Improve your record keeping - for a better CQC outcome
When speaking with our care home clients whose facility has a CQC rating of inadequate or requires improvement, they tell us that some of the most common reasons cited are poor record management and health and safety issues.
If your records are not managed effectively, you could be putting your patients/residents, staff and your business at risk. Patient care will be at the heart of everything you do, so having robust systems in place will help you to perform at your best.
If you have the time and the budget available, the best way to ensure you have a comprehensive record keeping system is to digitise. Having all your records on a computer system will provide you with greater governance, stronger compliance and help to ensure quality outcomes for those in your care.
The benefits for your care home
The benefits of a digital record system:
- Care planning is more person-centric
- You will be ready for inspections
- Your information is always available at your fingertips
- Provides safer medication management, as it helps to eliminate errors
- Faster data recording – allowing staff more time to focus on patient care
- Stronger governance, facilitating better quality outcomes
A worthwhile investment
There will of course be an investment of both time and money, to establish a digital record keeping system, but a short-term inconvenience will pave the way for long term stability and efficiencies. There are plenty of providers in the UK offering systems that will ensure your document management system includes admission documents, care plans, risk assessments, mental capacity assessments, charts, notes and more. Some systems can be extended to allow you to encompass medicine management, as well as stock control and administration functions.
Improve your CQC outcomes
Investing in a digital system will help reduce the margin for errors to occur when implemented correctly and competently used by your staff, following training. It could help you improve your CQC outcomes.
We recommend trialling a few systems before you select a solution for your care facility. Make sure that it covers everything you need it to do and is scalable. Ensure your system partner will continue to develop the system, to keep up with an ever-changing digital world.
Don’t forget that a new system is only as good as the people that use it, so ensure that all staff receive comprehensive training and understand how it works. Regular checks to make sure that data is being recorded in the correct way would be a good idea and a training plan for new team members should be implemented.
Having a digitised record management system will mean that you will always be ready with any required reports during a regulatory audit!
We look at health and safety hazards in the care home, and how you can mitigate these in our blog identifying health and safety hazards in your care home.
Our risk management services
If you would like to talk to us about risk management for your care home, we’ll be happy to help. We can assess your risk factors and make sure that your insurance levels are set correctly, to protect you if the unexpected happens.
We’re here to help whatever the rating of your care home – we want your business to prosper and grow!
To speak to an expert broker call 01480 272727 or send an email to enquiries@barnesinsurancebroker.co.uk
Fine out more about how we can help you protect your care home from unexpected events with care home insurance and risk management solutions here.
