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This masterclass will provide participants with an in-depth knowledge of what needs to be done to comply with the duty of candour; clarify ‘grey areas’ and provide guidance on dealing with difficult situations which may arise. It will provide participants with an understanding of good practice in implementing the duty and, in particular doing so in a meaningful way with empathy, to not only comply, but to work with patients and loved ones in a way that puts the emotional experience at the heart of communication.
Anyone with responsibility for implementing the duty of candour should attend, whether as a health or social care professional or at an organisational level, be it in the NHS, private healthcare or social care. Health and social care professionals; staff with responsibility for quality, safety, clinical governance, safety investigations, complaints or CQC compliance, patient experience and executive teams would benefit from attending.
The principle of being open and honest with patients or their families when harm occurs in health or social care is a fundamental part of being a health or social care professional (for whom an individual duty of candour exists) and organisations providing health or social care. Such honesty is what most patients want more than anything else when things go wrong and being open and honest can help prevent complaints and claims and prevent further avoidable psychological harm. Developing an empathic approach is the cornerstone of any the duty of candour being delivered in a way that is authentic and meaningful to the people at the heart of the process.
The statutory Duty of Candour is one of the fundamental standards regulated by the Care Quality Commission (CQC). It was brought in following recommendations made by the Mid-Staffordshire Public Inquiry. The CQC is giving higher priority to monitoring compliance with the duty (regulation 20 in the CQC regulations) and has taken regulatory action against many organisations who have not fully complied with, and named and shamed others. However, implementing the duty well is more than just complying. This course will not only help your organisation convince the CQC that it is compliant, but even more importantly will give the individual staff in the organisation the knowledge, understanding, and confidence to implement it well and with empathy.
