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Ombudsman issues record keeping guide for care providers
The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman has published a record keeping guide for care providers to aid them when dealing with complaints.
According to the Ombudsman, poor record
keeping is commonly a factor when it comes complaints received from people receiving independently provided care.
The new guide focuses on a number of case studies highlighting various common issues relating to record keeping and includes good practice tips to help providers avoid such problems from occurring in their own settings.
Issues covered by the guide include customers being given wrong or no medication or food because records were not updated properly, delayed treatment because of inaccurate records, and the fabrication of records following serious incidents. The guide sets out the Ombudsman’s approach to investigating complaints and references other regulatory bodies’ guides to
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meeting the requirements on record keeping. Good practice tips in the guide include ensuring all relevant staff are familiar with the recording system used, and maintain accurate, honest, and contemporary records. Where the Ombudsman does find gaps in records, it may cast doubt on the integrity of the whole of the provider’s response. Michael King, Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman, said: “Record keeping isn’t just an administrative task that can be
completed as and when necessary – poor records can have serious consequences for the people care providers look after. “Our new good practice guide shares the learning from the investigations we have carried out. By highlighting some errors in real scenarios, we want to stress to care providers that not only does maintaining accurate records ensure compliance with the regulations – more importantly, it also saves people from real distress.”
Tech provider funds Access to social care apprenticeships
The Access Group has invested £100,000 in social care training via the apprenticeship levy.
The levy aims to fund work-based
training in certain sectors by requiring larger employers to set aside 0.5 per cent of their total payroll for apprenticeships. To date, the levy has enabled organisation management software provider The Access Group’s Health, Support and Care (HSC) division to invest £100,000 in 86 health and social care apprenticeships across the UK. Each month, Access HSC transfers funds
to a range of care organisations, enabling them to work with apprenticeship providers of their choice to deliver employee training and support. Access HSC has supported care homes with apprenticeships ranging from Level 2 to Level 5 (which is equivalent to a foundation degree). Benefactors of the financial support include residential care providers Burrow Down Support and
Home2Home with Care. Access HSC MD Steve Sawyer said: “We
welcome discussions about reform to the apprenticeship levy scheme, as we are keen to maximise the impact of the funds and make apprenticeships more accessible. However, in traditionally ‘tech-poor’ sectors, like social care, the scheme is already making a positive impact, with apprenticeships playing a crucial role in
improving job satisfaction and, ultimately, staff retention, with unhappy and unfulfilled staff more likely to move into other roles. “As we have seen in health and care, where the money is helping to address some of the issues that have contributed to an already depleted workforce, I hope more organisations can benefit from being able to recruit more staff and upskill their existing teams.
“When we first explored the potential of this opportunity, we took the decision to make the investment available to all organisations, not just our customers, ensuring it can be used effectively by those who need it the most. Our approach aligns with recent comments made by the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, who outlined his commitment to apprenticeships and explained how the department will be working with local leaders on prioritisation.”
March 2023
www.thecarehomeenvironment.com
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