Digitisation
Tech-proofing: a risky business made safer
With compliance a key concern for all care providers, digitising risk management is crucial, as Fran Kirke, VP of Care at OneAdvanced, explains
As part of our Care Trends Report 2024, 41 per cent of care home providers told us their current IT systems are inadequate – potentially putting their residents at risk. In a world where technology sits at the centre of almost everything we do, it is shocking that so many providers continue to grapple with software that is not up to the job. This simply should not be the case. Many of us have likely seen news articles about organisations that have unfortunately failed to provide safe care. Just recently, the CQC published information about a care provider in Northamptonshire who was ordered to pay over £200,000 after it failed to protect a resident from avoidable harm. Another provider in the West Midlands recently pleaded guilty to causing a resident avoidable harm, being ordered to pay almost £23,000.
The care sector is, of course, a highly
regulated industry, and we can all agree that compliance is absolutely necessary to protect residents from harm and to ensure providers are delivering high-quality care. But this is often easier said than done – especially if you are unable to effectively identify and manage your risks before they become an issue, instead being stuck with the inadequate processes that we know are holding so many residential care providers back.
What are the types of risks care home providers face? The first step you need to take to manage your risks is to identify them. As a care home provider, there are multiple types of risks that you need to be able to monitor. First of all, one of the most well-known risks facing care providers is around
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safeguarding. Your teams likely work tirelessly to provide safe and effective care, so things like avoiding human error, ensuring adequate training, and making sure that teams do not get complacent are all ways you can manage your safeguarding risks. Doing so helps to protect your residents from avoidable harm and – as I have already mentioned – helps you avoid penalties. As a care home provider, your service
requires 24/7 shift coverage, and your care coordinators work hard to ensure you have enough people on the rota. Yet in a sector with a vacancy rate of 9.9 per cent and a turnover rate of 28.3 per cent, you may not always have the right number of trained staff to meet the demand you are facing – potentially risking care quality. The CQC’s State of Care Report 2022/23 stated that staff shortages have reduced care providers’ capacity to provide services – creating a barrier to providing high quality care. A new service user will be interested
in what your current residents think of you and what your inspection rating
As a care home provider, there are multiple types of risks that you need to be able to monitor
is. Effectively managing your risks can help protect your care home’s rating and reputation, so you can avoid the negative publicity that comes when an organisation fails to properly protect its residents from harm. Nurturing the trust you have with your stakeholders may also help you protect any funding or partnerships you may have, and ensure that potential enquirers or referrals do not go somewhere else. Speaking of funding, the financial stability of your service is integral for providing high-quality, compliant care for years to come. And as a care home provider, your budget needs to cover your costs around the clock. Any risks that could threaten this stability need to be identified and monitored, so you can effectively provide care, maintain essential services, invest in improvements, or even grow your business. So, looking at all this, you have likely
noticed the theme at the heart of every single risk we have mentioned: regulatory compliance. That is because some of the risks you monitor may well link with the fundamental standards and care quality all providers must meet, helping your service remain safe, effective, and responsive.
Can risks differ between care provider size? Often when an organisation fails – no matter the industry – it is down to a failure
www.thecarehomeenvironment.com July 2024
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