The Care Value Base is a list of things that are vital to maintain a positive care environment these include;
- Anti-discriminatory practice
- Empowerment, choice and independence
- Effective communication
- The right to dignity and privacy
- The right to safety and security together with the right to take some risks
- Respect for diversity including individual identity culture and beliefs
- Maintaining confidentiality
- Equality
Source: Moonie 2005
Policies and Procedures are very vital to help make a positive care environment, they are essential in promoting the rights of the service users, and also say what a workers role is allowed to do and its responsibilities. They play a vital part in achieving the “cultural” of an organisation, and it refers to a set of beliefs, values and behaviours. The cultural of an organisation will help the staff’s attitude to learning and how things get done within the workplace.
In Moonie 2005, there is a range of different policies and procedures shown below;
- Equal Opportunities policies
- Mission Statement
- Codes of Practice
- Recruitment and Selection
- Whistle Blowing
- Confidentiality
- Advocacy
The Cedar Foundation implies these policies within their own organisation so that they are able to know what their limitations are.
For example in the Equal Opportunities Policy says that consideration should be given to pre-employment training that prepares job applicants for tests and interviews. Also that “the Commission recommends that flexible working options should be to meet the needs of people who are disabled “(Moonie 2005). The Cedar Foundation make sure that people with disabilities can apply for jobs within the organisation itself through their equal opportunities they are treated equally.
The Cedar Foundations Mission Statement that was giving in my A01, says that they uphold the values of, Commitment, Excellence, Diversity, Accountability and Respect. Source; (date accessed 9/3/12)
When it comes to Recruitment and Selection of staff, the Cedar Foundation make sure that all those applying for jobs are vetted for working with vulnerable people. This is to make sure that those vulnerable are protected and are not in any danger or harm, and have support from the staff. They also make sure that even people with disabilities are able to apply for jobs when they are recruiting staff members.
In the Cedar Foundations “Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults Policy”, they say that they aim to promote the empowerment and wellbeing of the vulnerable adults throughout the services they provide, for example they have a service for living options and support, they empower their service users and let them make decisions and help them with whatever they decide to do.
Another policy is Advocacy, the Cedar Foundation also can act as a “speaker” for its service users when it comes to the government and getting the services that they need. They can also act as advocates for the service users to talk to the parents and make sure to let the parents of the service users know what they want to do with their life.
I will now discuss 3 policies and how the Cedar Foundation as an organisation implements them and how they are tied in with the services they provide.
Complaints, Compliments and Feedback Policy – The Cedar Foundation aim to make sure that their service users know how to give feedback, complain about something on compliment easily. They have Suggestion Boxes and a User Forum as said above. They make sure that anyone that makes a complaint receives a full explanation and where appropriate an apology. They also make sure that the complaints are resolved quickly and effectively as they do not want to stress their service users. The Cedar Foundation also say that getting complaints and especially feedback on services or events helps them improve their services.
Phil Conn from The Cedar Foundation who works as a Disability Awareness Training Officer came to our school to do a workshop on Disability Awareness and he said that “He would prefer to have a complaint face to face rather than it getting to a stage where it goes up and up to the chief executive.”
On the User Forum service users have left comments on events that the Cedar Foundation has provided and what they thought of the experience. It says “Our aim is to be the voice of our Service Users province wide. To achieve this we consult and communicate with Service Users, management and staff.” Source; (Date accessed 10/3/12).
Training and Professional Development – Staff who are going to work with children or adults that are vulnerable or people who have disabilities have to go through Mandatory Training Courses, they have to complete these every three years.
Staff at the Cedar Foundation are encouraged to look at their own personal training and their own skills and personality and how they are able to work with people who may have changeling behaviour and do they have the patience and understanding for it? The Cedar Foundation pay for their staff to complete a Post Graduate Diploma in Rehabilitation Studies, the course is in Dublin and the Cedar Foundation pay the funding for the course and the staff to make avail of it.
Confidentiality – This is a big one and I have mentioned about it on up above. It comes under the Cedar Foundations Privacy Policy, and that they make sure that none of any of the service users information is shared out, or if indeed the case that the service user is in danger then it may need to be shared out with either the police or a hospital so that they can help the service user.
Recruitment and Selection – Is when coming to choose members of staff and making sure that they are all vetted too work with vulnerable people. The Cedar Foundation is an inclusive organisation. They welcome all those with disabilities to apply for jobs or anything particular within the organisation. They can ask for a loop system to be installed. The Loop System is for people with a hearing impairment, it’s a device that if a deaf person is wearing a hearing aid or device in their ear, that as soon as they walk into a building it automatically connects with the system in the building so that they can hear what’s going on around them and hear what other people are saying to them.
Also the Cedar Foundation have staff members that are trained as interpreters or even do sign language so that all people with different disabilities can make use of the services as they have staff there trained to know what they are saying and what they want to do.
There is other things and policies within the Cedar Foundation for example Whistle Blowing is when another member of staff sees another staff member treating a service user unfairly or bad and tells someone within the organisation to stop it from happening again or letting it get worse.
Breda Doherty who works at The Cedar Foundation says that “ It is also the responsibility of staff to challenge other staff and to promote anti-discriminatory behaviour”.
Safeguarding Children and Young Peoples Policy –
The Cedar Foundation aim to ensure that the health and welfare of the child or service user is respected, they give parents and children information on Cedar services and what they can do for them. They minimise opportunities for children to suffer harm by planning activities and events for them. They let parents know how to voice their concerns or complain if there is anything they are not happy about. Make sure that all staff are vetted and safe to work with the children, and risk assessments are often carried out.
This policy could be linked to the services that the organisation provide for example Youth work for young people and children, collecting them from school and taking them on outings to the cinema or bowling, making sure that they are happy.
To summarise what this section is about, Policies and Procedures are vitally important to help make a positive care environment. They have their limitations of what a care practitioner can do and cant. They help run the organisation and have their aims of what they aim to achieve from it. They are essential in promoting the rights of a service user. All service users should be treated equally even if they have a disability and that’s what these policies protect the service users and their right to independence and confidentiality and being able to effectively communicate.
