Outcomes

Allied Healthcare Group operates an increasing number of ‘Outcomes-based’ contracts across the UK, although we strive to provide services that are enabling, and are focused on achieving measurable outcomes that will genuinely benefit our Service Users as a general principle in all our work.

As such, we fully support the seven outcomes indicated in the White Paper 'Our Health, Our Care, Our Say', and endeavour to ensure that we provide a service that allows and supports each Service User to meet each outcome.

The following is a brief overview of how we work with Service Users to set and achieve outcomes and how we approach their measurement and monitoring.
 
How we support the setting of Outcomes

We ensure that each Service User is visited prior to the commencement of services to draw up their Person-Centred Care Plan.  Within this we identify with the Service User (and their carer/advocate) the outcomes they wish to achieve as part of the service, ensuring the underpinning values of these outcomes fall in-line with the seven outcomes identified within ‘Our Health, Our Care, Our Say’:

1. Exercise Choice and Control
 We understand that the services a Service User receives needs to fully take into account the individual needs and preferences of each unique Service User. 
 
2. Improved Health and Emotional Well-Being
 Key to providing care and support services is to ensure the well-being of the Service User both physically and emotionally. 
 
3. Personal Dignity and Respect
Our role in ensuring Service Users are treated with dignity and respect is to ensure:
 
4. Improved Quality of Life
Service Users must be supported to reach their full capacity and potential in order to have quality of life. 
 
5. Freedom from Discrimination and Harassment
Allied has an open-access policy, where discrimination is not tolerated. 
 
6. Economic Well-Being
We recognise that people should have access to economic opportunity and part of this is to ensure that people are not financially disadvantaged. 

7. Making a Positive Contribution
All individuals should be entitled to have access to their local community and should be valued for their contribution. 

How we measure Outcomes

• We recognise that each individual is different and, as such, the outcomes they wish to achieve will vary considerably. 

• We recognise that the level of outcomes must relate to the skills and capabilities of the individual.  For example, economic well-being may translate into getting employment for one individual whereas for another it may just be supporting them to manage their finances and create a budget for their benefits.  A seemingly small achievement for one person may be a large achievement for another.

• When outcomes are initially set, these are detailed within the Care Plan, with proposed timescales for completion/achievement. 

• When measuring outcomes, again it is vital to take into account the individual.  We cannot assess a person’s personal progress without first understanding them.

• In order to measure outcomes, we document progress towards them.  Our Care Workers ensure that they complete the Care & Support Diary after each visit and this will detail any progress the Service User has made towards these outcomes, or any issues that may be preventing achievement. 

• We measure outcomes by the difference that our services have made to that individual.  In order to measure this we consult the Service User, their families/Carer and any other stakeholders to provide a full picture in relation to the level of achievement of outcomes.  For example, this may be through the family reporting to us that the Service User is noticeably more confident, or has developed a group of friendships that are meaningful for them.

How we monitor Outcomes

• Outcomes are monitored quarterly, in addition we also monitor outcomes through the Care Workers, the Senior Care Workers (through spot checks etc) and through any other feedback we may receive.

• Once outcomes have been met we update the Long-Term Goal Plan to confirm the goal has been met. 

• Key Workers are fully aware of their obligation to report the Service User’s progress/issues to the branch team.  Through weekly telephone contact with the branch, care workers are able to express any achievements or concerns about their Key Service Users.
 
• Through three-monthly outcome reviews with the Service User, their advocate/Carer and all stakeholders we are able to establish how the Service User is coping with the outcomes that have been set and whether new outcomes need to be identified.  These are drawn up in consultation with all stakeholders to ensure they are realistic and achievable.
 
In addition we also use our standard quality assurance systems to monitor and record outcomes and progress towards these.

We are ISO 9001:2000 Registered and are accredited to Gold Standard for our Quality Systems.

Process of Continual Improvement
 We use the feedback we receive from Service Users and their Carers to ensure we are continuously improving our services in the following ways:
• Reviews
• Service User Satisfaction Surveys
• Compliments
• Complaints

We ensure that our service meets the needs of Service Users by ensuring that we maintain constant communication with Service Users and their families/advocates, listening to determine if needs are being met and adapting our approach when they are not.