HC-One

Ojuolape Ope Olufowobi

Ojuolape Onaopemipo Olufowobi is a registered adult care nurse with the Nursing and Midwifery Council UK. She holds a master’s degree in Mental Health: Psychological Therapies from Queen Mary University of London. Currently, she serves as a Clinical Services Manager at Hc-One, where she has been working since 2020, initially as an Adult Health Nurse.

Ojuolape has spoken on various platforms, including the National World Suicide Prevention 2020 Health Webinar for Media Practitioners and Pregnancy Lounge Nigeria. She was also part of the Coalition of Psychologists and Psychiatrists that supported victims and families affected by the Ita-Faji building collapse in 2019

Passionate about mental wellness, Ojuolape encourages people to remain genuinely and intentionally happy throughout life. In her spare time, she volunteers as a therapist (currently on hiatus) with the Mentally Aware Nigeria Initiative (MANI).

Role of Clinical Practice Management in Enhancing Care Home Quality

The term Care Home denotes any setting where round-the-clock support is given to people; (statistically older adults) either for a long or short period (i.e. respite care) of time. The NHS identifies two types of care homes; Residential homes which provide support for residents who can still manage their activities of daily living to some extent and Nursing homes, which can be seen as an umbrella term for all kinds of ongoing nursing care, ranging from the care of Dementia to severe Physical or Learning Disabilities.

The care home aims to support daily living activities for people who cannot do so themselves and the keyword remains ever relevant: caring.

The role of Clinical Practice Management is significant and pivotal in determining how effective and efficient the care given at a home, is. It adheres to clinical practice guidelines for social care or The Fundamental Standards which in the UK, are set by the Care Quality Commission (CQC). Without this input, there is a lack of direction, contravention of set standards of care in the country and an increase in the debilitation of the physical, mental and social well-being of the residents. The Clinical Services Manager usually has a background in clinical health, such as nursing or healthcare management. This is an advantage in improving the quality of nursing homes, according to a study done in 2010 on Clinical Practice in Nursing Homes as a Key to Progress.

In the UK, CQC uses the Single Assessment Framework to measure the quality and performance of nursing homes. This framework begs 5 questions in response to the guidelines given: Is the care home in question; Safe, Caring, Effective, Responsive to people's needs and Well-led? Properly utilizing Clinical Practice Management (CPM) confidently ensures that these questions are answered correctly in the home and that the care home need not panic for fear of not being up to par, regardless of whether there is a pending CQC assessment or not. Proper Clinical Practice Management forms the backbone and structure of effective care. It ensures that there is a system of safe and proactive clinical care being provided by every member of the team (Care, Wellbeing, Kitchen, Management and even Housekeeping) to every resident in the home. 

It further integrates the community and external professionals in delivering holistic care to the residents. CPM chooses to not only look at establishing a quality of care but also continuing in it.

In the nursing home, The Clinical Practice Manager assesses plans, implements and evaluates the care provided, using an individualistic approach to promote dignity and integrity. A key aspect of this duty is also being proactive, anticipating the possible detriments to health that may be experienced and liaising with the nursing and care staff to manage its effects. Research and Continuous Quality Improvement are also key factors in ensuring the continuation of quality healthcare provided. One guaranteed way of getting great feedback and ensuring maintained progress is through routine assessments by the regulatory bodies that set the standards by which the home is run; i.e. the CQC in the UK, the Care Inspectorate Scotland in Scotland, the Care Inspectorate Wales in Wales, European Association for Directors and Providers of Long-Term Care Services for the Elderly (E.D.E.) for care homes in Europe and French Social Action and Family Code (CASF) in France.

Improving Clinical Practice Management in Care Homes

Evaluation is an often overlooked aspect of any management care plan but is just as important as any other step in planning care. It is important for the care provided to the residents, to be evaluated

regularly. This should be carried out by the care team, GP, Social worker, Pharmacist and Well-being or Lifestyle Coordinator as well as other significant members of the resident’s sphere of care. Putting this in place will help to provide evidence-based results of what works and what does not. It helps to highlight what areas of care are being neglected, possible helpful collaborations between more than one standard of care and reports on the effectiveness of the service provided. Input from residents, their families and care staff, as well as the outcome of a CQC inspection all serve as data in determining if the care home is on the right track and what could be done to make its services better.

Although Clinical care has an individualistic approach, clinical guidelines do not. They are evidence-based, culled from a large systematic review of studies conducted and also from experts in the field who have tried and tested these results. To ensure effective and efficient care in the care home, the management team must adhere to clinical practice guidelines best suited to the kind of care being offered. They must learn to provide care using the clinical recommendations as a template.

A care home aims to, before making money or being established as a business, provide care and support for people who are unable to do so independently. Improving Clinical Practice Management in care homes will ensure that the best use of resources, expert recommendation as well as evaluation, brings this goal to reality.