I have just attended the Care Management Matters Conference in Birmingham where the emphasis on outcomes in the Care sector was much debated.

Martin Green’s lively presentation made the helpful distinction between outputs and outcomes – how commissioning bodies should be focusing on the end result for service users not on the provider’s processes.

And this should apply to the services that Care Providers buy in for themselves as well as what they provide to their customers.
For example when looking at training for staff, Care home managers and owners should be demanding clear outcomes from their training provider. So much money is spent on training that may be full of good content and well delivered, but doesn’t’ actually yield any result. Such training is a waste of money.

So how do you ensure you get outcomes from your training?

• be clear about the changes you want to see
• use specific examples to help training providers understand what you want to achieve eg rather than “I want my managers to be more confident” try “I want my managers to be able to give feedback effectively and deal with performance problems earlier”
• discuss with your training provider what the best approach would be – a structured class room session is not always the best solution – what are the other options?
• demand a clear indication from your provider how they will facilitate the transfer of learning back into the workplace – an action plan is no good when it sits under a pile of papers and is never looked at again
• use the changes you identified at the beginning of the process to evaluate your training and gauge what difference it has made.

Demanding clear outcomes from your suppliers and partners will mean you invest your money wisely and will also help you deliver improved outcomes to your clients….