Facilitating Changes

Explain the key factors that drive change in health and social care services

In order to deal with the issue of underperforming staff as well as improving quality issues several changes are required. There are various key factors that drive changes in health and social care services of one of the chain of Nursing Homes. These factors that drive changes are explained as below:  

Economic Factors

The financial condition of the nursing house is poor. This makes improper management of workers. Due to this reason, they pay less salary to their workers which demotivate them and makes them to perform not well. The house is also not in condition to provide quality services due to the bad economic status. These all factors leads to underperformance of workers.

Social factors

The user expectations from nursing house are increasing. The demand of quality services which need to be easily accessible are creating a type of pressure on this nursing chain. As user awareness regarding the treatments also makes healths and social care workers to develop their skills and enhance their knowledge. The knowledge of handling the risks at the time of treatments along with the quality of the treatment provided by the nursing chain affects the the demand of users and on that basis they selects the institutions.

Legal Factors

The policies and practices provided by UK government also make firm to apply different changes. As government apply new policies and modify the exiting ones which leads to create changes in nursing house.  

Technological Factors

To provide quality services to the patient it is important to bring new technologies and equipments in the nursing house. These services also need to simple and easy to access. For the proper use of those equipments, workers need to improve their knowledge and skills. This need training in that particular field and different types of programs which results to enhancement of knowledge along with motivation to perform well.

Assessment of challenges that key factors bring to health and social care services

Nursing home is going through different problems which is indicating it to bring some changes in the working structure and environment. To maintain the success and growth of the house, it need to implement required changes so that it can attract more users and can able to provide them quality services. These changes in the house also helps in improving the work performance of workers. While implanting changes, house will go through many types of challenges. The challenges that house will face due to the key factors of change are explained below:

1. Workers resist to change in the initial stage which create challenge of convincing them for the change. Nursing house will face resistance towards change. They need to explain them the benefits of change in the firm and in their life as well. They have to conduct a meeting for convincing t\he workers and explaining the results of it.
2. Legal factors also work as challenge for the nursing firm. The technologies or the equipments nursing house wants to add in their nursing house need to be legal in the view of UK government. If the change does not fits to the policies and practices of the government then firm need to redevelop the changes and it consume more time and cost. This factor stops nursing house to implement those changes which are not allowed by the government.
3. Implementation of new technologies leads to challenge of managing the cost of nursing house. Although this change improve the quality of services and treatments given by the house but it also increase the cost. This leads to manage costs of the existing services and resources so that it can bring new equipments.
4. Another challenge is change in the perception of the users. Users will like the change or dislike it. In such condition, firm have to face different views and thoughts of the users. The first priority of firm is to satisfy its users. So it face many challenges to satisfy them. The best way to know about the perception of users is to take feedback.  

Strategy and criteria for measuring recent changes in health and social care  

Strategy

Nursing house can use the strategy of PDCA(Plan Do Check Act)  for  measuring the recent changes. This strategy helps in proper implementation of changes and knowing its outcomes.  

Plan

The first step is to plan all the changes effectively. Nursing house need to decide the objectives and processes for bringing the change. Firm also need to decide the output expectations which helps in proper planning. Along with this, firm have to do feasibility study also.

Do

After proper planning, the next step is to implement the changes. Firm needs to implement the changes in the field of performance improvement and quality services.

Check

After implementing and executing, the next step nursing house need to follow is checking all the changes. It compare the actual result with the expected results which helps in improving the changes if required. This comparison makes firm to know any deviation or gap which need to improve. Nursing house also look after the completeness and accuracy of change.

Act

In this step, firm will find out that whether the changes are brining expected improvement or not. If they are operating in the right direction then firm will look for developing new standards and new strategies for better improvement. But if it is not working in the expected way then, this leads to redevelop the strategies.

The various criteria for measuring recent changes are as follows:

1. Customer satisfaction.
2. Efficiency and effectiveness of the current change.
3. Satisfaction of staff members.
4. Increase in the quality service of the house.
5. Effect on the cost of the firm.
6. Benefits from changes.

Measure the impact of recent changes on health and social care services  

The impact of recent changes on health and social care services can be measured with the help of follows factors:

Quality services

Quality services can be provided by fulfilling the demands and requirements of the patient's family. They need to analyse the type of treatments which helps in improving patient's condition faster and quicker.

Favourable perception

This can be achieve by accomplishing the needs and desires of the users. Firm can know their perception by filling feedback forms, questionnaires, one to one communication, etc. And on the basis of obtained results they can measure the impact.

Performance improvement

As workers are not performing well, so for better performance, firm need to motivate them by organising various programs and activities. Improved performance can be achieved by conducting different training programmes.  

Proper delivery of services

The quality services should be delivered in right and appropriate manner. The systematic delivery of services leads to satisfy users. Easy and simple access of those services make patient and their family feel comfortable.  

Enhancement of information and knowledge

By providing effective training programmes firm can enhance the information and knowledge of the workers. This leads to increase their skills and abilities in understanding the various kinds of diseases. This also make them to know the operation and working process of different machines and equipments.

Handling risks effectively

By using increased information and knowledge social workers can handle risks more effectively at the time of t6reatment which leads to better care and treatment of patient.

Overall impact of recent changes in health and social care

The overall impact of the recent changes on  health and social care services are in different ways. Betterment in the services and equipments leads to positive impact. The quality services provided by the nursing house will impact on the perception of patients and their family members. They will either get satisfied by the provided services and treatments or will get dissatisfied. There reaction, behaviour and feedbacks helps firm in knowing whether they like it or not. Along with them, it also impact on working of staff members. This helps in increasing the knowledge, skills and abilities of workers in different fields.

The proper knowledge in this field helps them in handling the risks occurs at the time of treatment. It also improves performance which increase the motivation level of workers. This also leads to proper utilisation of resources which leads to better financial conditions. Staff members can feel some difficulty at the time of training but later it results to their betterment with firm. Use of latest technologies also helps in improving the market position. Better services attracts more patients and their families which improve the economic status of nursing house. The recent changes leads to improve the working and cultural environment of company. The impact of all the changes on the nursing house tends to better work management with improvement of performance. Patient and their families also feel satisfied as recent changes take care of their demands and fulfil them. The love and care towards the patient makes them to adjust easily and feel them comfortable.

Appropriate service responses to recent changes in health and social care services

Appropriate service responses to the recent changes in health and social care nursing house are explained below:

Training

The firm can provide training to their workers related to the new technologies and equipments. This training leads to increase the information and knowledge in different fields. Firm can also organise various programs and activities which helps them in updating themselves as per the market need. These training programmes also increase the morale and motivate workers to work well.

Employment of new staff

Firm can hire new workers at different positions for various roles. This helps them in proper delivery of services. The hiring of experienced and talented social workers leads to provide better care and attention. Hiring of specialized doctors helps in proper understanding the case of patient and which leads to effective time management.

Change in equipments

New equipments and machines leads to better results. These equipments makes the work of doctors and social workers easier. New machines and techniques leads to provide more appropriate results which update health workers about the change in patient. Staff members need to train about the working  of those techniques and machines which aware them about their pros and cons.

Change in service delivery

Firm can change the ways of delivering the services to satisfy patient and his family. Proper delivery of quality services helps patient in adjusting. Providing effective services and delivering them well tends to make patient feel comfortable Organisation and service delivery. 2011.  

The key principles of change management using either Kotter’s eights steps  

In order to introduce changes in the firm there can be usage of Kotter’s eights steps to
Successful change.  

Creating urgency

The very first step is to make the employees feel how urgent is the change. In this regard, employees are required to be made aware about the probable change in management that is being planned by the company. It should also make employees aware about new technology so that training sessions will be made for them. This will make the employees realize the urgency of situation.

Form a Powerful Coalition

The next step is all about Convince people that change is necessary. This can be ensured by taking people from present management as well as from the employees who will lead the change. The formulated team can be given new roles with respect to convincing employees as to why change in management is necessary. The team can further convince the employees about the new technology being introduced in the health care organization.  

Create a Vision for Change

In order to make the proposed change a reality, the need is to form a vision where future of organization is made clear after the changes has been done. It will help the employees to understand why the change is being introduced.

Communicate the Vision

The senior management of the organization is required to make sure that the vision is communicated to all the employees.  The vision can then be used to address the peoples’ concerns and anxieties with respect to proposed changes.  

Remove Obstacles

Seeing the present changes to be introduced within n organization, the barriers can be with respect to resistance shown by employees towards accepting the new technology as they may fear loss of job. The obstacle can thus be removed by identifying there concerns and making sure that in employee is fired (Successful Change Management-Kotter's 8-step change model. 2015).  

Create Short-Term Wins

This step will majorly show its effect when the change is introduced. In this regard, the management can reward that employee who has learned the new technology easily. They can also set short term targets so as to motivate performance of employees. Rewards can then be given to them.  

Build on the Change

This step entails for analysing as to whether the changes are showing the real effect or not. This can be done by measuring the overall performance of employees after management has been changed and new technology is introduced. This will help to make sure that change has been built properly.  

Anchor the Changes in Corporate Culture

The last step of this process is to make sure that changes are stick in the organization. It is likely to help the present company in making sure that changes are leading to increase in performance.  

Planing of changes in health and social care.  

As per the case scenario the changes to be introduced are with respect to technology as well management. Hence the need is to make sure that the proposed changes are well planned as well as in place. In this regard, there can be use of Lewin's change model. This model can help to make sure that changes are well planned.  

The very first step is of unfreeze where the need is to break down the existing g mind-set of staff members. Here, they would be made aware about the change in management as well as technology y to be introduced within the organization. This will aid in preparing the organization in a successful manner. The employees are likely to face issues in form of being stressed out. They might present queries as well as complaint in form of management. The need on part of management is to make the employees aware about why the change is necessary and solving doubts in best possible manner.

The next stage is of unfreeze where employees will be prepared to accept the change. The management can point out that the presence of underperforming and demotivated staff is affecting sales figures, financial results as well as customer satisfaction.

Next stage involves for change where employees will start working on the uncertainty as well as look at new ways of doing things. This is likely to generate support of staff members as they realize that new changes can motivate there performance.

Assessment to monitor recent changes in health and social care services

The management of health care organization is required to monitor the changes in best possible manner. In present scenario, the changes are likely to increase employee performance, generation of less quality issues. Firm can monitor the changes by the following factors:

Market position

Nursing house can monitor the changes by evaluating market position of it. The changes appears to be beneficial in the expected way or not is checked by the position of firm in the market. If market position of the firm is rises then it means that it is going in right direction and the changes are resulting in expected manner. Through analysing the market position firm can evaluate the results of changes.

Patients and their family Feedback

As changes are in the services and technologies provided to the patient so their feedback plays important role in monitoring outcomes.  Firm need to take feedback from them. If they are satisfy from the services and improved treatment then it will increase users which improver the brand image.

Workers feedback

As changes are applied for improving the performance of workers so it is important to know their perception also. The feedback of staff helps firm in knowing whether they are happy with the changes or facing any type of problem. This provide new opportunities to the firm and workers.

Conclusion

From the above study, it is concluded that social and health care firms need some kind of change time to time to work effectively and to maintain the market position. Firms can use various strategies to compare the actual and expected performance. Changes in techniques and services also helps in providing better treatment to the patients which results to satisfaction of their family members. Firms can take feedback of their staff members and patient for any type of problem they are facing or any type of improvement they require. This helps firm in applying and monitoring the appropriate changes.

References

• Auerbach, D. I. and et.al., 2013. Nurse-managed health centers and patient-centered medical homes could mitigate the expected primary care physician shortage. Health Affairs.
• Doran, K. M., Misa, E. J. and Shah, N. R., 2013. Housing as health care—New York's boundary-crossing experiment. New England Journal of Medicine.
• Dossey, B. M. and Keegan, L., 2012. Holistic nursing. Jones & Bartlett Publishers.
• Ettinger, R. L. and Chalmers, J. M., 2015. Oral health care programs for homebound people, nursing home residents, and elderly inpatients. Textbook of geriatric dentistry.
• Frost, D. W. and et.al., 2011. Patient and healthcare professional factors influencing end-of-life decision-making during critical illness: A systematic review*. Critical care medicine.

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Facilitating Changes In Health And Social Care

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