Winter’s on Its Way — Here’s How to Prepare
Health and social care services face unique challenges at this time of year. But there’s a few things you can do to keep your business running smoothly through the winter.
Now the clocks have gone back and the nights are drawing in, it’s time for services to dust off and update their winter action plans in preparation for the extra pressures this season brings.
A good winter action plan will not only prepare you for the predictable pressures — like juggling holiday rotas — but also help you cope with less foreseeable obstacles, like extreme weather and disease outbreaks.
It’s never too early to start planning for winter. NHS England published its 2023/24 winter plan even earlier than usual this year. Meanwhile, the CQC is working to help providers focus their efforts to protect the most “cold-sensitive” aspects of their service.
Health & Safety
Winter affects all businesses, but the best way to prepare depends on the type of service you’re running. For care homes and residential services, your premises will need to be fully equipped for the weather. Make sure you have arrangements in place for gritting and slip-proofing your parking areas and outdoor walkways. Check that all radiators and heating elements are working, and that trusted handymen or repair workers are reachable in case of a failure.
For domiciliary/home care services, you have fewer responsibilities for premises maintenance, but you must be ready to help service users prepare their own homes for winter if necessary, and also respond to any emergencies they face in or out of the home, such as burst pipes or falls.
Remember that older and disabled people are often at greater risk of various winter-related health and safety issues, from slipping on icy ground, to hypothermia, to seasonal depression. Some people may also be less able to recognise that they are suffering or at risk.
Make sure all your staff know how to identify and respond to these issues in service users, and refresh their training if needed.
Business Continuity
Another thing to think about is travel. In wintery conditions, your staff are likely to face disruption while commuting, transporting service users or travelling between visits. And extreme weather events could leave some staff unable to travel or visit people at all.
To prepare for this risk, review your business continuity and contingency plans and keep them updated. Think about how you will guarantee continuous care for each and every service user if their usual care workers can’t reach them. And if you have service users with varying levels of dependence, you should have a system for prioritising the individuals most in need of care. A RAG (Red, Amber, Green) or “traffic light” rating scale is one common method.
High Demand
The holiday season is one of joy, but also of great pressure on the health and social care sector. Most services can expect a rush of people being discharged from hospital in time for the holidays, and it’s normal for services to restrict staff leave over this period to deal with the heightened demand.
Creative scheduling may be required, for example, letting staff work half-shifts so they can spend time with their loved ones. Public transport may be limited on Christmas Day, and the bank holidays will have Sunday services, so some staff will need alternative commuting and working arrangements. You should discuss holiday plans and procedures with your workforce ahead of time, to ensure you have adequate staffing levels throughout December and into the New Year.
Local services and agencies may find it helpful to work together and make plans for mutual assistance and multi-agency working in times of high stress. Your Local Authority will have an official Social Care Winter Plan on their website or available upon request — have a look at yours and aim to follow any recommendations it makes.
Policies and Procedures
If you want to stay compliant over the winter months, ClouDoc can help. With a full range of up-to-date, personalised policies on everything from Winter Weather to Business Continuity Planning to Heating Inspection and Maintenance, you’ll have all the documents you need to keep your care service running like clockwork.
For more information, call us on 0330 808 0050 or email support@cloudoc.co.uk.
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