Case Scenario – London Nursing Home

You have recently been appointed as Human Resources Officer at London Nursing Home located in central London. During the first formal meeting with the Board of Directors you were told about the recent expansion of the nursing home by your HR Director.

You were also informed about the various problems that London Nursing Home (LNH) has been experiencing, such as the high rate of employee turnover (caused by low pay, poor working conditions, long hours, not enough benefits, fixed/inflexible contracts, inadequate salaries, recruitment based on favouritism, etc.). Moreover, complaints from residents and families about the quality of care, and staff errors due to insufficient knowledge or application of clinical care standards and protocols; lack of guidelines; inadequate supervision compromise the safety and efficiency of care.

The HR Director is under pressure to increase staff retention in order to reduce future training and recruitment costs. She believes that the current recruitment and selection policies of London Nursing Home are partly responsible for the turnover problem.

The HR Director also suggested that care workers’ performance, satisfaction and commitment to the organisation depend on collaborative team-working. She mentioned that staff members were often blamed for not communicating important messages to one another whilst on shift, not handing over effectively at the end of their shift, and coming to work “just to do their shift and go home.”

As part of your job, you are required to ensure that recruitment planning and selection approaches are used effectively and that the relevant legislative and policy frameworks are implemented during this process. Moreover, you must prepare a comprehensive and appropriate Performance Evaluation Plan for all of employees working at London Nursing Home; besides, you should make some recommendations on the types of training nursing staff may require considering their current level of competence and future work/development requirements. At the end of the training(s), employees will acquire the knowledge and skills to apply the core standards set by the Care Quality Commission.

You have been asked by the HR Director to arrange a training session for the care staff. You will focus on techniques and leadership skills that you have used and applied over time in managing and leading people at a workplace, which they can apply to their roles. Your training session also needs to educate them about the relevance and application of different leadership theories in leading people and managing relationships with peers and subordinates.

Finally, make them aware how you have been continuously updating your knowledge and developing yourself throughout, and what the benefits of ‘investing in yourself’ were.

A grand party would be organized by your HR director praising all your hard work and achievements you would have accomplished in a short span of time working at London Nursing Home.

More information can be accessed from the following websites:

www.CQC.org.uk, www.Legislation.gov.uk, www.ACAS.org.uk, www.CIPD.co.uk

www.JSTOR.org, www.CareKnowledge.com

Assignment:

Based on the scenario above you are required to complete an ESSAY of 4,000 words (this is an indicative word limit). You should refer to the assessment criteria and the relevant unit content when preparing your evidence of assessment. The essay is formed of the following four sections below which relate to the learning outcomes.

Learning Outcome 1 (1.1, 1.2, 1.3)

1.1 Explain the factors that need to be considered when planning the recruitment of individuals to work at London Nursing Home

1.2 Explain how relevant legislative and policy frameworks of the home country influence the selection, recruitment and employment of individuals to work in London Nursing Home  (M1)

1.3 Evaluate the different approaches that may be used to ensure the selection of the best individuals, and make recommendations for London Nursing Home (M1 and D1)

Learning Outcome 2 (2.1, 2.2)

2.1 Explain the theories of how individuals interact in groups in relation to the types of teams that work in health and social care

2.2 Evaluate the approaches that may be used by staff at different levels to develop and promote effective team working at London Nursing Home (D1)

Learning Outcome 3 (3.1, 3.2, 3.3)

3.1 Explain the ways in which the performance of individuals working in health and social care can be appraised

3.2 Assess how individual training and development needs can be identified at London Nursing Home (D2)

3.3 Analyse the different strategies for promoting the continuing development of individuals in the health and social care workplace (D3)

Learning Outcome 4 (4.1, 4.2, 4.3)

4.1 Explain theories of leadership that apply to the health and social care workplace (D2)

4.2 Analyse how working relationships may be managed at London Nursing Home

4.3 Evaluate how your own development has been influenced by management approaches that you encountered in your own experience (D3)