United Response
Shonagh Methven
Senior Business Partner, H&S Risk
Management
shonagh.methven@unitedresponse.org.uk
www.unitedresponse.org.uk
United Response
A Person Centred Approach to
everything we do
RISK MANAGEMENT
Policy
Training
Culture of accountability
Support for staff
United Response
A real life means taking risks to
achieve, to get the things that
we want and to develop skills.
United Response
So what does this mean in reality
Tom
Dick
Harry
Tom’s Story
Tom began to work with Laura a year ago when he started
his job at a local pub
•
• Laura is Tom’s Job Coach and attended work with Tom full
time in the early stages
• Initially Laura would pick Tom up in her car and they would
drive to work together
•Tom fit in immediately at the pub and became a great asset
Tom and Laura
•Tom needed a little instruction from Laura from time to time,
but his relationships with colleagues grew quickly from
strength to strength, which meant Laura was able to begin
fading out at the work place
•Once Tom was settled into work it was time to start travel
training which was the final step to him becoming an
independent worker
Tom’s Story
Laura would meet Tom at his house and they would travel
to work together on the bus, they would do the same with
the return journey
Tom had some concerns at first and was not very
confident with the idea that eventually Laura wouldn’t be
travelling with him; his mum also had some concerns
Tom decided he would give it a go and see how he felt
Tom’s Story
• Laura travelled to work with Tom for five weeks
and every week you could see his confidence
grow
• Laura was there as a companion for Tom; Tom
led Laura at all times
• After five weeks Tom told Laura that he didn’t
need her to come with him anymore he would
like to try it by himself
• So he did and Laura met him at work
Tom’s Story
• Tom had no problems travelling independently and wondered to
himself why he was afraid in the first place
• He overcame isr fear by giving it a go
Tom says, “I am happy going to work and wearing my uniform. I
am very happy and confident about going to work on the bus by
myself”.
Tom’s Mum says, “Tom is so happy, he loves being included in
all the social activities like the Christmas party, he is one of the
gang. He has got to know the bus driver Tony and chats with
him on the way to work”.
Tom
Roebuck Pub
Going to the pub to look
around and meet staff
Starting work in
uniform
Doing all aspects of
the job, chatting with
staff and customers
Getting the bus to work.
Building friendships with
colleagues
Treating his mum and
himself to a meal in the
Pub.
Dicks story
Dick began to plan what he wanted to do in life about 10 years
ago.
One of his goals was to find a job
His first supported employment was as a volunteer in a
hospital
Then he found a job working in the laundry department 4
hours a week at a local hotel
Dick received travel training and became an independent
traveller to work.
Sadly that job came to an end when the hotel was demolished
and it took a while for Dick to find another job ……..
Dicks story
which he has now working at the local
Premiership Football Club shop.
But Dicks life isn’t all work. He has
abseiled down buildings for charity,
sailed in a training ship
a job he loves, and is now travels completely
independently.
Dicks story
He attends college where he is working
towards an NVQ in Horticulture and
enjoys studying science and learning
Spanish as well as playing football.
Sally, one of the people who supports
Dick says,
“Dick is a man who I admire greatly”
United Response
Last summer Harry,
some of his friends and
supporters decided to
climb Snowdon.
United Response
They arrived in sunny Wales on a lovely summers day
They had fun the night before the climb
They ate a hearty meal
Some folk decided to go to the summit by train
Others started the climb on foot – it started to rain as they began the
climb.
However, everyone was in good spirits
As they got higher the wind got stronger and people got a bit fed up
It was the worst weather in June for 4o years so we decided to
come back down.
We had a phone to call for help if needed and luckily we met some
climbers coming down the mountain who helped us.
United Response
Did we learn from the experience
YES
Would we plan another trip
YES
United Response
Is there a tension in balancing person
centred working with a commissioners
expectations.
We all want to live a full and healthy life
on our own terms.
Balance duty of care with support for the
life that people want to live
Balancing things Important TO and
Important FOR people
United Response
Our approach
Competent and confident staff
Talking to people, finding out what matters
TO them
Working with others to make that happen
Blame culture v culture of Accountability
United Response
Commissioners, Inspectors and Providers
must recognise that people in receipt of
services have the right, and importantly,
must be supported, to take risks in their
lives, in full recognition and expectation that
they will suffer the same setbacks and
heartaches that we all do.
United Response
Care Quality Commission
“The approach that United
Response is taking in relation to risk
management is in line with the
current Commission approach to
person centered outcomes and a
proportional approach to life skills
and independence.”
United Response
What happens when something goes
wrong?
Report
Change
Investigate
Try
Learn
United Response
Social care providers must
make explicit their encouragement of staff to explore
what’s important to the people they are paid to support,
and to take managed risks to make progress.
Make it clear in risk management policies that staff
engaged in reasonable risk taking are acting under their
employer’s instructions
Provide sincere, swift and whole hearted support for staff
when managed risk taking results in injury or harm.
….because staff working in an atmosphere of fear or a
blame culture will never be emboldened to act in such a
way
United Response
This isn’t
carte
blanche.
United Response
Our Commitment to Staff
“As part of our commitment to enabling
people we support to take planned risks
United Response, as an employer will
always support staff who have used sound
judgement and taken sensible
precautions, even if these have not been
sufficient to avert an accident or incident.”
United Response
Questions?