Residents Participation in the Running of the Home Policy

Residents Participation in the Running of the Home

Policy Statement

Woodlands & Hill Brow Ltd believes that every resident has the right to have a say in the running of the home where they live and to have their complaints, ideas and comments listened to and respected.

The home complies fully with the Care Quality Commission’s Guidance about Compliance: Essential Standards of Quality and Safety, in particular Outcome 1: Respecting and Involving People Who Use Services, which relates to the degree to which the registered manager of a home ensures that residents are offered opportunities to participate in the day-to-day running of the home and to contribute to the development and review of services.

Aim of the Policy

This policy is intended to set out the values, principles and policies underpinning this home’s approach to resident participation. The home believes that it is the absolute right of every resident living at the home to be able to have a say in the running of the home where they live and to have their complaints, ideas and comments listened to and respected.

Residents Participation Policy

It is the policy of the home that no changes will be made to the home’s statement of purpose without full consultation with existing residents, relatives, carers and user representatives.

The home further agrees that all residents of this home will:

• be provided with comprehensive, accessible, understandable and up-to-date information, in suitable formats activities and services
• be given opportunities to participate in activities which enable them to influence key decisions in the home
• receive feedback about the outcomes of their involvement and participation.

Those residents who require communication support in order to understand the information issued will be provided with appropriate support to ensure that their involvement and participation can be ensured.

Procedures

1.  The views, suggestions and comments of all residents, their families and their friends will be listened to with respect, and their active participation in the running of the home sought. All reasonable help will be given in the way of support and communication aid to enable those with physical, sensory or communication impairments to participate fully.
2.  A residents’ committee has been established and will meet on a monthly basis. Management representatives will attend these meetings, but the committee has the right to decided who and how many managers attend. The committee may request the attendance of a particular manager for whole or part of the meeting to discuss a particular item of interest or concern.
3. Membership of the residents committee is through residency of the home.
4. The chairperson shall be elected by the committee and sit for a maximum of 12 months. The chairperson shall not use the position for selfish means but for the good of the residents in the home.
5. Minutes and notes will be recorded of these meetings and decisions made will be noted, along with the name of who will take responsibility and a date of when they will report progress back to the group.
6.  A resident representative will be invited to be involved in the selection of staff at interview. Appropriate interview training will be provided to residents performing such a role as required.
7.  A resident’s satisfaction survey will be distributed to residents on a six-monthly basis. Summaries of the results of each survey will be collated and published by newsletter for every resident, within one month of the questionnaires being returned. Residents who require help to complete their survey form will be given support.
8.  All complaints will be taken seriously and acted upon without exception. All complaints will be logged and recorded and the complainant contacted and informed of action to be taken.
9.  Full co-operation and support will be given to advocacy workers chosen to represent or help residents to participate in the daily running of the home.

Training

All new staff are encouraged to read the policy on user participation as part of their induction process. Existing staff will be offered training to National Training Organisation standards covering basic information about user participation and human rights.