Spring 2019
A Message from Wendy Ladd
Further to my words in the last newsletter, I am writing this time with two ‘hats’ on. I have continued my role as Assessment and Quality Lead, and in January the FOM appointed me to an additional role as Interim Clinical Lead for SEQOHS. Dr Rob Hardman has now taken up his role with FOM as Director of Quality Improvement and Accreditation. In this role he will continue to support and direct the work of the SEQOHS scheme. We both, of course, also continue with our clinical OH roles.
The last few months have seen continued development of the scheme and more opportunities to engage with the wider OH community. It has been lovely meeting some of you at conferences and other networking events.
Recent Publications
I believe this to be exciting times generally for Occupational Health, with the recent publication of ‘Talking Work - A guide for Doctors discussing work and work modifications with patients’ developed by Dr Devdeep Ahuja, PhD and the Council for Work and Health on behalf of the Work and Health Unit.
We have also just seen the launch of the 2019 ‘Healthcare Professionals' Consensus Statement for Action Statement for Health and Work’ formulated through an alliance between the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges, the Royal College of Nursing and the Allied Health Professionals Federation. In which all healthcare professionals are encouraged to advance the concept of, ‘good work as a health outcome’ across the health and care sector.
For this to be achieved, OH needs to play a vital role, and in my opinion, being able to demonstrate the delivery of a safe, effective and quality OH service is vital; as you know SEQOHS accreditation is the formal recognition that an occupational health service provider has demonstrated that it has the competence to deliver against the measures in the SEQOHS standards.
Knowledge Management System (KMS)
I would like to take this opportunity to remind you of the various guidance documents now available on the knowledge management system (KMS). I have now completed the guidance for each standard, and also created some templates to assist with demonstrating compliance under domains C and D. The templates now available include a staff matrix, which incorporates registration renewal dates, indemnity renewal dates, as well as dates for training, audits and appraisal. Additionally there is an equipment log template and a basic document management log. The intention is that OH services can use and adapt these if they wish, but of course they are not mandatory.
Training Days
SEQOHS will be holding 'SEQOHS accreditation training days' for services throughout the year. These 1-day events are specifically designed to assist services in preparing their teams for the submission of evidence ahead of their SEQOHS assessment. During the training day, a team of SEQOHS lead assessors will discuss the key areas that units find challenging and explain how they can overcome these issues. Click here for more information on our training days.
We have continued to receive very positive feedback following our training events; stage A which aims to help services prepare their documentation, ensuring they are working in line with the standards, with a view to making the assessment stage easier as they will have things already in place to meet the standards. Whereas stage B training, is aimed at what evidence you will need to provide demonstrating you are compliant with the standards in order to be awarded accreditation. It also goes into more detail about the assessment process, timelines and a webtool demonstration.
Both of these training events are eligible for CPD points, so stage A particularly can be helpful as a refresher or for new members of the OH team.
Wendy Ladd RGN SCPHN (OH)
Assessment and Quality Lead / Interim Clinical Lead for SEQOHS
Joint communication from FOM and RCP:
SEQOHS relocates to Greenwich
Since the launch of the SEQOHS Accreditation Scheme in 2010, the RCP has successfully delivered and developed the Scheme on behalf of the Faculty of Occupational Medicine, with both organisations working in partnership to raise standards. The FOM is a faculty of the RCP, so a close relationship continues between both organisations. However, from 1stJuly 2019 the running of SEQOHS will no longer be outsourced to the RCP but will be brought in-house to the FOM’s new premises in Greenwich which also provides on-site training facilities.
The relocation is being carefully managed by both the RCP and the FOM, so there will be business continuity and you should not experience disruption to services.
Following the relocation, the FOM will work with key stakeholders to review governance arrangements, to ensure that SEQOHS remains highly beneficial and relevant, and to develop SEQOHS for the future.
Thank you for recognising the value that SEQOHS brings. We shall be contacting you later in the year to seek your views about future developments.
Assessors
Lovely to see you all at the ARD’s; it was great to see so much information sharing. I find it so interesting that we continue to see evidence of unsafe practice, but equally reassured how these services remain engaged and show absolute determination to continue the quality improvement journey to SEQOHS accreditation.
Sometimes I do hear people wondering ‘why SEQOHS’, and I am pleased to be able to share my views; the positivity felt through whole OH teams when accreditation is awarded, the appreciation of services throughout the assessment process including the knowledge our assessors can share, the realisation that the journey, albeit sometimes arduous, has been worthwhile. Then through to those who have initially not been able to meet the standards, and where we have had to raise some safety concerns, but again their positivity and further engagement to rectify those matters is so encouraging.
I would like to remind you of the various guidance documents now available on the KMS; I have now completed the guidance for each standard, and also created some templates to assist with demonstrating compliance under domains C and D. The templates now available include a staff matrix, which incorporates registration renewal dates, indemnity renewal dates, as well as dates for training, audits and appraisal. Additionally there is an equipment log template and a basic document management log. The intention is that OH services can use and adapt these if they wish, but of course they are not mandatory, so please do point services towards them if you feel they need some further guidance with a particular standard.
The office move into FOM is fast approaching and we are working hard for it to be a seamless process. You should by now have received your new contracts, which you will see, the terms will be transferred to FOM by means of innovation. Any questions please do not hesitate to ask. Meanwhile we will ensure other practical measures are in place.
SEQOHS in Numbers - Spring 2019
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20 Assessment visits carried out
11 Accreditations awarded - all reaccreditations
5 Services deferred - all reaccreditations
45 Annual renewals completed
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