Quality standard

Quality statement 6: Supervision of home care workers

Quality statement 6: Supervision of home care workers

Quality statement

Home care providers have practice-based supervision discussions with home care workers at least every 3 months.

Rationale

Regular supervision is important for home care workers who typically work on their own with older people in the community. Providing regular supervision, based on observation of practice, will ensure home care workers feel supported and will enable any development needs to be identified and addressed. This will reduce staff turnover and improve the continuity and quality of care delivered.

Quality measures

The following measures can be used to assess the quality of care or service provision specified in the statement. They are examples of how the statement can be measured, and can be adapted and used flexibly.

Structure

Evidence of local processes to ensure that home care providers have practice-based supervision discussions with home care workers at least every 3 months.

Data source: Local data collection.

Process

Proportion of home care workers supporting older people who had a practice-based supervision discussion within the past 3 months.

Numerator – the number in the denominator who had a practice-based supervision discussion within the past 3 months.

Denominator – the number of home care workers supporting older people.

Data source: Local data collection.

Outcome

a) Older people's satisfaction with the home care service.

Data source: Local data collection.

b) Staff retention among home care workers.

Data source: Local data collection.

What the quality statement means for different audiences

Service providers (such as independent home care agencies, voluntary sector organisations, and local authorities) ensure they have practice-based supervision discussions with home care workers at least every 3 months and identify any development needs to be addressed.

Social care practitioners (such as home care managers and home care workers) prepare for and take part in practice-based supervision discussions at least every 3 months and agree how any development needs will be addressed.

Commissioners commission services that ensure home care workers have a practice-based supervision discussion at least every 3 months and that any development needs are addressed.

Older people who use home care services can be confident that they arereceiving care from home care workers who are well supported and have regular discussions with their manager. The care workers work with their manager on improving their skills and approach if they need to so that the service they provide meets the needs of older people.

Definitions of terms used in this quality statement

Practice-based supervision discussion

Home care workers should have an individual supervision discussion at least every 3 months to help them deal with their day to day work and continuously improve their practice and the quality of the support they offer to older people. The discussion should be based on observed practice and identify individual strengths and development needs. A written record of the discussion should be given to the worker. [NICE's guideline on home care, recommendations 1.7.11 and 1.7.12 and expert opinion]