#feelthelove: If you’re not asking tough questions about compliance, you should be

One of the biggest risks in care is assuming that compliance is somebody else’s responsibility.

It isn’t.

Every provider has a responsibility to know exactly who is walking through their doors and caring for their residents.

That’s why I think agencies should be challenged more often. Not because they are doing something wrong, but because asking questions is healthy. It’s necessary. And ultimately, it protects everyone.

Too often, people focus on whether a shift can be covered. What gets overlooked is how that person got there in the first place.

Who recruited them? Who checked their experience? Who verified their training? Who confirmed their references? Who made sure they were genuinely suitable for the role?

Those questions are important, because good care starts long before somebody arrives for their first shift. It starts with the recruitment process, with compliance, with culture.

In some agencies, individuals are responsible for everything – recruitment, business development, compliance, scheduling, payroll.

That’s a huge amount for anyone to manage.

Personally, I believe people deliver their best work when they have clear responsibilities and ownership.

When specialists focus on specific parts of the process, things are less likely to be missed. There is more accountability. There is more transparency – and transparency is crucial.

That’s what we do at Care Connection Partners.

We create detailed staff profiles and ensure clients have all the information they need to make informed decisions.

But I would always encourage providers to ask more questions.

How does your agency recruit? How do they assess values? How do they ensure cultural fit? What standards do they apply before someone can start working?

For me, that’s where #feelthelove really begins.

Not with a slogan. Not with a promise. But with a commitment to doing things properly.

Because when agencies, providers and care professionals share the same values, everybody benefits – most importantly, the people receiving care.

And surely that’s what all of this is supposed to be about.

• Deborah Stock, Founder and Managing Director of Care Connection Partners