Angela Single, of the consultancy Choose Independence which was a TSA partner in the development and production of the Code says: “The revised code sets high but attainable quality standards for the industry and ensures clear and transparent information to the telecare users. It is a radical change to the old one, it is user friendly and modular, so it ‘fits’ with the significant changes in the industry over the last few years.
“It has had extensive input from key stakeholders – the widest ever undertaken by TSA. It is both service user focused and can be used as a tool for commissioners to commission telecare. It also has a number of new key performance indicators which can be used to benchmark the service providers, and has increased the robustness of the quality standards.”
TSA website.
Choose Independence website, or contact Trevor.Single@ci-ltd.org, Tel: 01733475606
You have to wonder, though, how many commissioners will make use of the Code if they have to become TSA members to access it.
TSA Code of Practice
I really welcome review of the Code of Practice and applaud the TSA for investing in this mechanism but I have to voice a concern about lack of public availability of the Code.
FAST published a review of service standards across the AT sector in 2005 (downloadable from the FAST website at http://www.fastuk.org). Needless to say there was great variability in quality and methodology which prompted us to propose an approach, the GATES approach, based on similar frameworks within health service standards development. One clear recommendation is that standards have reduced credibiltiy if the recipients are aware of them or able to refer to them, monitor them or call services to account using them.
Given the strong emphasis on involving clients in service shaping, not just when designing the standards but in service delivery, I would welcome the TSA reviewing the decision to keep the Code private. I recognise this has commercial implications for the TSA but given their strong position as the representative body for the service provider sector think now is the time to fully open up the Code to end users.
TSA Code transparency
“The revised code sets high but attainable quality standards for the industry and ensures clear and transparent information to the telecare users”
Except telecare users can’t see it unless they know you have to register on the website / have the internet at home and are computer literate. Seeing as the product is largely aimed at those with moderate / advanced dementia to failsafe against things like forgetting to leave the door open or stove on, seems like a lot to remember… Hmm…