Abstract

How a hospice adopted a culture of care by using Macmillan Values Based Standard (MVBS) where a patient and their loved ones are respected and valued. Fostering positive attitudes with staff to help shape services and reflect on the quality of their care.

MVBS were developed to bridge the gap between the principles associated with person-centred care and the behaviours and expectations that should form part of healthcare practices.

The eight standards set out behaviours with front line staff which are at the centre of driving forward standards of service. Staff awareness of the MVBS, allowing ideas and innovations to improve care from the bottom up. Staff engagement is essential to allow change and improvement to care provision and sustainability of a quality service. Clinical supervision of staff, enables teams to analyse situations and suggest different ways of working. The reflection process enables conceptualisation of how they can integrate the fundamental values and behaviours set out in the MVBS within their everyday practice.

Team meetings recap on standards focussing on one standard each month to remind staff how the standard can be implemented into their working day. Feedback from service user experience is at the heart of what we do and essential to evaluate care and prevent disconnection. One main measure from any individual within a hospice organisation is to question ‘have I made a difference to that individual?’ “How we care for the dying is an indicator of how we care for all sick and vulnerable people”.

Using the MVBS to set our standards of care as an organisation allows our staff to measure themselves individually and as a team. Through processes of reflection, clinical supervision, peer support and real time feedback we can continue to strive for excellence in care and influence change and improvement to our service.