Clinical governance matters for non-clinical services

Suzie Lewis

Accoras respectfully acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as the traditional owners of this country, the land on which we work and live. We recognise their continuing connection to the land and waters, and their strong and enduring cultures. We pay our respect to Elders past, present and emerging, for they hold the memories, the traditions, the culture and the hopes of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people across the nation

Todays Presentation

• What is clinical governance

• The Accoras Clinical Governance framework

• Development

• Key principles

• Take-aways for other organisations

• Questions

Accoras is a for purpose organisation working

to strengthen the mental health, well-being

and futures of people and communities.

Based in South East Queensland we deliver

flexible programs and services working

towards our vision; good mental health for all.

Our services fall under 4 streams:

1- Child, Youth and Family Services

2- Employment Support Services

3- Psychology Services

4- Community Education Services

We are well known for identifying needs and

developing solutions.

About Accoras

What is clinical governance?

Clinical governance is a framework through which health organisations are accountable for quality of care, creating an environment in which excellence in will flourish.

Clinical governance enables health services to maintain consistently high levels of service delivery, minimise risks and errors, and share responsibility for fostering an environment of continuous quality improvement.

Clinical governancearticulates how mental health services adhere to best practice principles and national standards of practice, as well as making clear who holds what authority and accountability within the system.

Clinical governance strives prevent critical incidents and other adverse outcomes. Where incidents occur, it provides an approach for investigating and improving practice based on the findings.

Clinical governance, in essence…

• Quality

• Safety

• Continuous learning and improvement

• Critical incident management

• Transparency

• Accountability

Strong clinical governance is informed by and built on organisational culture, vision, mission and values.

Not just for clinical services

• Historically, it has been clinical health services that have had formal clinical governance approaches

• It is increasingly recognised that the principles and processes that underlie clinical governance form a valuable check on organizations dealing with vulnerable people

The Accoras CGF – development process

Development was a structured process that initially involved

• Review of relevant legislation, and key Commonwealth and Queensland standards and policy frameworks

• Review of recognised best-practice clinical governance documents in the mental health and NGO space

• Discussion with all Accoras managers regarding current business, perceived needs and governance goals

Development process continued

• First version was created• Based on Accoras culture, mission,

vision and values

• Meetings with focus groups made up of selected staff from business units across the organisation • Feedback incorporated and GCF

updated

• Cross-checked against all client-facing policy and procedure documents to ensure consistency of message

Final stages of development

• Final draft of Clinical Governance Framework supplied to all service managers and the CEO• Feedback received and incorporated

• Relevant policies and procedures finalised

• Graphic design undertaken

• Clinical Governance Framework launched

Impact of the development process

Identification of areas where staff wanted more support

• Training that resulted from the development process• Case note training

• Request for information protocols

• Managing disclosures of illegal activity policy

• Training package on the delivery of evidence-based brief interventions

Impact of the development process

Development of a Cultural Practice Framework to accompany the Clinical Governance Framework

Take aways

• Clinical governance matters, and is important for all organisations dealing with vulnerable people who depend on them to practice ethically, safely and effectively.

• Developing a framework based on your own organisation culture, purpose and values will yield the best results.

• You will find a number of quality improvements will emerge from the development process which will make your organisation stronger.

Questions?