Quality Assurance Policy

01/02/2024

Policy Statement

Forward Digital requires that all those in a leadership role within the company should work together to create an ethos whereby high-quality care is expected and provided. There should be an expectation that quality and high standards is the rule rather than an exception. Leaders should develop a culture of quality.

Scope

Forward Digital are committed to quality, and this should be monitored and measured through systems of continuous improvement and effective governance processes.

Policy

Systems in place should be based around the seeking of views of the service from people who use it. These systems should be designed to measure success and meeting aims, objectives and the Company Statement of Purpose. It should support the development and improvement plans for the company. Continuous review of plans will result in a continuous quality review and development of quality.

Quality Assurance should ensure that service uses feel:

• Safe
• Service is effective
• Committed to quality
• Listened too
• Opinions are valued
• Protected from risk

Expectation

Every member of staff at Forward Digital, from the top to the bottom, should demonstrate a total commitment to quality and quality improvement in every aspect of their working day.

In particular:

1. The management team bear the responsibility for establishing, maintaining, and implementing a quality management system in Forward Digital; this system will be based upon a management system whereby standards will be set, changes made to meet those standards and the process reviewed regularly.

2. Every employee is responsible for the quality of their work and will be trained to perform their duties to our specified quality standards. Everyone employed is accountable for their actions or omissions.

3. Contractors employed for specific functions will be required to meet our specified standards.

4. Forward Digital will have an annual development plan for quality improvement drawn up as part of its business plan and based upon feedback from service users, staff, and relatives; the plan will be costed, will focus upon specific measurable standards and will include named staff as responsible foreach objective.

5. Forward Digital is consistently listening to its service users and stakeholders and conducts bi-annual service user satisfaction and feedback surveys using a standardised questionnaire and follow up interviews with random sample of its service users and representatives. The findings are analysed and incorporated in to its development plan.

6. Forward Digital managers monitor closely the quality of its staff's work by regular supervision, which includes direct observation of peoples care practices and unannounced spot check visits to service user's homes when staff are expected to be there.

7. Forward Digital staff will conduct care plan audits and medication audits each quarter and use the information to improve standards.

8. Quality assurance should be used to drive continuous improvement of governance and clinical governance processes. Innovation should be encouraged in order to strive to improve the quality of the service.

9. Continuous audit of care records and Medication records to identify areas for further training and development to ensure quality in the field. Alongside this In-house audit of care plans and information held on a database is checked. Time sheets of staff is audited against the care records.

Risk Management

Forward Digital recognises that in order to improve the service delivery and safety the reporting of near misses, adverse events, incidents, and errors should be used to develop solutions and risk reduction strategies to resolve issues as quickly as possible.

Staff are encouraged to report all such events which is not expected and could have caused harm or damage or had the potential to pose a risk or cause a problem. A learning environment should be developed where mistakes are learnt from and development and action plans can be put in place and reviewed to prevent further incidents.

Service Users and Stakeholders

Integral to quality assurance is the feedback from service users, relatives, friends, carers, representatives, and other stakeholders. Stakeholders can include but are not limited toGP's, commissioners, district nurses and care managers. They should be involved as much as possible in the development and improvement of the service.

Audit

Annual self-assessment/audit of the service should be carried out to ensure that the agreed standards are being met or worked towards. A clear development/action plan should be in place following the audit to drive forward improvements.

Training

The management team at Forward Digital believe that, in order to provide a quality service,Forward Digital requires high quality staff that are suitably trained, supervised and supported. In particular Forward Digital believes that:

1. All new staff should be encouraged to read the policy on quality as part of their induction process.
2. Each member of staff should have a personal development plan in which training needs are identified and a plan made as to how such needs will be met.
3. Staff should be encouraged to develop themselves through continuing professional development.

The management team undertake to ensure through instruction, practical example and training that quality is the aim of all members of staff and that each employee has a proper understanding of the importance of the quality systems and its direct relevance to the success of the company.

Name and Title: Harry Bendix-Lewis - Director.