Division of Health and Social Care

Silver Meadows Care Home Case Study for

Managing Human Resources in Health and Social Care

Silver Meadows is a modern, purpose-built care home that is located in Hillingdon in Middlesex situated in a courtyard setting in a quiet residential area. It provides specialist residential and nursing care for older people. It has 114 beds and caters for a variety of elderly clients with different care requirements. These care requirements include dementia care, end of life, nursing care, palliative care and residential care.

The care home is on three different levels and each floor is self-contained and staffed and managed in an independent manner.This specially designed home is very well equipped, tastefully decorated and comfortably furnished, and it has a lively, homely atmosphere.Silver Meadows has 114 rooms with the majority having en suite facilities. We provide fresh home cooked food.The surroundings of the care home consist of pretty gardens with residents being able to enjoy access to these.

At Silver Meadows we offer a full range of services and facilities to cater for the needs of our residents, these include: dining room, hairdressing saloon, lift, personal care room, laundry - self-service, two spacious lounges/sitting rooms and two television lounges. In addition we offer a full range of activities for our residents and these include: board games/quizzes/bingo, cards, days out, discussions, film and music afternoons and a gardening club.

This is a family run business and everything is focused on providing one-to-one care that's centered on the resident's individual needs and wishes. Silver Meadows offer the highest standards of comfort and security for residents, as well as a warm, friendly welcome for their relatives and friends.

At Silver Meadows our team is caring and experienced and they work hard to ensure that everyone feels relaxed, happy, settled and satisfied. Our home is staffed 24 hours a day by a highly trained and experienced team of nurses and care workers. At Silver Meadows we take pride in employing the best staff and we implement a very stringent recruitment process. We believe in investing in our staff and we run our own learning and development program. We provide training and personal development opportunities to allow our staff to be the best that they can be.

Silver Meadows employs 60 members of staff who consist of nursing staff, care workers, reception and administration staff, domestic staff and two cooks, and a gardener. Recently, two vacancieshave arisen for a staff nurse and care worker.

To gain a pass grade the following criteria as shown below need to be completed.

TASK 1

Task 1: (a) from the above case study explain what factors that needs to be considered when planning the recruitment process at Silver Meadows. (Outcome 1.1)

(M1) To gain a merit the criteria below must be met.

Critically reflect and analyse the different approaches that can be used in the recruitment process at Silver Meadows Care Home.

ANSWER SHOULD HAVE Factors for planning recruitment: succession planning; change (organisational, policy, use of services, work roles, local circumstances); defining human resource requirements eg full- time, part-time; job description and person specification eg qualifications, experience, personal attributes; advertising; vacancies; career progression opportunities; training and development needs

Task 1: (b) explain the importance of relevant legislative and policy frameworks on the selection, recruitment and employment of individuals at Silver Meadows. (Outcome 1.2)

ANSWER SHOULD HAVE: Legislative and policy frameworks: relevant and current legislation, codes of practice and policies (relating to worker rights, health and safety, diversity, anti-discriminatory practice, care standards, protection of vulnerable people) relevant and current legislation, codes of practice and policies (relating to worker rights, health and safety, diversity, anti-discriminatory practice, care standards, protection of vulnerable people)

Task 1: (c) evaluate the different approaches that can be used to ensure the selection of the best individuals for work within Silver Meadows. (Outcome 1.3)

ANSWER SHOULD HAVE: Selection of best individuals: shortlisting applicants, models of selection eg interview, audition, psychometric assessment, assessed task; involvement of stakeholders eg members of team, service users, external stakeholders

TASK 2

Task 2: (a) explain theories of how individuals interact in groups in relation to the types of teams that could be found working within Silver Meadows Care Home. (Outcome 2.1)

ANSWER SHOULD HAVE: Theories on behaviour in groups: formation of groups; group dynamics eg theories of Belbin, Tuckman, Woodcock, Gross, McClelland

Task 2: (b) evaluate the different approaches that may be used in order to develop effective team working in Silver Meadows Care Home. (Outcome 2.2)

ANSWER SHOULD HAVE: Types of team: formal, informal; work groups, multi-disciplinary teams, inter-agency, project groups

Influences on effective teamworking: team purpose, empowerment of team, leadership, individual priorities/roles, team morale

TASK 3

Task 3: (a) explain ways in which the performance of staff can be monitored in Silver Meadows Care Home. (Outcome 3.1)

(D1)To gain a distinction the criteria below must be met.

Critically reflect on how you would address the dilemma of a member of staff who was underperforming at Silver Meadows Care Home.

ANSWER SHOULD HAVE: Performance of individuals: monitoring systems eg observation, appraisal, periodic review, achievement of successful outcomes, use of targets, benchmarks, feedback from others

Task 3: (b) discuss and assess how individual training and development needs can be identified within Silver Meadows Care Home. (Outcome 3.2)

ANSWER SHOULD HAVE: Training and development: identifying individual needs eg monitoring performance, career development planning, changing personal circumstances

Task 3: (c) analyse the different strategies that can be employed for the promotion and continuation of the development of individuals who are employed at Silver Meadows Care Home. (Outcome 3.3)

ANSWER SHOULD HAVE: Effectiveness of systems: benefits and limitations for individuals, teams, users of health and social care services, organisational requirements

Strategies for promoting continuing development: achieving competence (against occupational standards); training versus education; partnerships; compliance with external requirements eg care standards, professional registration; dedicated allocation of resources; use of external kitemarks eg Investors in People; implementing a staff development training plan (in-house training, using supervision and appraisal, external courses, action-centred learning, lifelong learning, coaching and mentoring, assessing competence)

TASK 4

Task 4: (a) explain theories of leadership that apply to a health and social care setting like Silver Meadows. (Outcome 4.1)

(M2) To gain a merit the criteria below must be met.

Analyse and compare how different leadership styles can be used within Silver Meadows Care home.

ANSWER SHOULD HAVE: Theories of leadership: transactional, transformational, emotional intelligence; theories proposed by eg Fiedler, Vroom and Yetton, Mintzberg, Handy, Goleman

Task 4: (b) analyse how working relationships may be managed within Silver Meadows Care Home. (Outcome 4.2)

ANSWER SHOULD HAVE: Management of working relationships: influence of management style, emotional intelligence, organisational structure; leadership versus management; contingency management (best-fit), role-modelling, effective communication, team building, constructive feedback, shared values; accountability (monitoring and assessing performance, communicating decisions, disciplinary and grievance procedures)

Task 4: (c) evaluate how your own development could be influenced by management approaches you may encounter in Silver Meadows as a member of their staff. (Outcome 4.3)

(D1) To gain a distinction the criteria below must be met.

Critically reflect on how you would participate in monitoring your own personal training and development needs.

ANSWER SHOULD HAVE: Own development: attributes (confidence, skills competencies, knowledge and understanding); qualifications; career development; ability to work with change

(M3) To gain a merit the criteria below must be met.

Provide references from a variety of sources

(D3) To gain a Distinction the criteria below must be met.

Demonstrate lateral and creative thinking.