This Post Will Outline How we Plan to Build a better care foundation. it will include statements on why I’m setting up the foundation and mission statements.
Last Update: JAN 2022
Status: Jan 16th 2022 – 1st Edition.
Review: 22
Table Of Contents
Why Is The Foundation needed? What about care is wrong?
There are many reasons I set up the foundation. I’ve got over 10 years experiences as a foster child and Care leaver. and now I’m dedicating my life to improve the lives of as many children and young adults as I can. First, by making the system they are forced into. A smother and more transparent experience.
Where can the care industry improve for young adults and children?
- I Propose that the phrases Service Users / Young People should not be used. And instead refer to them as residents. Especially within 16+ Semi-Independence Placements. where they are expected to pay rent at 18+.
- I’ve witnessed so much greed and hardship caused by Care Providers and Social Services Focusing too much on Financial Expenses and profitability. Of course, profiting should be allowed. but Profiteering should be stopped. It is not ethically correct to make a mint out of the expense of people who’ve had misfortunes and they should focus most income on better training staff and money being focused on the development of the Resident in our care.
- More transparency should be given to the residents. They should be able to access folders and data on their selves much easier. And on demand. Social Services and Care Providers to include residents in street meetings. And professional meetings unless there is a reasonable clause for them not too. (I, E Breach of GDPR. Or outlined in a risk assessment not to be done.) The system should be more known. At the moment in every looked after child, there are always actions and a procedure to get to the next step. And ultimately become independent and integrated into society.
- We should make a comprehensive resource center available for looked after residents. or (CIC) children in care. Allowing them to learn about independence and progress throughout milestones of independence.
- To create a Looked After Child Course. which is fun and interactive and allows residents to Move onto Independence. That Covers the required Independence-Skills Required by every Local Authority.
How I Plan on Combating these identified issues.
currently i’m already doing some but more are planned very soon!.
Create a Unique Platform To promote Better Care.
as you’ve probbaly noticed the domain liharris.com has returned. and we will be using it more often. but you will hardly notice when switching between domains. here are some of the main changes
- liharris.com has now created The Better Care Foundation, you’re viewing it right now! This is the area where you will find resources and information. We don’t just cover Foster Care Either? currently we also cover Mental Health And Wellbeing but plan to diversify into other areas that we come across as we progress.
- liharris.me has is still my blog The Brutal Story it will be the area where you can find out about Li Jean-Luc Harris. his life story and career.
- Sharing life stories. – Previously discontinued but soon will be back. And under this new style of theme. Sharing life stories is a platform to share your story. publicly but have the opinion to revoke it later on. Or post as an anonymous person. it will be served as a way for others to learn about how you can benefit from blogging and how many people find it therapeutic to open up and let things of your chest.
- Getting out of care course. – this is upcoming and won’t be around for a while. It’s a step-by-step guide which will meet each local authority’s requirements and will only be obtainable by people who currently have Looked After Status and are in the 16+ Services / Leaving Care Team.
Provide Resources to both Care Providers and Residents With Looked After Status.
Through the better care foundation and the developing courses. The better Care Foundation aims to provide more insight on what we require of them. In what are already very difficult circumstances. We will offer resources that cover a wide range of issues in Foster Care, Suffering With Addictions, Mental Health, Being Homeless and much more. We will prepare you and guide you on the facts and guidance to get you into independence. And to remove the Looked After Status title.
We also plan on offering out resources for care providers that will help them set up and help vulnerable young adults and children. And ways they can help their residents whom may suffer with mental health and addictions. Or are resistant to the idea of being in the “Care System”
Become A Care Provider.
You hear it. As well as helping other care providers, we also plan soon to open our own care service. This is ideal to help us to further our plans and to advocate against profiteering. And to fight against those whom do. it will also help us with the foundation to grow our understanding and preach our ethics and hopefully provide results that will hopefully cause a wake up call to other providers.
The Care Foundations fundamentals
The Core Values For Care Workers, and why they are important.
| Value | Why Its Important For Care Workers? |
|---|---|
| Compassion | You need to be outgoing and motivated to help those whom are in your care. This will encounter many stories and topics where you must be able to show compassion. And be able to show sympathy, pity and concern. Of the misfortune of others. |
| Respect | To Gain Respect, You Must be able to show and give respect to the people you care for. You can’t help someone if they think you don’t respect them. |
| Passion For Empowering Others | Our Goal is always to keep people as independent as possible. Therefore, we must provide tools and dignity to people. And encourage them to make choices about their own care. And how they are treated. |
| Team Player | You Work with a massive team and support network. But a lot of the times you won’t be working directly with them. As lone / Independant working is very common. You are part of the puzzle that helps better people’s lives. And you’ve got to be a team player and do your part. |
| Kindness | Go above and beyond to be kind. |
| Independent Working | You need to do things for yourself. And to learn the process and to decide on your own when required. You will have support available on emergencies. But they might not always be by your side. |
| Self-Motivated | You need to be motivated to help others. Without needing to be pushed. If you see an issue in your shift. It’s down to you to document and address it with the people. As well as notifying the required internal and / or external agencies. |
| Flexablity | Be flexible to change shifts / cover sometimes unexpectedly. As well as be willing to work Christmas, new years. And a couple of weekends per month. Remember, the care industry runs 24/7 |
| Professionalisim | You need to be accountable for any decisions or actions you take within the workplace and act professionally. And following policies that are placed to protect you and the residents. As well as keeping to professional boundaries. |
| Willingness to Learn | You Need to learn and develop in your careers. As requirements change and new challenges are presesupervisorssupervisorsnted. |
| Realiablity | If you say you can do something. Please do it. It’s important to keep up reliability, especially when working with residents. They really need someone who can make actions and help in a timely manner. if you say you can attend a shift or help them with particular issues. Please do it. Don’t jut say you will and pass it on. |
| Honesty | Be honest and admit when you are wrong. And to keep to GDPR guidelines regarding sharing personal data. |
| Empathy | To be able to understand and help residents to reflect on their past. And to understand what it is they are going through and guide them to the relevant support services available. |
| Patience | Not Everything happens over night. And with some people you work with. You’ll be battling to encourage, motivate and empower people to be the best that they can be. Sometimes it takes week’s other times you’ve got to wait longer. The Resident Can only be helped once they are ready themselves to accept help. |
| Tolerence | To be able to tolerate high pace. And fast moving environments. And support people with challenging and difficult behaviours. To understand your limits and speak with managers or supervisor when feeling “burnt out.” So the organization can help you recharge. |
| Adaptablity | To be able to adapt to ever changing guidelines and policies. And to adapt to challenging behaviours and how to handle them, |
Ethics For The Care Industry
Any Provider enrolled on the Better Care Foundation Must Follow the follow Ethics in all Health And Social Care Services They Provide. . or they will be un-enrolled off the program.
| Ethics | Comment |
|---|---|
| Providers should not take part in Profiteering | if you’ve become a care provider for the sole goal to profit, then you’re in the wrong industry… your business should profit and flourish, but you should reinvest the money to build up their service and provide room fo other placements. – Profiteering and gambling on other people’s misfortunes and lives is wrong. |
| Placement Moves should not be made for financial reasons. | a lot of placement moves are made for “Financial Reasons” and cost cutting. But this can sometimes negatively affects the resident. if the move is not confirmed by the resident and they give valid reasons to why the placement should not be moved. Then this should be highly considered. And where possible, the move should not happen. |
| all residents should have access to their records easily and on demand. | at the moment. They scattered records from Local Authority Records and Provider records. and other professional service related to the individual’s care and its only recently people in the Social Care Industry have started truly going digital. – the future |
| Clear Paths should be provided to allow residents. so they know what is expected of them. | no resident should be left not knowing what is expected from them. or what they should expect from us. Within the 1st week all rules and expectations should be layed out. and residents should know what the local authority needs for them to progress |
| To Stop Using Words Like “Service User”, “Young Person”, And “Client” | I’ve always found these terms offensive. Being called a Service User Or Client means that your part of a product. And Young Person makes no sense because we are educating you to become an independent Adult. and Young Person can be seen to some as patronizing. |
| To Provide Great Care | Each Service should provide the best care possible. And staff should be inline with the care foundation ethics. |
| To Train And Develop Workers as well as pay them a rate that will be more attractive and / or benefits. | to get great care, you need great workers. And there are plenty of them. But sadly, they are far and few apart. When a provider struggles to get new quality applicants. They should find the best match in personality and then nurture them into the role. When a provider struggles to keep staff. They should look into why that is. Is the job offer not attractive? No work life balance? Whatever the reason, it’s critical to work out why. The Provider should make adequate measures to insure all services are sufficiently staffed. With quality employees. Otherwise, you can not provide the care needed. |
| Staff Should Be Better Trained, Better Equipped, and Better paid. | Staff whom are better equipped and educated will both be able to provide better care, but they should also reward staff with education related perks or increases to wages. And making sure you can offer |
Aims for the Better Care Foundation
we’ve highlighted the issues now its time to highlight the main goals
Right To Information
All residents currently have the rights to access their data. But via difficult processes. With the better care foundation, there should be an outlined process. That is universal throughout services. all data on residents should be accessible and produced within 14days
Providing Simple Plan for residents to know how to become discharged
Sadly so many people we have worked with have pushed us away. they either think they don’t need the care. or don’t see the reasons for the Key working and Independence Skills sessions that we hold.
All Residents should Know the following things within 1 week of admission
- Why? – so the resident knows why they have been put into our care
- Rules / Expectations. – Residents should know the rules and expectations both from other residents and care providers. they should be explained the service goals. And our intentions as a care provider. And the support / care we can offer them.
- Gaining Independence. And Transitioning Out of care. – All Residents should know how to transition into independence. And should be given equal potential to complete the Local Authorities’ Independence Skills. Or to be enrolled onto a course (Future Offering of The Better Care Foundation) they should then be provided support to get their own property
To Focus On Service Performance Instead of focusing on growing your service
The biggest issue I see is care providers trying to scale too quick. Yes, there is a massive downfall of open cases needing to be referred into your service. If your first gig is not performing solidly and independently of yourself. You won’t have the time or resources to proceed to making your next services as perfect as the others.
By Scaling up too quick you are hurting your staff, service and residents. you’re overworking them because of staffing issues, which then effects the care given to the residents. You will end up with multiple houses and each one working independently from another or mismanaged / you end up with a service that is causing more issues. Then it is solving them.
The best method, therefore is to work on one service / Home at a time. Work on perfecting your polices and decision-making strategies. Make sure your paperwork is up to date. And all staff know how to fill it in, and when. Make sure your staff and managers don’t need to rely on you anymore. And at this point your able to move onto the next service.
Although its is in development. The Better Care Foundation will be able to provide you the provider with this information and help you to easily put these tested procedures and frameworks into your service. allowing you to scale up faster without causing yourself even more issues.
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