Canterbury DHB welcomes “Putting People First” report

Canterbury DHB and Brackenridge welcome “Putting People First” report

Together, Canterbury District Health Board and Brackenridge welcome ‘Putting People First’ as a constructive and necessarily honest step towards better care for disabled people in Canterbury.

Broadly the report recommends:
• Supporting providers to centre services around disabled people
• Ensuring disabled people have a voice
• That there is a renewed focus on keeping people safe and resolving complaints
• Improvements to the monitoring of provider performance, and more effective performance management

Mary Gordon, Acting Canterbury DHB Chief Executive Officer, says that ‘Putting People First’ encourages us to refresh our thinking and the way we work with other agencies for the benefit of disabled people who need care and support.

“It's our job to create an environment where people, whether staff or clients, feel supported to speak out, knowing they will be listened to. And that they can expect that processes and standards of care will change for the better because we are willing to learn from experience.”

Brackenridge Chair, Jane Cartwright says most staff in the disability sector care deeply and work creatively to do their best for their clients.

“However, there are enhanced risks in caring for people with more serious disabilities or those with intellectual impairment. People with complex conditions are often more fragile and others may not be able to communicate their needs effectively.

“That's all the more reason we as health professionals need to be better attuned to the needs of the people we care and support. When someone is harmed or put at risk because of something we did or didn't do, it's vital that we are open and transparent and prepared to look at ourselves with a view to doing progressively better.

“We have found from a recent audit that there is work to be done at Brackenridge and we are committed to implementing our action plan to build on what we do well and address the places where our service falls short,” Ms Cartwright says.

“We have already made inroads into communicating better with client families and the providers we interact with every day. We are reviewing whether people are in homes that provide the right mix of clients and carers. Importantly, we are creating the best possible working climate for our staff and are training, motivating and resourcing them to succeed.”

You can find the „Putting People First’ review at http://www.health.govt.nz/publication/review-disability-support-services

ENDS

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