Unit 23: Managing Quality in Care Environments

Student Name/ID Number

Unit Number and Title

23 Managing Quality in Care Environments

Academic Year

Unit Tutor

Assignment Title

Planning and monitoring improvements to quality service in a healthcare setting

Issue Date

Submission Date

IV Name & Date

Submission Format

Submission will be in two different formats.

LO1 and LO2 will be evidenced/submitted in the form of an essay (consisting of; an introduction, body of essay, a conclusion and referencing list). This will be submitted as a word-processed document following standard word-processing rules.

LO3 and LO4 will be evidenced in a project-based report on your own practice (consisting of; a table of content, an executive summary , an introduction, the report, a conclusion, recommendation, referencing list and appendices- where applicable) which details the planning, implementation and evaluation of a quality improvement initiative carried out by you in the workplace. In the report, you are required to use headings and titles where appropriate, and may also include diagrams, charts and images to support your work.

Relevant references and a bibliography must be included and the recommended word count for each element of your submission is 2500–3000 words, though you will not be penalised for exceeding this total. Note that the executive summary in the report section will not be included in the word count.

Unit Learning Outcomes

LO1 Assess the impact legislation and policy has on measuring and monitoring quality of practice in health and social care

LO2 Discuss the impact that improving quality has on different individuals in a care setting

LO3 Explore quality improvement requirements in a care setting

LO4 Plan and monitor improvements to quality

Assignment Brief and Guidance: Unit 23: Managing Quality in Care Environments

Scenario:

 “Healthcare as a sector has been late in recognising the contribution that the theory and practice of quality improvement is able to make to delivering better value care’’ (The King’s Fund, 2016).

Your responsibility as a manager in Health & Social Care (H&SC) settings is to make sure that the quality of your organisation is not only sustained but, you must also strive constantly to improve and deliver safe health care services that promote patients` rights, and provides very good services.

In this assignment, there are opportunities for you to demonstrate your knowledge and understanding of the legal and statutory expectations of maintaining quality, as well as, illustrating your capabilities on planning, implementation and monitoring a quality improvement projects.

Activity 1: Essay

In this essay section; critically assess and evaluate the use of theories, models and standards relating to quality in your healthcare setting workplace, in relation to the needs of the service users, and to reflect legislative and statutory requirements.

Further, this essay section must also critically assess the impact of recognised quality standards on the provision of services in your own health and social care setting. Your assessment will consider the actual impact of a set of quality standards over a defined period, on the systems and working practices related to quality improvement in your setting.

Furthermore, in this essay section, you must review quality improvement measures indicated in your setting and how these meet the needs of both internal and external stakeholders. Again, you must evaluate the involvement of the service users, their families, the staff, and the wider community in the development, implementation, and review of quality improvement measures in your setting, and these must include a review on the impact of meeting their needs of service users when working to improve the quality of service provision. Also, as part of your review, you will discuss the importance of promoting diversity, inclusive practice and safeguarding for quality improvement in a care setting.

Activity 2: Report

In this ‘report section’, you will have to carry out a review to confirm the current standard of quality in your work setting in relation to; one aspect of working practices, and plan, implement, and review a quality improvement initiative of your choice. 

By means of evidence-based methods, you are expected to review the information gathered, then identify one aspect of improvement required, and state reason/s for your choice. A summary of the evidence from Activity 1 may also be included.  

It is expected that the evidence gathered will then be evaluated, and to be shared with both internal and external stakeholders. Justification of how the selected improvement procedures will positively impact on working practices and service users’ experience of the service, must also be highlighted.

Moving further with your research and referring to SMART goals, you are to produce a detailed plan for a quality improvement initiative, where you will have to detail the stages required to improve the quality of the chosen aspect. You are expected to then implement at least one aspect of the improvement initiative, and critically review its progress against the set targets. Also, you are expected to summarise the potential or actual barriers and benefits of implementing the quality improvement project to the H&SC setting and to the service users accessing it.

When the project is completed, you are to produce a review of the effectiveness of the plan and give reasons for any changes you made to it based on feedback or observations. Also, you will evaluate the expected outcomes of your planned improvement and consider further changes or improvements you may have identified when discussing your outcomes.

In the appendices section of your report, you will need to include evidence of the project being completed, copies of questionnaires/surveys, interview questions, a reviewed and amended SMART plan, feedback forms and copies of observations carried out, where applicable.

Learning Outcomes and Assessment Criteria

Pass

Merit

Distinction

LO1 Assess the impact legislation and policy has on measuring and monitoring quality of practice in health and social care

D1 Critically assess the impact of a current set of external quality standards on systems and working practice in a care setting, over a defined period

P1 Compare how different legislative and statutory requirements are taken into account in measuring and monitoring quality in health and social care using different theories and approaches

M1 Critically discuss how processes for measuring, monitoring and improving quality of practice have an impact on ways of working in a care setting

LO2 Discuss the impact that improving quality has on different individuals in a care setting

D2 Evaluate the involvement of service users, their families, staff and the community in quality improvement measures in care settings

P2 Discuss the importance of promoting diversity, difference and inclusive practices in a care setting

P3 Discuss the importance of safeguarding different services users towards improving quality in a care setting

M2 Review the practical impact on a care setting of the requirement to meet different stakeholders’ needs in working to improve the quality of service provision

LO3 Explore quality improvement requirements in a care setting

D3 Evaluate the evidence gathered towards sharing information with different stakeholders regarding the quality improvement requirements of the aspect of working practice

P4 Carry out a review of one aspect of working practices in own setting to accurately identify improvements that can be made to the current level of quality

P5 Discuss why the aspect selected requires improvement using a range of different sources of information

M3 Justify the aspect of improvement to working practices selected in terms of the impact on service users’ experience of the service

LO4 Plan and monitor improvements to quality

D4 Evaluate the expected outcomes of own improvement initiative, discussing further changes or improvements which may be required

P6 Produce a detailed plan for a relevant quality improvement initiative in own work setting

P7 Discuss potential or actual barriers to completing the quality improvement initiative

M4 Implement an appropriately planned quality improvement initiative

M5 Critically review the plan, justifying necessary adaptations based on feedback or observations