Responding to the Experiences of People Who Use the Service Policy

Policy Statement

This policy, which can be adopted by {{org_field_name}}, sets out the values, principles and procedures underpinning {{org_field_name}}’s approach to communicating with people who use the service, learning from their experiences and views about the service and using their feedback to improve service quality.

It is in line with the Regulation 17: Good Governance of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014, which requires all care services to have quality assurance systems that include surveys of the views of people who use the service.

{{org_field_name}} recognises that its services can be enhanced by listening attentively to what people who use the service have to communicate about the quality of the care and support they receive and by acting on that information. To this end, we have a variety of arrangements for individual feedback to which we pay diligent attention in line with the relevant regulations and best practice guidance.

Listening to People Who Use the Service

We will take every possible opportunity to enable people who use the service to express views about the care and support we provide and will act on the comments we receive to improve the service, in particular by:

creating conditions in which people who use the service feel comfortable about giving feedback on the service to staff
enabling people who use the service to give their views on the service and make improvements through such means as regular residents’ meetings
encouraging all staff to be alert to views, whether of praise or criticism, expressed by people about day-by-day service delivery
providing systems for staff to report such informal feedback to managers
ensuring that informal feedback is considered seriously by managers and, where appropriate, used to improve the quality of the service
informing people who use the service of the value of their feedback and of action taking in response
providing the means by which people with communication difficulties can express their views about the service they are getting
carefully observing people with communication difficulties or limited capacity to identify which aspects of the service evidently promote their well- or ill-being and using these observations as indicators of their views.

Feedback from people who use the services’ friends, relatives and other representatives

We value feedback from people who use the services’ friends, relatives and other representatives as providing an important route to understanding the views of individuals themselves. This is done through continuous checking with the people who use the service, and others who are involved in their care, and the use of regular satisfaction surveys. In particular, we will:

encourage anyone who has contact with the service to pass on any views about it, especially where this helps us to understand the views of people who use the service who might otherwise be unable or unwilling to communicate directly
facilitate the formation of relatives’ groups or forums and other mechanisms for relatives and others to express their view collectively
inform relatives and other visitors of action taken in response to what they have told us.

Everyone involved in the service is encouraged to communicate their thoughts about the service in whatever way they can or choose — face to face, telephone, letter, or email.

The service will also ensure that anyone with communication difficulties resulting from sensory loss or other disabilities and impairments have the facilities and means to give their views like anyone else in line with our commitment to equality and achieving the Accessible Information Standard.

Formal gathering of feedback

We will take specific steps to gather the views of people who use the service, and others who represent their view, by:

carrying out regular service audits and surveys of opinion
seeking information from informed stakeholders such as visiting practitioners and those delivering services with which we co-operate in the care of people who use the service
publishing the results of all audits and surveys.

Concerns and complaints

We will use formal complaints and investigations to gather information about the quality of the service, in particular by:

publicising our complaints procedure and making it readily accessible
analysing views expressed by people who use the service and others in the course of our investigating complaints in order to assess what can be applied generally to improve the service
encouraging people who use the service to express their concerns at a level below the formal complaints procedure
making it possible for people who use the service to express concerns individually or corporately through people’s meetings or similar forums
inform them of their right to take any concerns they might have about the service to their service commissioners (where applicable) and the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

We will pay particular attention to any views on the quality of care expressed by people who use the service that are communicated to the CQC.

Adverse events or incidents

We aim to learn from adverse events, incidents, errors and near misses, in particular by:

encouraging people who use the service to inform staff of all adverse events
analysing adverse events from the perspective of people who use the service
recording adverse events and taking appropriate action to avoid similar happening in the future.

Duty of candour

In the event of any adverse event or situation in which people who use the service have suffered moderate or severe harm as a result of mistakes we have made and about which we have notified the CQC, the service must comply with its duty of candour.

We will exercise our duty of candour by:

telling people who use the service and others involved in their care and support openly and honestly what has happened
giving them a full apology
explaining fully what has happened
providing them with all necessary practical and emotional support and assurances about their continuity of care.

Compliments and suggestions

We welcome compliments and suggestions from people who use the service, their families and friends and other stakeholders of {{org_field_name}}. Compliments may communicate deep satisfaction and gratitude for a specific contribution or service or relate to specific aspects of the work or to individual staff. Such comments are often made to care workers, but in some cases, such as following the death of a loved one, people may not feel able to speak directly to the care workers. The manager will ensure that such messages are passed on to those involved since this is a powerful way of confirming good practice and boosting staff morale.

We have a compliments and suggestions book/box/facility on our website where individuals may write or send comments and ideas about improvements to be made to the service.

Reports from the CQC and External Bodies

We pay particular attention to any views on the quality of care expressed by people who use the service that are communicated to the Care Inspectorate and from other agencies involved with the service.

Training

All staff are trained to be responsive to the experiences and views of the people using the service.

Staff involved in quality assurance procedures are expected to have specialised training to carry out their roles as part of their ongoing training. This could form part of their qualification programmes and corresponding management training.

Responsible Person: {{org_field_registered_manager_first_name}} {{org_field_registered_manager_last_name}}

Reviewed on: {{last_update_date}}

Next review date: this policy is reviewed annualy (every 12 months). When needed, this policy is also updated in response to changes in legislation, regulation, best practices, or organisational changes.

S152. Responding to the Experiences of People Who Use the Service