Partnership in Health and Social Care

Task 1

1.1 Philosophies of working in partnership in health and social care

Health and social care, being a service oriented industry, requires to understand the importance of collaborative working style within its working culture. Since, the industry comprise of multiple stakeholders, therefore it is crucial for it to work in harmony and interaction with each other if has to sustain its prosperity and growth in long run. Working in partnership refer to the complex network of connection between wide range of bodies and encompasses within its ambit planning, commissioning, contracting, staff development, monitoring, controlling, learning and working with users and developers. The main ingredients required for working in partnership comprise of communication, cooperation and collaboration. The stakeholders within the health and social care industry comprise of doctors, nurses, financiers, medical agencies, insurance agencies, caretakers, ward boys and the personal attendants. These stakeholders persists from different sections and strata of society having different mind sets, cultures, beliefs and values. Hence, having regard to the nature of the industry to which they belong, it is essential for them to inculcate within them the spirit of working in collaboration and cooperation to achieve the objective of serving the patients with the best and the quality facility (Wilson and Yoshikawa, 2007). Financiers are the sources which provides funds for undertaking the operations of serving the needy people in the society. Thus they need to maintain close communication with the doctors who are ultimately going to get in direct contact with the people deserving special attention in context of health and care. Likewise, doctors cannot take the whole and sole responsibility of treating as well attending patients in their work load. Therefore, they need to take help of nurses, care takers, ward boys to assist them in the auxiliary functions in order to provide the patients with desirable medications and the health facilities. Likewise, medical institutions have tie ups with medical agencies, insurance agencies where to they refer their patients to procure their prescriptions, receives payments in respect of the insured patients. One can therefore understand the importance of working in mutuality if proper services are to be assured to the patients.

1.2 Evaluate partnership relationships with health and social care services

A partnership relationship between health and social care services comprise of relationships between financiers, doctors, nurses, personal attendants, ward boys, medical agencies, insurance agencies and certain other agencies which forms an integral part of the health and social care industry. None of these bodies can work effectively in isolation from each other and have to rely on others for yielding the effective outcome. Any mismatch in their understanding, lack of coordination and non-cooperation can be a serious detriment to the flourishing of the health and service care industry.

Since, the doctors have to deal with a variety of patients coming with different family backgrounds, financial status, culture, and beliefs, therefore, they are expected to possess the essential characteristics of patience which enables them to deal with their clients effectively and empathize from their view point. Doctors who are open in communication with their patients are in far better position to understand the problems and difficulties encountered by their patients and render them with the required treatments (Munn-Giddings and winter, 2013). This could become possible only when patients feel free to interact with the doctors and are are given an environment where they could communicate their problems without any hesitation. Doctors shall not be biased while treating their patients and shall give fair and equitable treatment to each of its patients. Simultaneously, doctors shall emphasize on maintaining effective relationships with its supporting staff such as nurses, caretakers, etc. which is an essence to facilitate the smooth functioning of the concerned industry. They need to remain in consistent touch with each other to ensure proper follow up on the health and the safety of their respective clients. Further, effective communication skills are required to enable the proper comprehension of what each of them wants to communicate to the other (Lee-Kelley and Sankey, 2008). Any lack of coordination can be a cause of the bad and adverse health of the patients thereby impugning the image of the overall industry. Further, the good communication skills of the staff enables them to secure respect from their colleagues thereby resulting in the peaceful and the harmonious environment offering mental peace to the patients The flow of work is likely to get adversely hampered due to any hardships being faced within the relations of the doctors and his supporting staff.

Now, within the basket of relationships, the next important relationship comes of hospital's supporting staff and the patients. The patients are left under the assistance of nurses, caretakers etc. while the doctors are busy attending other patients. Therefore, the concerned staff shall take due care that patients are being due care and all their requirements have been taken proper care of. Any rudeness or harsh behaviour on part of the staff have the potential of creating a negative imprint about the overall industry in the minds of the respective audience (Poteete, Janssen and Ostrom, 2010). However, at the same time, it is also desirable on part of patients to give equal respect and fair treatment to their doctors, attendants, and other staff working within the hospitals in order to render a hospitable working environment. Relationships between hospitals and insurance and medical agencies also play a significant role in ensuring the smooth and effective functioning of these industries in order to ensure timely receipts and payments, provision of medics.

Task 2

2.1 Models of partnership across health and service industry

As per Case, it can be seen that a mental health team have recently become a part of a mental health trust so it can be said that the mental health team is following partnership of Multi-Agency. In this partnership, different organizations work together which have same goals and objectives (Chen and Chen, 2007). All people that are included in both organizations, work together for same purpose. In this, same purpose of organization is to help mental health patients so that they can stand on their fields and can live a better life. It allows organizations to treat patients with utmost care and speciality.

There are different types of models that can easily be used to promote partnership in health and social care and in most appropriate manner. These models help organization to do their task by collaborating with each other which provides benefits for both parties. Some models that can easily be used to deal with different health issues are-

Coalition Model- According to this model, there are people with different professions like medical staff, doctors, nurses and they all can be assisted properly in developing a team in order to provide proper treatments to all patients so that they can recovers in best possible ways in hospitals. Management can easily develop different groups and teams that are highly effective in managing all organization functions and also the treatments procedures. It will also allow them to make better relations with the employees and other people that are associated with organizations.

Unified Model- It is also one of the best model that has been developed by combining different types of principles, values and practices that are directly or indirectly associated with various rules of management. It is advised to management that working together will allow them to provide better results.

Hybrid Models- This particular model has been developed by merging different types of principle which are related to both unified and coalition model. According to this particular model, extra care should be given to different processes that are used in treatment of patients that are suffering from different kinds of diseases. One of the main aim of applying this particular model is to provide better treatment and enhancing the efficiency of different type’s procedures that are used in treating patients (Mika, 2007). It is one of the best method which is used to develop partnerships and also increases coordination among different workers of hospitals.

Task 3

3.1 Possible outcomes of partnership working

Outcomes of working in partnership refer to the consequences of undertaking the work in collaboration with other entities. Working in partnership facilitates the accomplishment of task in a cordial and disciplinary manner while avoiding the chaos and disorder in the discharge of the functions. Being a service-oriented industry, working in partnership plays a major role to facilitate the fruitful performance of this industry. Effective communication between the concerned stakeholders improves the synchronization of their work flows and aids to the smooth functioning of the entire health and social care industry (Lymbery, 2006). Cordial relationships between the doctors and the supporting staff enables them to communicate effectively, discuss and resolve their misunderstandings harmoniously and ensure the smooth flow of work. Likewise, maintenance of the cordial relationships between the patients and the doctors, nurses, caretakers enables them to empathize from each other’s view point and come out with the suitable remedial courses of action that are relevant as per the prevalent circumstances. Maintaining friendly relationships with the financiers enables the health care organizations to get relieved of the trouble to frequently identify new sources of funding to finance their operations. Smooth relationships between the health care organizations and the medical and insurance agencies facilitates the effective provisioning of services for their patients as well as eases the payment and receipts of the amount incurred on the treatment and the maintenance of the patients. The ultimate outcome of all these relationships is an impact on the quality of the services being provided by the health and the social care industry (Anderson and Gehart, 2012)). Harmonious and cordial relationships will enable the work to flow in a smooth and efficient manner and create a positive image of the industry in the mind of the users of its services through the deliver of better services and better treatment of its customers.

Sample on Managing Quality in Health and Social Care

3.2 Devise strategies to improve outcomes for partnership working

Health care and service industry accumulates people and the entities pertaining to the different strata and the sections of the society. A lot of behavioural as well as the cultural differences are likely to act as major hindrance in the the smooth functioning of this industry. In the case given in the assigned unit, Mrs M has been discharged from the hospital and is currently being maintained at home. Joe, the care manager of Mrs M, has completed all the assessments and the paper formalities and all the funding has been approved (Hakala, 2008). However, the health condition of Mrs M is such that it warrants permanent nursing placement. But as per the prevailing circumstances, there were no beds available within the social service contracted homes falling within 40 miles radius (Scheppers and et al.2006).). Though one of the beds was available in the private nursing homes but its charges were way too beyond the charges charged by the social service contracted homes. Joe made all necessary efforts to persuade the family of the patient to get her admitted in the said nursing home but could not succeed in convincing them. The consequences were Mrs M was being kept at home and was being regularly followed up by the district nurses. This caused inconvenience for the family member of the patient which was properly being empathized by the nurses. But the nurses had no other option. The family members of Mrs M blamed Joe for causing inconvenience. The nurses reported the matter to the community health partnership unit and claimed that the reasons for chaos had remained the miscommunication and the lack of understanding on how to serve the health conditions of Mrs M (Goodwin and et al.2012)). Therefore, one can infer from the facts enumerated in the assigned case that how the lack of communication and co-ordination can adversely impact the relationships between different entities thereby causing a serious detriment to the image and the reputation of the entire industry.

3.3 Devise strategies to improve outcomes for partnership working

Collaborative working is essential to ensure the smooth flow of work within the overall health and social care industry. Since it is primarily a service-oriented industry dealing with the health and the care of the patients, therefore, it is essential for it lay emphasis on the means through which it can improvize the relationships with the entities that serves as the major constituents for the success of such industry. Financiers, doctors, patients, attendants have to understand the perspectives of each other, how they operate and what are the factors that affect their preferences while selecting an organization for financing and utilizing the services (Dickinson, 2006). The behaviour and the operations of each other shall be governed by the performance and the viewpoints of each other in order to assure the smooth functioning of each entities. Some of the effective ways through which the working in partnership can be improved between different entities are described as follows:

Communication- It is a main factor that facilitates effective interaction between each other. The doctors, patients, attendants shall work on their communication skills to enable them to understand each others view point carefully (Krasnopolsky and Fox-Rabinovitz, 2006). Effective communication reduces the scope of conflicts and results in a friendly and peaceful environment thereby giving better quality services to its patients.

Sharing of Thoughts and Ideas- Each entity within the health and social care industry shall feel free to share their thoughts and ideas to provide others with the relevant information that could aid them in the performance and discharge of their functions.

Empathize- Doctors and the attendants must possess an attribute of empathizing from the view points of the patients. This would enable them to better understand the problems faced by their patients and accordingly render the treatment without making them feeling the pain of undergoing such treatment.

Behavioral Education- The spread of such education among the staff of the health and social care industry can have significant impact on the way of working with the others within their organization.

Conclusion

The discussion undertaken in the above paragraphs throws light on the importance of working in partnership within the health and social care industry. It reveals the significance of working in collaboration between different entities to ensure the smooth functioning of the concerned industry. A case has been sighted that discloses the impact of lack of proper communication and cooperation between the clients and the doctor leaving the family members of the patient in a chaotic and inconvenient situation. The ultimate consequences of such problems is the defamation of the overall industry as a result of misdeeds of the certain constituents comprised within such industry. Accordingly, certain ways are recommended in the concluding paragraph that could be implemented by the stakeholders within their working culture in order to ensure the better provision of the services to the concerned users being the patients suffering from certain mental and physical illness.

References

• Dickinson, H., 2006. The evaluation of health and social care partnerships: an analysis of approaches and synthesis for the future. Health & social care in the community.
• Goodwin, N. and et al., 2012. Integrated care for patients and populations: Improving outcomes by working together. Kings fund
• Scheppers, E. and et al., 2006. Potential barriers to the use of health services among ethnic minorities: a review. Family practice.
• Lymbery, M. (2006). United we stand? Partnership working in health and social care and the role of social work in services for older people. British Journal of Social Work.

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Sample assignment on Partnership Philosophies for Health Care Services.

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