check-ins to ensure service users feel supported and informed.
Encourages two-way communication, allowing service users to express concerns, preferences, and feedback.

In line with the Accessible Information Standard, we will:

Identify and record each person’s information and communication needs at assessment and review, including needs arising from disability, sensory loss, learning disability or neurodivergence.
Flag these needs clearly on care records so that all staff are aware of them.
Share information about these needs appropriately with others involved in the person’s care, with consent or other lawful basis.
Meet and regularly review these needs by providing information and communication support in accessible formats (for example, large print, Easy Read, audio, braille, translated materials, email, text, pictorial information, communication passports, and interpreters including BSL interpreters).

5. Involvement of Service Users in Decision-Making

We are committed to empowering service users by:

Encouraging active participation in care planning and reviews.
Seeking informed consent for all care-related decisions.
Respecting personal choices, autonomy, and cultural preferences.
Providing information in a format accessible to the service user, such as large print or audio recordings.

Where a person has substantial difficulty in being involved in planning or reviewing their care, and has no appropriate family member or friend who can support them, staff will ensure they are informed about their right to independent advocacy under the Care Act 2014 and, with their consent, support a referral to an appropriate advocacy service. This includes supporting people to express their views, understand information about their care and to challenge decisions where necessary.

6. Engagement with Families and Representatives

Families play a crucial role in supporting service users. We:

Maintain open and transparent communication with families, respecting service user consent.
Offer regular updates on care plans, health conditions, and well-being.
Encourage family involvement in review meetings and decision-making processes.
Address concerns promptly and professionally.

7. Handling Feedback, Complaints, and Concerns

{{org_field_name}} values feedback as a tool for continuous improvement. In line with Regulation 16 (Receiving and acting on complaints), we:

Provide clear, simple and accessible information about how to give feedback or make a complaint, in formats that meet people’s communication needs.
Offer multiple ways to raise concerns or complaints (for example, verbally, in writing, email, telephone, through representatives or advocates).
Make sure people are not treated differently or disadvantaged because they have raised a concern or complaint.
Log, risk-assess and investigate all complaints promptly, proportionately and fairly, keeping the person (and, where appropriate, their representative) updated on progress and outcomes.
Provide a clear, written response that addresses each issue raised, explains findings and actions, and offers an apology where appropriate.
Use learning from complaints, compliments and feedback to improve services, and record resulting actions and service changes.
Inform people how they can escalate concerns externally, including signposting to the local authority, the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman, and the Care Quality Commission, where appropriate.
Maintain a summary of complaints, responses and related learning that can be provided to CQC on request.

When communication relates to a notifiable safety incident, we follow the statutory duty of candour. This means we act in an open and transparent way, promptly inform the person (and, where appropriate, their family or representative) that an incident has occurred, explain what is known, offer a sincere apology, set out what further enquiries will be made and what support will be provided, and provide this in writing as well as verbally. We keep clear records of all duty of candour discussions and correspondence.

8. Confidentiality and Data Protection

All communication with service users and families must comply with:

The UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018, ensuring that personal information is processed lawfully, fairly and transparently, with appropriate technical and organisational security measures in place.
Confidentiality agreements, ensuring sensitive discussions remain private.
Controlled access to records, only available to authorised personnel.
Secure storage and disposal of written communication records.

9. Staff Training and Continuous Improvement

To maintain high communication standards and comply with current legislation and CQC requirements, we:

Provide mandatory induction and refresher training on effective communication skills, including active listening, plain language, cultural competence and trauma-informed communication.
Ensure all staff, including temporary and ancillary staff who may have contact with service users, receive learning disability and autism training appropriate to their role, in line with the Health and Care Act 2022 and the Oliver McGowan Code of Practice on statutory learning disability and autism training (or any successor national standard).
Train staff on the Accessible Information Standard, so they can identify, record, flag, share and meet people’s information and communication needs, and make reasonable adjustments for disabled people and people with sensory loss or cognitive impairment.
Provide training on the statutory duty of candour, including how to communicate openly when things go wrong, how to apologise appropriately, and how to record these conversations.
Provide training and guidance on involving families, representatives and advocates, and on supporting people who have substantial difficulty in being involved in decisions about their care.
Conduct regular audits, spot checks and service user/family satisfaction surveys to evaluate how well communication and engagement standards are being met and use findings to inform staff supervision, appraisals and service improvements.
Keep accurate training records and monitor compliance with mandatory training requirements, taking timely action where training is overdue or incomplete.

10. Policy Review and Updates

This policy is reviewed annually or sooner if:

Regulatory changes require amendments.
Feedback from service users, families, or staff suggests improvements.
Advancements in communication technologies offer better engagement methods.
New or revised legislation, CQC assessment framework changes or statutory codes of practice (for example, the Oliver McGowan Code of Practice on learning disability and autism training, or updates to the Accessible Information Standard) are issued that affect how we communicate and engage with people.

Responsible Person: {{org_field_registered_manager_first_name}} {{org_field_registered_manager_last_name}}
Reviewed on: {{last_update_date}}
Next Review Date: {{next_review_date}}
Copyright © {{current_year}} – {{org_field_name}}. All rights reserved.

DC42-Communication and Engagement with Service Users and Families Policy