The Prosper AWD project is working with residential and supported living services for adults with learning disabilities and or Autism across Essex, to reduce falls, increase awareness of ageing well with a learning disability and address issues such as faecal compaction (constipation) via greater awareness of diet and digestion, through the use of Quality Improvement methodology – not only improving system performance and professional development, but also changing behaviours – encouraging creative thinking to tackle problems and using measurement to guide improvement.
Small changes lead to big improvements.
Prosper AWD builds care staff capability using;
- Quality Improvement methodology of PDSA cycles (plan, do, study, act)
- SMART aims and driver diagrams.
- Testing simple interventions such as implementation of Prosper AWD tangible bowel charts for service user use to encourage greater understanding of their own bodies or use of Prosper AWD award winning access to health video books to support desensitisation of clinical environments prior to medical appointments to support with reduction of anxiety.
Measurement for improvement purposes.
Prosper AWD makes data collection and analysis core to everyone’s role, with staff taking ownership through the use of;
- Safety Cross’s
- Runtime charts of monthly data rates.
Culture is Key.
Prosper AWD supports a change in behaviour by;
- Empowering care staff to think creatively and act differently,
- Using experiential learning with age simulating GERT suits, Inclusive communication training, mental health and intellectual disabilities awareness, end of life and more.
- Creating Prosper AWD Champions
- Creating networks with Champion study days and Community of practice events
A level of commitment is required when enrolling on Prosper AWD. This includes committing to monthly support visits from the Prosper AWD team and to input monthly data on to the database to capture increases/decreases in Falls, changes in behaviour and prescription of psychotropic medications and more.
You will in return receive;
- Full support from the Prosper AWD implementation team,
- Simple runtime charts to visualise your data and progress (which can be used as evidence to CQC as continuous improvement)
- Regular newsletters with updates of Prosper AWD events occurring across Essex,
- The chance to feature in the newsletter as home of the month.
- Sharing of good ideas with Community of Practice events
- The chance to empower care staff and make them Prosper AWD champions to imbed positive staff culture, across the home
- Opportunities for your staff to be involved in Gert suit age simulation experiential training, Dementia friend’s learning disability sessions, inclusive communication sessions and TTT, Champion study days and more.
If you are interested in being part of this exciting project please contact prosperawd@essex.gov.uk
Prosper was originally funded by the Health Foundation as part of its Closing the Gap in Patient Safety projects. An evaluation of the first two years was undertaken by UCLPartners:
BMJ: Assessing the Safety Culture of Care Homes
Every month the team produces the Prosper Newsletter to keep you informed of latest news and future activity.