Skills for Care state that ‘Everyone working in adult social care should be able to take part in learning and development so they can carry out their role effectively, this will help to develop the right skills and knowledge so they can provide high quality care and support’.
At TH Training Solutions, we couldn’t agree more. Business owners and Managers of Care Homes please take note, because in order to be ‘inspection ready’, it is crucial that you have considered the training needs of your organisation. Training for your staff is directly linked to the five standards measured by CQC in inspections.
And whilst the introduction of the Care Certificate represents the biggest change to workforce development in the Social Care sector for many years, the implementation of this has not yet reached all care homes.
Worryingly, in March 2018, Skills for Care reported that for Wirral, almost half of the social care workforce do not hold a relevant adult social care qualification and of these only 46% had engaged with the Care Certificate.
There’s always good news and bad news in any industry
There seems to be a real spotlight on Care Home providers, particularly in reporting the bad news. This is more highly publicised than ever across the media, hidden cameras, undercover TV reporting and now the rapid social media sharing of this.
Some of the headlines relating to Care Homes and as a result of insufficient training are shocking to read.
“Thirteen people have been convicted after an inquiry into “organised and systemic” abuse at two care homes…. staff had used excessive and inappropriate seclusion as a result of training given to them by senior figures in the company.”
“Care home owner sentenced after elderly resident dies falling from hoist….her death could have been prevented had a better system for handling and moving residents, supported by appropriate staff training, been in place.”
“50 per cent of staff, including two new recruits had not completed safeguarding training.”
“Resident dies in care home blaze. Neighbour asked has anyone called the fire brigade and they said no because they didn’t know what the number was.”
In this last example it was reported that eight residents and four carers escaped, yet the initial 999 call came from a neighbour? Surely the staff should have been trained in this procedure?
So naturally, what comes after these headlines?
Well, the apology statements and the measures that will NOW be put in place or have since been implemented. As a Care Home Manager, you are potentially in the situation where these people were. And prevention is better than cure, as they say.
Ignorance is bliss…or is it?
In serious cases of inadequate care, this excuse of ‘not knowing something was going on’ just won’t stand up. Poor business practices and failure to provide adequate training provisions for staff could result in serious action. It’s that simple. It may seem like a situation you will never have to face, but fines, prosecution, dismissal are all harsh realities.
There is always the threat of vicarious liability too, which is when someone (this could be the Manager not just the Company) is held responsible for the actions or omissions of another person in the course of their employment. To reduce the risk of being held vicariously liable for any acts committed by staff in your care home, adequate provisions of training are fundamental. Employers and Managers must ensure that they have taken all reasonable steps to prevent such acts or omissions taking place.
So how does training relate to CQC inspections and reports?
Research has been carried by Community Care to understand the training gaps in a sample of 300 care homes whose ratings ranged from inadequate to good.
Of the 250 homes told to improve by the CQC, 178 had gaps in training provisions
49% of the homes told to improve by the CQC were actually breaching regulations that require them to ‘ensure a suitably trained and supported workforce’
Unsurprisingly, the report highlighted a clear correlation between the amount of homes with training gaps identified by inspectors and their CQC rating.
The better rated the care home the less gaps there were in training.
The main areas of concern in training across the board though were on Dementia, Safeguarding, the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) and the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS).
(Reports published between 1 October 2014 and 31 August 2015. The homes provided residential and/or nursing care and supported adults over the age of 65 years)
In response to this, Andrea Sutcliffe (Chief Inspector for Adult Social Care at the CQC) said:
“Providers need to think about what they can do to address that deficit and how they can ensure the training they provide meets the needs of residents, is thorough and robust, and is not a one-off event.”
So now for the GOOD NEWS!
The good news is that you CAN put measures in place specifically in training. You will need to consider the following when identifying the training needs of your organisation:
• Mandatory training – including Induction plus Care Certificate
• Service specific and person-centred training
• Local Authority set training
The best way to achieve this is with in-house training that is bespoke to your Care Home. Having a training plan is a great starting point. However, the implementation of training on an ongoing basis is key. All staff members should be having an induction, regular supervisions, training courses and refresher training.
Investing in your staff training makes perfect sense to provide the best possible care for the people supported. Staff need to understand not just what they are doing, but know WHY they are doing it. There will always be the ‘shining stars’, the ‘influencers’ in every business that naturally ‘get it’. The key is ensuring they remain at that high level and that you bring all staff up to this level.
This can only have positive results on your business, profitability and CQC rating.
The key messages from us are….
• Inadequate training increases the risk of incidents
• You are answerable to these and ultimately responsible for the care and practices that take place in your care home.
• DON’T LEAVE YOUR BUSINESS, YOURSELF, YOUR STAFF AND ULTIMATELY THE PEOPLE YOU SUPPORT VULNERABLE
• Training has a direct correlation to CQC Ratings
• There are in house, bespoke training solutions available
• Have a training plan in place and implement this in order to be SAFE, EFFECTIVE, CARING, RESPONSIVE & WELL-LED
Now ask yourself the question again……
How confident are you that your training helps to meet CQC standards?
TH Training Solutions can help you with all your training needs. Contact us today for FREE no obligation advice info@brand9test4.co.uk | 07710 245 376
https://brand9test4.co.uk/health-social-care/