How the right care plan software can improve your CQC rating.

This case study details the progression of a domiciliary care provider placed on special measures in 2016 following 3 inadequate inspections, to a ‘good’ rating in 2018, following the introduction of OnePlan software to help improve their monitoring, reporting and overall care quality.

The CQC utilises 5 criteria to assess care providers. Here are some of the areas our care provider improved on after implementing OnePlan ECM system.

Is the service safe? Inspectors comments before and after.

BEFORE ‘At the previous inspection we found that the service was in breach relating to safe care and treatment and in particular, the management of risk, safe management of medicines and the management of incidents and accidents.’

AFTER- ‘since the last inspection the provider had implemented an electronic system that was able to store records. We found that risk assessments had been significantly improved Other records were sufficiently detailed and showed evidence of regular review’.

BEFORE: staff experienced problems with MARcharts being different from different pharmacies.

AFTER: use of electronic MARcharts.

BEFORE: incident and accident reports not completed as required and appropriate action not taken.

AFTER: electronic call monitoring system offers an incident report function that prompts for necessary details to ensure detailed reporting and alerts the registered manager/other users in real time.

BEFORE: concerns that staff did not always stay for the duration of the scheduled call.

AFTER: The Electronic call monitoring system was discussed. This system allowed carers to clock in and out of calls using smartphones. The registered manager then used the data collected to check when staff were late, or had not logged in at all. The length of calls were monitored to ensure staff stayed for the required duration of the call, and alerts were sent through the system if a clock in or clock out time was outside of agreed parameters allowing the registered manager to investigate.

Peoples call times were adequately spaced with enough travel time to get to and from peoples homes on time. Staff mostly visited the same people which allowed them to develop relationships and offered consistency for people receiving care. 

Is the service effective?

BEFORE: quality of communication not consistent, increasing risk of missed calls. 

AFTER: the electronic system allowed managers and staff to communicate concerns and changes in real time. This had served to improve the overall quality of communication and experience of people using the service.

Is the service caring?

BEFORE: communication regarding peoples care was not always completed in a timely manner or to a sufficient standard.

AFTER: The service was now issuing rotas earlier than before and copies of rotas were being shared with people using the service. People were better placed to be involved with their care and express preferences.

Is the service responsive?

BEFORE: service in breach of regulation relating to person-centred care. Care records did not contain sufficient person-centred information.

AFTER: The records contained sufficiently detailed, person-centred information including preferred environment, food preferences, birthdays, cultural and religious preferences, likes, dislikes and ‘what upsets me’.

BEFORE: during the previous inspection call times we subject to change at short notice meaning staff with the right skills and experience were not being allocated to meet peoples needs.

AFTER: The situation had stabilised and showed signs of improvement following the introduction of the electronic planning system. The system allowed for better rota management and matching of staff’.

Is the service well-led?

BEFORE: Breach of regulations regarding governance. This was because systems had not been embedded to ensure they were effective and audit processes were not robust.

AFTER: Concerns relating to risk assessment, consent, medicine records, communication and incidents had been addressed. The introduction of the electronic planning and record system had been well-managed and completed in tandem with improvements to paper based records. Staff spoke positively about the impact of the new systems and general improvements in the frequency and quality of communication. It was clear the owner and registered manager were open and honest about historical concerns and have taken effective measures to drive sustainable improvements. This extended to areas that were not previously assessed as breaches for example the safety and security of lone-working had been improved by the allocation of mobile devices that could be tracked in an emergency.

If you have struggled with any of these issues or believe your systems could be more efficient you may consider looking for a good electronic call monitoring software or perhaps changing to a new system with more functions, to help your staff work safely and improve compliance. Check out our handy guide to choosing an ECM system for your care business including the different types of monitoring.