Running a care business is uniquely challenging. For it to work well and for you to be able to step back from its day-to-day running and be the leader it needs, systematisation is essential.
Beyond the typical business concerns, you’re responsible for the well-being and comfort of your clients, which demands a high level of care, consistency, and empathy.
And no doubt, you often find yourself deeply involved in the daily operations, sorting out the myriad of issues that can land on your desk, answering questions and giving guidance and resolving conflicts.
All the daily distractions make it difficult to focus on the long-term health and sustainability of your care business and your own personal growth. This is where systemising your care business becomes essential.
By implementing structured processes and systems, you can create a more efficient, reliable, and compassionate environment for your clients while empowering yourself to become a better leader.
The Benefits of Systemising Your Care business
Consistent Quality of Care
Systemising your operations ensures that every resident or client receives the same high standard of care, regardless of who is on duty. Standard operating procedures (SOPs) for daily routines, medication administration, and emergency response create a consistent and safe environment for clients.
To help reduce mistakes and improve the way tasks were learned and carried out, create process flows. A drawn process, showing how something should be carried out, is much easier to teach, learn, understand and remember than describing it in a policy and procedures document.
For example, below is a task for bathing a client using a hoist. At first glance it may look over complicated but what’s key here is that the process flow includes how and when the carer should speak to the client to make them aware of what is going to happen and to check that they are ok and comfortable.
We created many process flows like this one for our sister company’s nursing homes and have used the same technique to help other providers systemise the key tasks of their teams.
Training new people becomes more straightforward as each new person receives a manual of process flows, which shows them, step-by-step, all the things they needed to know.
Improved Efficiency
Efficient systems streamline operations, reducing time spent on repetitive tasks and minimizing errors. Automation tools and checklists can help staff manage their responsibilities more effectively and efficiently.
For example, an effective care planning or rota tool can ensure nurses and care managers spend less time at their desk and more time with clients.
This applies to office staff too. I’ve talked about the importance of knowing your costs and keeping on top of spend. Our care homes use a tool called the Running Cost Calculator for this task.
But the tool alone isn’t enough, you need a process for using it. Our office person responsible for keeping the tool up to date, spends about half-an-hour a day updating the tool for each care home. This way the task doesn’t become onerous and the information is accurate so that overspends can be spotted quickly.
We also vastly improved how long it took payroll to be processed. Using Excel spreadsheets for rotas and to automatically calculate how much to pay each hourly rate member of staff, the process reduced from a few days (when paper-based rotas and manual calculations was the name of the game) for each care home to an hour in total.
Enhanced Compliance
Care homes must adhere to numerous regulations and standards. Systematic processes ensure compliance with legal requirements and industry standards, reducing the risk of violations and ensuring high-quality care.
For example, our quality audit processes – from checking the quality of care plans to medication audits to checking the cyber security of the homes – are carried out quarterly. These regular tasks not only ensure the homes run efficiently and effectively but also ensure compliance.
Better Staff Training and Retention
Clear, documented procedures make it easier to train and mentor new staff and ensure they are quickly up to speed.
An effective training management tool – and system for keeping it up to date and checking – will also ensure that your staff receive the training they need to perform their job well and be compliant.
Managing training used to be a huge challenge and many staff members were long overdue required training. I created an Excel-based training management tool which has been used in-house for years and which has successfully made sure staff receive the required training when needed.
It does this by automatically calculating the next time a particular training session is required – whether that is a year or three years down the line – and cells change colour as training dates are looming and arrive or (rarely) are overdue.
I intend to create an online version of this tool for all care providers so watch this space if this is of interest to you.
This consistency in training improves staff confidence and performance, which can lead to higher job satisfaction and lower turnover rates.
Data-Driven Decisions
Systemising includes the use of management software that provides objective information to help make informed decisions and identify areas for improvement.
For example, as well as using the Running Cost Calculator to control spend, the payroll system to automate wage calculations and the training management tool I mentioned above, our homes use other tools for client and staff management and to ensure they are financially healthy, such as a tool called the Care Fee Calculator to accurately calculate the cost of caring for each individual person.
This tool provides an individual care fee that is so detailed and easily justified that the LAs and ICBs they service struggle to challenge them and the homes receive the fees they need.
How Systemising Empowers You as a Leader
• Frees Up Time for Strategic Planning: When daily operations are running smoothly through well-defined systems, you can focus on long-term strategic planning. This might include expanding services, improving facilities, or developing new programs to enhance resident well-being.
• Effective Delegation: With clear systems in place, you can delegate tasks with confidence. Your staff will know exactly what is expected of them and how to perform their duties, allowing you to step back from micromanaging and focus on leadership.
• Focus on Leadership Development: Freed from the minutiae of daily operations, you can invest time in developing your leadership skills. This could involve leadership training, networking with other industry leaders, or exploring new care models and innovations.
• Enhanced Work-Life Balance: Systemising your care home operations can lead to a better work-life balance. Knowing that your business can operate effectively without your constant oversight allows you to take breaks, pursue personal interests, and spend time with loved ones. A well-rested and fulfilled leader is more effective and inspiring.
• Proactive Problem-Solving: With reliable systems in place, you can anticipate and address potential issues before they escalate. This proactive approach minimizes disruptions and ensures that your care home runs smoothly, even in challenging situations.
You should have a Business Continuity Plan in place that helps you identify potential risks and threats so you can either eliminate them or mitigate their probability or impact or both should one occur.
We have put together a BCP Pack which gives you a template BCP document that includes all the steps and documents needed to manage an incident, a Risk Analysis tool, a Cyber Security Audit tool and training – worth a check.
Conclusion
Systemising your care business is a transformative step towards providing consistent, high-quality care while also empowering yourself as a leader.
By implementing structured processes, you can ensure that your clients receive the best possible care, improve staff efficiency and satisfaction, and maintain compliance with industry standards.
Moreover, stepping back from the daily grind allows you to focus on strategic growth and personal development, ultimately leading to a more successful and fulfilling career.
Embrace the power of systems to create a thriving organisation where clients, staff, and leaders can all flourish.
In the next post I’ll take you through the key steps to systemising your care business.
