This paper reports on a seminar organised as part of an ESRC‐funded series on older people and care homes that focused on the period of transition into a care home and the…
Abstract
This paper reports on a seminar organised as part of an ESRC‐funded series on older people and care homes that focused on the period of transition into a care home and the experiences of older people immediately before and after they made the move. The papers presented suggested that there were ways in which older people could exercise choice and control over the process, but that problems existed, ranging from the ways in which assessment and referral systems were crisis or service led, to how people were supported after their move. This paper outlines these arguments, and concludes that such processes need to be addressed if the quality of care at this difficult period is to be improved.
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THE high standards of examination and qualifications for membership set by the Institute of Incorporated Work Study Technologists can be seen in the new Prospectus just issued by…
Ingrid Eyers, Mike Nolan, Julienne Meyer, Jan Reed and Wendy Knibb
Margaret Cook, Glenda Cook, Philip Hodgson, Jan Reed, Charlotte Clarke and Pamela Inglis
The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact that research governance processes in the National Health Service (NHS) are having on the conduct of research that involves a…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact that research governance processes in the National Health Service (NHS) are having on the conduct of research that involves a national survey and to point to ways that existing processes may develop to facilitate such research.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper describes the experiences of a research team of seeking approval in 357 NHS organisations to carry out a national postal survey to investigate specialist services and specialist staffing for older people in England in the wake of recent policy developments. Through reflection on this experience, the team propose approaches for the development of existing research governance processes. The national survey was the first stage of the study, which was followed by a detailed investigation of the development of specialist service provision for older people in six case study sites across England. The national survey aimed to map specialist service provision for older people by identifying the range of service models, agency and professional involvements, and nature of the case load in statutory services (health and social care), independent and voluntary sector organisations.
Findings
Of the 357 NHS organisations approached for approval to carry out the survey within the organisation, this was achieved only in 247 organisations over 12 months. Many organisations were facilitative of the process; however, protracted and extensive approval processes in others led to long delays and redesigning of the research that was commissioned by the Department of Health.
Originality/value
The paper is of value in that it highlights processes and practices that hinder research and builds on those that work well.
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James B. Shein, Rebecca Frazzano and Evan Meagher
The case discusses the operational, strategic, and financial turnaround at Solo Cup, a manufacturer of disposable dining wares. Solo Cup’s troubles were compounded by the…
Abstract
The case discusses the operational, strategic, and financial turnaround at Solo Cup, a manufacturer of disposable dining wares. Solo Cup’s troubles were compounded by the acquisition of a larger rival, Sweetheart Company, which had its own problems and presented issues of merger integration that management could not solve. David Garfield, a managing director at turnaround consulting firm Alix Partners, must first recognize Solo Cup’s core competencies in order to determine the appropriate change in strategic course, strip out the assets that no longer support the operations necessary for that strategy, and monetize them in order to rationalize its balance sheet. This case teaches that a three-pronged approach will invariably produce greater results than any one-dimensional turnaround.
Students will learn turnaround techniques necessary to restructure a company operationally, strategically, and financially, and will learn how Alix Partners' relentless focus on “letting data rule” allowed the firm to revive a faltering company.
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Jan Reed and Jill Turner
The purpose of this paper is to report on an evaluative study which used appreciative inquiry (AI) to explore the processes of change during the Cancer Services Collaborative…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to report on an evaluative study which used appreciative inquiry (AI) to explore the processes of change during the Cancer Services Collaborative Improvement programme instituted by the Department of Health in the UK. This was a three‐stage programme which expanded from nine pilot projects to a national service change, focussing on improving the patient's experience throughout the journey from diagnosis to treatment.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper uses AI questions in interviews with a range of CSC staff who had had different roles and length of involvement.
Findings
The study identified a range of strategies and skills that participants had developed in order to support and facilitate service change.
Practical implications
The paper offers a discussion of skills and strategies that can facilitate change in health care across clinical areas, and a discussion of the use of AI as a method of evaluation.
Originality/value
This study is one of the first to use AI in health care evaluation in the UK, and thus makes a contribution to understanding change from an AI perspective.
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Jan Reed, Barbara Klein, Glenda Cook and David Stanley
This paper reports on data from two linked studies in the UK and Germany which evaluated the potential of a quality management system, Qual A Sess, to play a role in…
Abstract
This paper reports on data from two linked studies in the UK and Germany which evaluated the potential of a quality management system, Qual A Sess, to play a role in self‐regulation in care homes for older people in the context of calls for EU‐wide harmonization of standards. Qual A Sess was developed by German and UK organisations to assess the quality of care in care homes and mechanisms to improve the quality of care through the development of action plans involving residents, families and staff in the process. This paper compares the outcomes of Qual A Sess in care homes in both countries, by focusing on the data available about the action plans generated by the Qual A Sess process, and suggests that standardization of quality indicators may be inappropriate in the context of local differences.
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Julienne Meyer, Hazel Heath, Cheryl Holman and Tom Owen
This paper highlights the need for researchers to work across disciplinary boundaries in order to capture the complexity that care practitioners have to engage with everyday in…
Abstract
This paper highlights the need for researchers to work across disciplinary boundaries in order to capture the complexity that care practitioners have to engage with everyday in care home settings. Drawing on findings from a literature review on the complexity of loss in continuing care institutions for older people, the case is made for less victim blaming and more appreciative approaches to research. The way this thinking informed the development of a further literature review on quality of life in care homes (My Home Life) is discussed. Findings from this second study are shared by illustrating key messages with quotes from older residents, relatives and staff living, visiting and working in care homes. These best practice messages focus on: transition into a care home; working to help residents maintain their identity; creating community within care homes; shared decision‐making; health and health services; end‐of‐life care; keeping the workforce fit for purpose, and promoting positive culture. The importance of collaborative working in both research and practice is discussed. The paper is likely to be of interest to all those concerned with improving and developing evidence‐based practice in the care home sector, including users and service providers, managers, commissioners and inspectors, policy‐makers, researchers and teachers.