Explanation:
There is a growing interest in promoting a positive culture in domiciliary care / home care services.
Increasingly, positive culture is becoming more recognised as important in contributing to the effectiveness of any service, yet it is an area that until recently that has tended to be overlooked. CQC have recognised the importance of a positive culture. In the Key Lines of Enquiry Well Led Prompts; the question is asked “How does the service promote a positive culture that is person-centred, open, inclusive and empowering?”
There is often a lack of understanding of what culture really means. A useful social care definition can be seen as ‘staff having a way of thinking, behaving and working that complies to the ethos and values of the service’. Culture affects practically all aspects of organisational life from the way in which people interact with each other to how they go about their work and the way decisions are made. It serves as a powerful force drawing people together and creating a sense of cohesion or division, defining what values and behaviour are acceptable and unconsciously telling people “how things are done around here”.
Why is culture so important? Research shows that the culture of a service directly affects the quality of life of Service Users. (My Home Life). It has become increasingly recognised that staff and Service Users are interdependent and this needs to be considered when fostering positive cultures in care services.
