Student Name/ID Number 

Programme  

Pearson Higher National Diploma in Healthcare Practice (Healthcare Management) 

Unit Number and Title

Unit 23: Managing Quality in Care Environments

Academic Year 

2023/2024

Module Leader 

Unit Tutors 

Assignment Title 

Managing Quality in Care Environments

Issue Date 

Formative Submission Dates:

07/04/2024 Formative submission week 3@ 23.59 pm using formative submission link on Moodle.

28/04/2024 Formative submission week 6@ 23.59 pm using formative submission link on Moodle.

Summative Submission Date: 

19/05/2024 @ 23:59 by using the Summative submission link on the Moodle

Assessor(s)

  Adetokunbo Oyekanmi, Noel Maturlu, Buki Akilapa, Navroop Kaur

IV Name & Date:

Student name: 

Assessor name:

Issue date:

Submission date:

Submitted on:

Programme: Pearson Higher National Diploma in Healthcare Practice (Healthcare Management) 

Unit: 23: Managing Quality in Care Environments

Assignment number and title:  Managing Quality in Care Environments

Student declaration

I certify that the assignment submission is entirely my own work and I fully understand the consequences of plagiarism. I understand that making a false declaration is a form of malpractice.

Student signature:                                                                               Date:

                 Submission Format

Please note: Attach a signed and dated GBS Student Declaration form. You should not insert your work within a border. The total word count for this assignment is 3500 words, you will not be penalised for going over.

This assignment consists of two activities. 

Activity 1- Essay LO2 (1500 words)

This should be submitted as a word-processed essay document, which requires the use of headings, titles, and appropriate captions. You may also choose to include pictures, graphs, and charts where relevant to support your work.

Activity 2- Report (LO1, LO3 & LO4-2000 words)

You are required to produce a word-processed report for LO1, LO3 and LO4

Use a cover page, Title Page, and Contents page for the report.

The main body of the report should be a concise, formal business report.

Use at least 1.5 spacing and Times New Roman/ Arial font size 12.

Use headings, paragraphs, and subsections as appropriate.

Support the work with research, in-text citations, as well as statistics when relevant.

Provide a Conclusion, evaluation, and recommendation.

Use Appendices (if any)

Use the Harvard Referencing Style for in-text citations and reference lists.

LO1 Assess the impact legislation and policy has on measuring and monitoring quality of practice in health and social care.

LO2 Discuss the impact that improving quality has on different individuals in a care setting.

LO3 Explore quality improvement requirements in a care setting.

LO4 Plan and monitor improvements to quality.

Transferable skills and competencies developed

In this Managing Quality in Care Environments unit, students will cultivate transferable vocational skills aligned with key learning outcomes. They will gain a comprehensive understanding of healthcare legislation and policy, analysing their impact on quality assurance practices. Enhanced communication skills will enable them to convey complex concepts to diverse stakeholders effectively. Students will sharpen problem-solving abilities by addressing quality improvement challenges while acquiring planning and organisational skills to implement strategies for desired outcomes. Proficiency in data analysis will allow them to assess the effectiveness of quality improvement efforts, while collaboration and teamwork will be fostered through group projects. Leadership qualities will be nurtured through initiatives to enhance the quality of care. Ultimately, these skills empower students to excel in roles such as quality improvement specialists, healthcare managers, and policy analysts, contributing significantly to enhancing care delivery and improving outcomes in health and social care settings.

Case Study

In the context of Managing Quality in Care Environments, the story of Nurse Lucy Letby at the Countess of Chester Hospital from 2015 to 2016 is significant. Letby, a nurse in the neonatal unit, was arrested in 2018 and later re-arrested in 2019, charged with the murders of eight infants and the attempted murder of ten others. Prosecutors alleged Letby administered lethal doses of medication to the infants. Despite denying the charges, she was found guilty in November 2021 and sentenced to life imprisonment. This case underscores the importance of robust safeguarding measures, thorough background checks for healthcare professionals, and a culture of transparency and accountability in healthcare settings. It highlights the necessity of comprehensive staff training on recognising signs of abuse or neglect and implementing rigorous oversight to prevent harm to patients. This tragic event prompts reflection on enhancing quality management protocols and ensuring the safety and well-being of individuals in care environments.

Assignment activity and guidance

Activity 1- Essay

Discuss the impact that improving quality has on different individuals in a care setting. To do this, discuss the importance of promoting diversity, difference, and inclusive practices and of safeguarding different service users towards improving quality in a care setting. Also, review the practical impact on a care setting of the requirement to meet different stakeholders’ needs in working to improve the quality-of-service provision; as well as evaluating the involvement of service users, their families, staff, and the community in quality improvement measures in care settings.

Activity 2 - Report

In assessing the impact of legislation and policy on measuring and monitoring quality of practice in health and social care, you are asked to compare how different legislative and statutory requirements are considered in measuring and monitoring quality in health and social care using different theories and approaches. Critically discuss how processes for measuring, monitoring, and improving quality of practice have an influence on ways of working and assess the impact of a current set of external quality standards on systems and working practice in a care setting, over a defined period. 

Explore quality improvement requirements in a care setting by carrying out a review of one aspect of working practices in own setting to accurately identify improvements that can be made to the current level of quality. You also need to discuss why the aspect selected requires improvement using a range of different sources of information and justify the aspect of improvement to working practices selected in terms of the impact on service users’ experience of the service. Furthermore, evaluate the evidence gathered towards sharing information with different stakeholders regarding the quality improvement requirements of the aspect of working practice.

Plan and monitor improvements to quality, producing a detailed plan for a relevant quality improvement initiative in one`s work setting and discussing potential or actual barriers to completing the quality improvement initiative. Additionally, implement an appropriately planned quality improvement initiative and critically review the plan, justifying necessary adaptations based on feedback or observations. Then evaluate the expected outcomes of your improvement initiative, discussing further changes or improvements that may be required.

Academic Honesty and Avoiding Academic Misconduct

Every student of GBS is expected to always act with integrity in relation to the production and presentation of their academic work. Academic integrity is central to academic and professional life and requires that students are honest and responsible in acknowledging the contributions of others in their work.

The GBS Academic Good Practice and Academic Misconduct Policy and Procedure provides definitions and examples of the types of academic misconduct; procedures followed, and penalty tariffs applied when cases of academic misconduct have been raised. Please, refer to your student`s handbook for the policy.

Plagiarism is easy to avoid by making sure you reference all the sources of material that you use in the completion of your work. Pearson has developed Guidelines on Harvard Referencing which are available in the Academic Support Area for Students on Moodle (VLE) as well as on respective unit pages. If you are concerned about referencing techniques, please contact your Unit Lecturer or Academic Support Team at academicsupport@globalbanking.ac.uk so that you may receive extra advice.

Group coursework has been designed so that the contribution of each student is identifiable but please note that inclusion of plagiarised material is still the responsibility of the whole group. All members of the group should exercise vigilance to ensure that work is properly referenced. In group- work, students have a shared responsibility for the assignment.

Pass

Merit

Distinction

LO1 Assess the impact legislation and policy has on measuring and monitoring quality of practice in health and social care.

D1 Critically assess the impact of a current set of external quality standards on systems and working practice in a care setting, over a defined period

P1 Compare how

M1 Critically discuss how

different legislative and

processes for measuring,

statutory requirements

monitoring and

are taken into account in

improving quality of

measuring and

practice has an impact

monitoring quality in

on ways of working in a

health and social care

care setting

using different theories

and approaches

LO2 Discuss the impact that improving quality has on different individuals in a care setting

D2 Evaluate the involvement of service users, their families, staff  and the community in quality improvement measures in care settings

P2 Discuss the importance of promoting diversity, difference and inclusive practices in a care setting

P3 Discuss the importance of protecting different services users towards improving quality in a care setting

M2 Review the practical impact on a care setting of the requirement to meet different stakeholders’ needs in working to improve the quality-of-service provision

LO3 Explore quality improvement requirements in a care setting

D3 Evaluate the evidence gathered towards sharing information with different stakeholders regarding the quality improvement requirements of the aspect of working practice

P4 Carry out a review of one aspect of working practices in own setting to accurately identify improvements that can be made to the current level of quality

P5 Discuss why the aspect selected requires improvement using a range of different sources of information

M3 Justify the aspect of improvement to working practices selected in terms of the impact on service users’ experience of the service

Pass

Merit

Distinction

LO4 Plan and monitor improvements to quality

P6 Produce a detailed plan for a relevant quality improvement initiative in own work setting

P7 Discuss potential or actual barriers to completing the quality improvement initiative

M4 Implement an appropriately planned quality improvement initiative

M5 Critically review the plan, justifying necessary adaptations based on feedback or observations

D4 Evaluate the expected outcomes of own improvement initiative, discussing further changes or improvements which may be required

Learning requirements (unit content)

Assessment requirement

(Assessment criteria)

Theme 1: Law,

Regulation, and Ethical

Practice

LO1

P1, P2, M1, D1

Theme 2: Professional

Values, Attitudes and

Behaviours

LO2

LO3

P3, P4, M2

P5, P6, M3, D3

Theme 3: Health, Safety, and Safeguarding through the Lifespan

LO3

P2, M2, D2

Theme 4: Valuing and promoting diversity, difference and inclusion

LO3

P3, M2, D2

Theme 5: Promoting physical and mental health and well-being

LO2

P3, P4, M2, D2