Horizons Quality and Continuous Improvement Programme, or QCIP, was established in 2024, and has recently come to an end having delivered was it set out to do.
The aim of the programme was to improve standards and compliance across residential settings, with a particular focus on 8 Designated Centres. The Programme Lead worked closely with the following Designated Centres:
- Ard Dara (CCN 4)
- Ard Dara (CCN 15)
- Ennismore
- Glasheen (Teach Mór and Teach Beag)
- Hollyhill (CCN 7)
- Ros barra
- Riverview
- St Francis Gardens
The overall project plan had 370 different actions, which were divided up between 7 different work streams, supported by 2 Expert Panels. Over 53 members of staff were directly involved in these work steams, and it was wonderful to see people who may not ordinarily work closely together, working collaboratively to achieve a common goal, with the ultimate aim of improving quality of life for People We Support. Many other staff and People We Support were involved in testing and piloting things for the project along the way, so that we could improve it further before finalising it. The work streams were as follows:
- Work stream 1: Governance, Oversight and Structures
- Work stream 2: Quality, Safety and Risk Management
- Work stream 3: Person Centred Care and Support
- Work stream 4: Team Roles, Training and Supervision
- Work stream 5: Human Resources
- Work stream 6: Estates
- Work stream 7: Communications
Throughout the process, we wanted to ensure that People We Support, and their Natural Supports (family members and carers) were given the opportunity to input into the proposed service improvements and help us to deliver them. To support this, we established:
- The Expert Panel of Advocates – volunteers who are supported to live in these 8 Designated Centres, who met monthly to advise us on what was needed, and to help us with developing things such as the new Horizons Personal Belongings Policy, or the revised Horizons Complaints Form.
- The Expert Panel of Natural Supports – volunteer family members of individuals supported to live in these 8 Designated Centres who met to consult on draft documents produced by the work streams and gave valuable insight into shaping these before they moved to implementation phase within the project.
QCIP provided lots of opportunity to look at things differently, to do things differently and lots of shared learning opportunities. It was a really good example of what we can achieve collectively, working in partnership with staff, People We Support, families, and local communities in line with the Vision, Mission and Values of Horizons.