Strengthening Governance Through Improved Concerns Management
- andrew75629
- Apr 30
- 3 min read
At Bespoke Care & Support Services, we are committed to continuously improving how we deliver care for vulnerable people across our local communities. As a long standing home care provider delivering award winning care, with over 14 years delivering care, we understand that strong internal systems are essential to safe, responsive, and accountable care.
One of the most important systems within any care organisation is how concerns are identified, reported, and managed.
What Is a Concern and How Does It Work in Practice?
Within our service, a concern is any issue identified during care delivery that may require review, action, or oversight from the office team.
Concerns are raised directly by care workers in the community using our digital care system, CareLine Live, during their scheduled visits.
This means:
Concerns are recorded in real time, at the point care is delivered
They are linked directly to the individual’s digital care record
They are based on what staff are actually seeing and experiencing in people’s homes
When raising a concern, staff assign a level of severity using a Red, Amber, Green (RAG) system, based on risk:
Red (Severe) – Immediate risk, harm, safeguarding, or urgent issues
Amber (Moderate) – Issues requiring follow-up but not immediate danger
Green (Low / No Harm) – Minor issues or information requiring awareness
This ensures that concerns are not just recorded, but prioritised appropriately from the outset.
What Happens After a Concern Is Raised?
Once a concern is submitted through CareLine Live, responsibility shifts to the office team.
From that point:
The concern is reviewed and acknowledged within set timeframes, depending on severity
The office team determines what action is required
The concern is then:
Actioned (e.g. staff guidance, care plan updates, family communication), or
Escalated to an incident if it involves risk, harm, or safeguarding
Most importantly, the concern must be seen through to a clear resolution, with a full record of:
What was done
What the outcome was
Why the issue is now closed
This creates a complete and transparent audit trail.
Why This System Matters
This process is critical because it ensures:
Issues identified in the community are not lost or ignored
The office team can respond in a time-sensitive and structured way
Risk is identified early and managed appropriately
There is clear accountability from start to finish
In short, it connects what happens in people’s homes directly to safe, accountable decision-making.
Why We Made Changes
In January 2026, we audited this system and identified a significant gap.
While concerns were being raised and acknowledged, the process was not consistently demonstrating what happened afterwards:
100% acknowledgement rate
Only 65.3% acknowledged on time
0% recorded resolution
0% escalation evidence
This meant the system was capturing issues, but not reliably evidencing that they were being fully managed.
February showed only limited improvement, confirming the need for a more structured and enforced approach.
Introducing a Clear and Accountable System
In March 2026, we introduced new mandatory guidance to strengthen the process.
At the centre of this was a simple but critical rule:
Every concern must be:Raised → Acknowledged → Acted On → Resolved or Escalated
This ensured that no concern could sit without action or outcome.
Measurable Improvements
March 2026 – System Recovery
On-time acknowledgements improved to 74.4%
52.8% of concerns recorded as resolved
Escalation pathways began to appear
Improved quality and focus of concerns raised
April 2026 – System Maturity
April represents a significant step forward:
On-time acknowledgements increased to 92.0%
99.3% of concerns resolved
Only 1 unresolved concern
On-time resolution reached 99.3%
This demonstrates a fully functioning process:
Raised → Acknowledged → Resolved
What We Are Still Improving
The system is now performing strongly, but one key area remains under review:
Ensuring all medication-related concerns are consistently classified at the correct level of risk
What This Means for Our Service
For those receiving private care in Huddersfield and across central Huddersfield communities, this means:
Faster, more responsive action when issues arise
Clear accountability within the organisation
Stronger safeguarding and oversight
A transparent record of how concerns are managed
Our Commitment
As a well established care provider, local authority accredited, and NHS partnership worker, we are committed to delivering safe, effective home care in Huddersfield and home care in Kirklees.
The improvements seen between January and April demonstrate how clear systems, strong oversight, and continuous improvement can lead to meaningful and measurable change.
We will continue to build on this progress to ensure the highest standards of elder care across our communities.
