NRS Healthcare gains corporate CECOPS accreditation for all community equipment and wheelchair services

NRS Healthcare has become the first organisation to gain corporate CECOPS accreditation for both community equipment and wheelchair services, covering all the services they provide across England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

 NRS Healthcare is a leading provider of community equipment and wheelchair services in the UK, providing services to local authorities, the NHS, and the general public. NRS delivers a wide range of assistive technologies to support people in keeping them safe and independent.

CECOPS CIC is the independent standards and accreditation body for assistive technology services.

CECOPS accreditation is a regular feature in service specifications for assistive technology services, and is a way of assuring commissioners that services are meeting quality and performance related standards.

Jerry Benson, Chief Executive, NRS Healthcare, says “Working to the CECOPS outcome-based quality framework across community equipment and wheelchair services, and being independently assessed against this, has helped us immensely. It will help us to deliver the highest possible standard of service to our customers and stakeholders.”

CECOPS CEO, Brian Donnelly, says “CECOPS is the gold standard for quality in the assistive technology provider space. We are delighted that NRS Healthcare sees the value in our standards and scheme. It is great that NRS has achieved corporate accreditation for all of their community equipment and wheelchair services contracts. Their commitment to quality and improving standards is impressive and it is evident why they are a leading provider in the space. Well done!”

One of the largest UK wheelchair services contracts gains prestigious CECOPS accreditation status

One of the largest UK wheelchair services contracts gains prestigious CECOPS accreditation status.

CECOPS’ Code of Practice for Disability Equipment, Wheelchair and Seating Services is a quality framework for procurement and provision of services. It supports the commissioning of wheelchair services across the UK. The Code is outcomes-focussed, opening up the veins to innovation and improvements. The work of CECOPS is supported by regulators and professional bodies.

Several Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) jointly commissioned a large London wheelchair service, covering a population of two million.

Uniquely, under the contract the provider is expected to work to CECOPS’ outcomes, become accredited, and to evidence continuous improvement year on year for the duration of the contract using a CECOPS software solution, iCOPS®.

The jointly commissioned approach taken by the CCGs was hailed by NHS England as an exemplar approach. CCGs are expected to evidence compliance with wheelchair charter issued by The Wheelchair Leadership Alliance, and supported by NHS England. Gaining CECOPS accreditation fully supports the aims of the charter.

Mona Hayat, Director of Programmes, NHS Central London CCG, said, CECOPs provide the framework for the thorough review of standards and systems throughout the accreditation cycle, supporting continuous system improvement in the provision of high quality, safe and effective services for our service users. The North West London CCGs have benefitted from the experts in the team who have supported us to commission services that deliver improved and sustainable outcomes. We would recommend CECOPs for all commissioners of assisted technology services.

AJM Healthcare was appointed the provider last year, and recently gained CECOPS Accreditation. AJM is the first company to attain CECOPS accreditation for its service provision and clinical aspects. It was noted at the assessment for accreditation that significant improvements had been made by AJM Healthcare in the short time since they had been awarded the contract, including a significant reduction in waiting lists.

AJM’s Managing Director, Mark Perress, commented “Working with our NHS CCG partners, our flagship Wheelchair Service benefits from the CECOPS standards. Led by our Quality Manager Mike Radlett, our clinical, admin and logistics staff have worked hard over the last year to implement the Code of Practice to deliver a fully integrated service, with joined-up working practices and a service user-centric operation.”

Mike Radlett explains, “the CECOPS code of practice is much more prescriptive than other standards. It is very thorough, and details all the areas such as: eligibility, funding options, clinical assessments, specialist and children’s equipment, hospital discharge and most importantly, the involvement of Service Users and Carers.

 In an environment with pressure on funding and increasing demand, CECOPS accreditation is quickly becoming the de-facto must-have requirement to guarantee clinical quality and safe solutions for wheelchair Commissioners. For service users and carers it signals quality, safety and fairness.”

If you are interested in CECOPS accreditation, please contact:

info@cecops.org.uk | 01494 863398 | 07511 667 330

Personal Health Budgets for Wheelchairs in England

NHS England recently announced that they are introducing personal health budgets for wheelchairs. This new approach to wheelchair commissioning will replace the current voucher scheme. According to NHS England, wheelchair users have found a number of challenges with the existing scheme, now 20 years old, including a lack of information and guidance around maintenance, repair and replacement as well as a limited number of providers where a voucher can be redeemed.

It is claimed that the new personal health budget scheme will offer more choice of where wheelchairs can be bought as well as a detailed care plan that will help users make informed decision about their wheelchair. The care plans will also go beyond purchasing the chair to also include guidance on future maintenance, repair and replacement needs.

It is also claimed that a wheelchair will form part of a person’s wider care, catering for their individual needs and ensuring a more joined-up approach, a key aim of NHS England’s Five Year Forward View. The new approach will also help NHS England collect meaningful data on wheelchair provision that will further help improve services and address variations in provision across the country.

CECOPS’ CEO, Brian Donnelly, says, “Offering personal health budgets for wheelchairs will be useful for some people. Although not a total solution, this will certainly increase choice and hopefully allow people to get access to the equipment they need more quickly.

 We included personal health budgets in our Code of Practice for Disability Equipment, Wheelchair and Seating Services last year.

 Following the Code will help commissioners, providers and clinicians and will ensure the necessary safeguards are in place where personal health budgets are used.

 We would hope to see personal health budgets eventually being used for all disability equipment so that the holistic needs of disabled and elderly people can be met more effectively.”

Addressing the ‘care crisis’ by deploying Assistive Technology effectively

The growing elderly population is a global trend which, coupled with an increase in the number of people living with Long-Term Conditions (LTCs), increases demand for health and care services, with associated fiscal strains, in all societies.

Continuing with the same models of delivery is not going to be sustainable. New approaches and service delivery models need to be found that will deliver more efficient and effective care, whilst maintaining safe and good quality services.

People need to be equipped with the right products and services to help them become more independent and to be better supported in managing their own care. This includes disabled children and adults, to ensure they have the same life expectations, opportunities and outcomes as other citizens. Services also need to be geared toward prevention and early intervention to avoid unnecessary and costlier episodes of care later on.

One method to address some of the concerns above is the better deployment of assistive technologies – from orthotics, prosthetics, walking aids, beds, wheelchairs, and communication aids, through to more advanced electronic assistive technologies such as telecare products and telehealth equipment. If used strategically these can support health and care services significantly and meet a range of government policy aims.

Not only does effective provision of assistive technology improve outcomes for service users, including social inclusion and quality of life, but it can also reduce the burden on the state by enabling independent living, enhancing employment prospects and enabling individuals to take control of their own lives – all of which have a part to play in tackling the worldwide problem of funding longevity.

But a shift towards better deployment of all assistive technologies has not really happened at scale, for a variety of reasons. At strategic level, there is generally failure to appreciate the benefits of this equipment, and as a result there is no overall strategy or vision to integrate the many departments and bodies which currently issue it in such a piecemeal way.

Most assistive technology-related services operate completely separately and independently from one another, resulting in duplication, poor use of resources, and wastage, not to mention the effect on the service user of having to undergo multiple assessments.

One of the results of failing to provide assistive technologies and disability equipment effectively is significant unnecessary cost for the health and care economy, for example through delayed hospital discharges, and unnecessary hospital and care home admissions. Providing services inappropriately is always a false economy.

Incorporating assistive technologies into the delivery of health and care provision is a whole-systems responsibility. It starts with good planning, commissioning and governance. This inevitably flows through to good service provision and clinical involvement. Each of these service areas needs to be clear about their respective responsibilities. There also need to be measurable outcomes and standards in place.

The new UK-wide Code of Practice for Disability Equipment, Wheelchairs and Seating Services

The new UK-wide Code of Practice for Disability Equipment, Wheelchairs and Seating Services is designed to address this, and offers a template for commissioning and providing services; it includes clearly defined and specific standards and measurable outcomes.

Following the Code, in all its parts, will go a long way in overcoming many of the difficulties highlighted above and will significantly improve both clinical and financial outcomes. It will also help to identify where weaknesses are within the whole system and allow root causes to be traced. Following the Code will also enable any equipment-related strategies to be achieved.

The Code, in some or all its parts, relates mainly to disability equipment, wheelchair and seating services. It also applies more generally to other assistive technology-related services; there are certain Code Standards which provide a link to related services, which will assist with integration and offering seamless provision.

The Code is free of charge to organisations registered with CECOPS, or a hard copy or an eBook can be obtained from here: http://www.troubador.co.uk/book_info.asp?bookid=3270 or via the CECOPS website: www.cecops.org.uk

Revolutionary New Self-evaluation & Performance Management Tool now available to Support Planning, Commissioning and Provision of Assistive Technology related services, iCOPS®

In addition to the Code CECOPS has supported the development of iCOPS®, the first ever self-evaluation and performance management software tool for assistive technology related services, including wheelchairs, to complement its scheme.

iCOPS® gives commissioners, providers and clinical staff the ability to evaluate and review services, manage contracts, instil good governance, monitor, assess and manage quality, safety and performance, and drive continuous improvement.

iCOPS® also enables organisations to comply with all their obligations including CECOPS and ISO, for example.

Details about iCOPS® can be found here: www.icops.co.uk. A free one month trial is available.

Find out more about the Code and how it fits with the wider CECOPS scheme here: http://www.cecops.org.uk/2015/03/wheelchair-seating-services-now-covered-by-cecops-standards-uk-and-beyond/

Please get in touch if you would like to discuss any of the points above.

Brian Donnelly

Brian is the founder and director of CECOPS CIC and the author of the Code of Practice.

CECOPS CIC is a not-for-profit social enterprise and is the independent standards body for disability equipment services in the UK.

e: info@cecops.org.uk

t: 01494 863398

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Follow us on Twitter: @cecops

Wheelchair & Seating Services now covered by CECOPS Standards – UK and beyond!

CECOPS CIC is the independent standards body for disability equipment services, and runs a scheme whereby organisations register and can become accredited against its officially recognised and widely supported Code of Practice.

We are pleased to announce CECOPS has extended its Code to specifically include wheelchair and seating services, and now also applies UK-wide, and perhaps beyond.

“However optimistic and committed governments and organisations are to improving outcomes for disabled people, practical steps are required to make these improvements; I believe this Code lays down steps that need to be taken. Let’s just hope it is followed!” Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson DBE, DL

ABOUT THE CECOPS CODE OF PRACTICE
The new code of practice covers the commissioning, provision, and clinical and technical aspects of services. It is made up of 47 measurable outcomes. The code covers everything relating to statutory provision of disability equipment and wheelchairs, including user involvement, governance, joint working, eligibility criteria, funding, operational management, performance, training, assessments, and risk management. It uniquely covers such things as holistic, person-centred and anticipatory assessments.

The Code is free of charge to organisations registered with CECOPS, or a hard copy or an eBook can be obtained from here: http://www.troubador.co.uk/book_info.asp?bookid=3270 or see the home page of our website.

“The Code sets a national (UK), and perhaps international, benchmark against which services can be measured, and sets a realistic level of service people should expect to receive – something that has been missing for a long time.” Sir Bert Massie CBE, DL

HOW CECOPS WORKS
Organisations register with CECOPS either voluntarily or as requested by commissioning authorities (in tenders, for example). Registration is an organisation’s public declaration that it is adhering to the principles of the code of practice.

Organisations can also become accredited. This is via an external assessment by DNV-GL Healthcare, world leaders in quality and risk management. Again, this can be done voluntarily or in response to commissioning requests. Accreditation is similar to ISO, only much more detailed and service specific.

Many NHS organisations, local authorities and other care providers are already working with the Code.

“CECOPS facilitates both quality assurance and creation, where disability equipment is concerned. It can be looked at as a value-chain model that, end-to-end, interlinks the commissioners with service users, through the activities of clinicians and providers.”
Frede Jensen BSc (Hons), MSc, IQA (Internal Quality Assurer), Lead Auditor and a Six Sigma Black Belt.

An approved training scheme is in place; you can become a CECOPS approved trainer yourself and train your staff or colleagues, or organisations can have their staff trained by another CECOPS approved trainer.

“HSE recognises the need for guidance, and welcomes the Code of Practice…” Health and Safety Executive

NEW SELF-EVALUATION SOFTWARE, iCOPS®
In addition CECOPS has supported the development of iCOPS®, the first ever self-evaluation and performance management software tool for assistive technology related services, including wheelchairs, to complement its scheme.

iCOPS® gives commissioners, providers and clinical staff the ability to evaluate and review services, manage contracts, instil good governance, monitor, assess and manage quality, safety and performance, and drive continuous improvement.

iCOPS® also enables organisations to comply with all their obligations including CECOPS and ISO, for example.

Details about this revolutionary new tool can be found here: www.icops.co.uk

“National Wheelchair Managers’ Forum (NWMF) is very excited to be working with CECOPS to develop the Code of Practice for Wheelchair Services. This is long overdue…” Krys Jarvis, Chairperson, NWMF

To find out more or find how you can work with CECOPS please contact us. Thank you.