Research shows that successful care homes are learning organisations: they strive continuously to meet standards of quality and best practice through learning and development. We know that Managers play a central role both strategically and operationally in making this happen and owners provide the enabling framework and support.

We also know that successful health and social care providers systematically monitor and evaluate performance against specified measurable standards as an effective way of identifying learning needs, and recognise that meeting these learning needs is a powerful means of achieving continuous quality improvement (QI). Marrying work-based learning together with continuous QI that involves the user and their families provides evidence that the person is at the heart of the organisation. It is fundamental to driving the sector forwards and helping more homes to achieve excellence and CQC Outstanding ratings along the way.

It is crucially important that Service Providers are able to demonstrate fulfilment of person centred organisational objectives. Owners, managers and staff at all levels in the organisation need to be committed to this objective. Success is dependent on:

management providing leadership

direction and support for staff

continuous involvement with the person and their close family/ friends in decisions about the person’s health and welfare

In this way, relationship activated person centred care becomes embedded in the culture and life of the care setting. This can be achieved through the Elizabeth Care® education and the adoption implementation of the 360 Standard Framework® outcome standards, providing guidance and a means of measuring the things that matter most for a ‘good resident experience’.

Effective work based learning can be embedded and drive exponential improvements and staff engagement in learning new ways of thinking, with demonstrable new skills and behaviours.

For the person and their close family/friends, the organisation’s adoption of this framework demonstrates their commitment to understanding their world of relationships, good care and community life in the Home or other care setting for themselves and the wider public.