Health and Social Services and Policy Issues - Term Paper Example

HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES AND POLICY ISSUES Contents Sr.# Topic Pg Introduction 2 2. Brief Background 3 3. Issues concerning Productivity of Community Care Services 3 4. Responses to the Challenges Faced 6 5. Key Solution For Enhancing Organizational Productivity 7 6. Conclusion 9 References 10 List of Figures F1 Organizational Model for Improving Productivity 8 1. Introduction The term Domiciliary Care refers to the provision of essential sustainable services to a section of vulnerable clientele comprising of a group of socially excluded and helpless individuals such as elderly people as well as those who are physically and mentally challenged, in the comfort of their own homes. It refers to an administered arrangement whereby, individuals who are incapacitated by way of age related impairments or those who are physically or mentally disabled, are offered health care services in a home like environment and are vaguely similar to programs delivering foster care services. Organizations offering such services seek to facilitate minimizing the monetary burden by hindering the obligation imposed on the local authorities by relatively more expensive residential care services. The organizations offering domiciliary care services to the targeted group of clients need to be efficient and prompt in delivery of services, considering the nature and scope of their duties and hence active steps need to be taken to ensure effective service delivery, provision of high quality services, and satisfying the health needs of the individuals relying on their services, in the best possible manner. This paper on Health and Social Care services and Policy Issues is aimed at analyzing and investigating issues concerning productivity of the private domiciliary care services and develop means and alternatives in the form of effective policies and practices to combat the various challenges posed. This paper also seeks to look at the prospective alternatives and choose the best possible solution for improving and enhancing organizational productivity by taking into consideration performance management issues along with other key issues concerning labor efficiency, availability of skilled labor, finances available for provision of efficient services etc. 2. Brief Background Domiciliary care services that offer adult community care comprises of a varied range of services which are designed, developed and delivered in affiliation with a host of essential factors including service users, carers, healthcare providers as well as other social groups and suppliers belonging to the constitutional and autonomous sectors. These services are designed to fulfill the assessment needs of a considerable portion of population, comprising of individuals, families, as well as communities as a whole which are in dire need of availing support, personal health care and protection. Such services are chiefly intended to endorse and safeguard the vulnerable population who are to a significant extent prone to social exclusion and neglect, particularly elderly and individuals with physical and mental disabilities, by provision of adequate and effective health care services and ensuring their social well being. 3. Issues Concerning Productivity of Domiciliary Care Services It is unreasonable and undeniably unfeasible for officials in the health and social care sectors to deal unswervingly with the complete range of health care providers concerned with provision of social care services. Thus, the burden / responsibility of provision of such services is often shared by private organizations involved in offering health and well being to a select group of population. These services are often large in number, extent and scope; widely assorted; aimed at ensuring elasticity in terms of service provision and frequently necessitate prompt deliver at short notice, in order to fulfill the requirements and requests of the individuals in need. It is nonetheless, imperative, that a suitable degree of regional homogeneity be achieved and adequate levels of control be ensured in this particular sector of health care provision. This paper proposes several suggestions for incorporating an established agenda of regional standardization efforts as a form of structural arrangement for achieving enhanced organizational productivity. It also seeks to depict the reforms suggested within the policy context and reviews the extent and capabilities of services concerned i.e., - community based health and social care provision to a diverse range of client groups. A wide range of health and social care services approximating millions of pounds aimed at ensuring an array of domiciliary residential nursing, and home help, services are obtained annually from the independent sector. This involves several challenges faced by the organization in providing such services. The key challenges involved include: Increasing demand and growing customer expectation Range of efforts to tackle the issues concerning lack of general service stipulations across the region Lack of adequate and effective criteria for risk assessment Disparity in contract terms and conditions Deliberations over adoption of a mixed economy approach for provision of community health and social care services Inadequate associations and communication among the individuals and carers and Lack of accessibility to the services offered Lack of availability of skilled labor force Competition from other sectors in terms of range and scope of services offered Huge investments incurred with respect to training and workforce development programs High financial requirements and non availability of adequate funding Moreover, the organization (where you work) is inclined towards attracting and recruiting employees by offering relatively higher wages. This is done in order to ensure employee retainment, as there is a competing demand for skilled labor in the market. Also, the higher rates paid to the employees are on account of special care services provided to the customers, and require higher levels of skills and expertise, which is rare in the market. This has further led to a creation of a highly complicated situation for the organization, since domiciliary health care provision is a relatively undervalued profession. The preferred outcomes for such critical issues faced by the organization would include: ensuring enhanced and superior health care services to the target customers, providing better quality of life, enabling individuals to benefit from the alternatives available at their disposal and exercising adequate control, safeguarding individuals from prejudice including racial or otherwise, harassment, and seclusion; enhancing quality of services and ensuring the economic well being of some of those who receive such services; contributing to individual seemliness, endorse and encourage working in associations and partnerships; securing high quality services facilitated through the use of advanced technological innovations; ensuring and achieving transparency in processes and service delivery, through a continuous process of self regulation and improvement. 4. Responses to the Challenges Faced The organization (where I work) may respond to such challenges by developing a range of comprehensive programs, policies and practices which seeks to address the critical issues facing the organization and hindering its productive efficiency. These policies include: establishing policies agreeing on fixed rates for services offered with respect to residential nursing and home care developing specifications for domiciliary care developing accessibility criteria to ensure better and faster access to domiciliary care services offered by the organization developing programs that offer specialized services in nursing and residential care developing policies and framework for enhanced day care facilities which could be easily availed by the elderly and the physically and mentally challenged individuals enhancing employee skills by offering training and development and providing maximum support to the staff for retaining employees 5. Key Solution for Enhancing Organizational Productivity Retaining and Supporting the Employees by Offering Training and Development Since the market for skilled labor engaged in delivering health and social care services is highly competitive, and the availability of such well trained staff for required for offering such services is scarce, our organization has chosen to focus on retaining the employees by providing them maximum support, benefits and effective training and development activities. Provision of health and social care facilities is a highly tedious job that requires putting in long hours of work and hence may lead to employee wear out. In order to avoid losing staff, it is of utmost importance to the organization to offer competitive wages. Our organization has devised a policy to offer relatively higher wages as compared to its competitors in the range of (average) approximately £7.50 and £8.50 per hour. In addition to increased wages, the organization also aims to offer other benefits such as allowing facilities such as, every other weekend off, and weekend - long holidays. This is done to ensure that the employees do not feel worn out and over worked. Moreover, policies to implement weekly induction programs are sought to be implemented on a gradual basis. The basic aim is to ensure that the employees feel secure towards their jobs and adequately administered in their respective job roles. This is likely to increase a sense of belonging within them and help in increasing their productivity. The management aims to know its staff at an individual level and offer support services in accordance to their respective levels of need. Compatible working hours offer them the flexibility of improving their lifestyles and fulfilling their domestic responsibilities and other commitments. This is done by offering part time job services. Figure 1: Organizational Model for Improving Productivity It is widely observed through market practices that employees often tend to quit jobs if they encounter situations where they are not able to fulfill their job requirements and expectations. In order to avoid such a situation and losing valuable labor owing to inadequate knowledge, the organization intends to offer effective training and development services to its employees. In addition, certain key benefits such as stakeholder pensions, personal health plans, child care insurance, flexible hours, facility of working in shifts etc is offered in order to ensure that employees are attracted and retained within the organization. Also, policies that aim to encourage highly productive employees are developed whereby such efficient employees are properly rewarded. Acknowledging the hard work put in by the employees is of utmost significance since it helps in retaining valued staff. It can be done by awarding certificates, titles such as ‘employee of the month’ which encourages healthy in house competition among employees, arranging family gatherings and frequent and effective interaction with management staff etc would further pave way for enhancing employee confidence and hence lead to higher productivity levels. Some organizations may find “going the extra mile” as highly expensive way of expressing gratitude towards deserving and highly efficient and productive employees. However, as compared to the benefits derived by the organization as a result of increased productivity levels and employee retainment, which are translated into increased organizational benefits, such a step is highly recommended and fruitful. 6. Conclusion An obligation towards developing new and innovative projects in the field of health and social care services, coupled with effective policies and framework for attracting new sources of labor into this particular form of work, would facilitate the (NAME OF THE ORGANIZATION) as well as its associates and partners to effectively approach a range of local challenges and assist the organization in integrating the wide gap between demand and supply of skilled labor in domiciliary care sector, along with other challenges faced in the health care domain. Factors such as enhancing the professional representation, occupation design, enterprise and resource planning, employment, availability of flexible working conditions, development of frameworks aimed at offering training and workforce development etc will persistently necessitate vigorous management attention in the ensuing years if a certain socially secluded section of population – those individuals categorized as aged, elderly, and physically and mentally challenged individuals requiring personalized home care in Northern Ireland are to avail the benefits of a high quality of health and social care services, which they need and deserve. Read More