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. 2024 Dec 18;24(1):1589.
doi: 10.1186/s12913-024-11842-y.

Human resource management in homecare in England: managing people for safe care during crisis

Thoai Le  1 , Simon Bishop  2 , Carl Macrae  2
Affiliations

Human resource management in homecare in England: managing people for safe care during crisis

Thoai Le et al. BMC Health Serv Res. .

Abstract

Background: Human resource management (HRM) of healthcare organisations plays an important role in improving the continuity of care, managing staff, and ensuring patient safety. During COVID-19, there were several HR-related issues, creating a significant challenging situation for health and social care institutions. This study explored the HRM issues that are associated with the patient safety in homecare, and how homecare providers have responded to these HR-related challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim of this is to explore the role of HRM practices in helping care organisations operate efficiently and supporting their workforce to adapt to future disruptive changes and crises.

Methods: Qualitative strategies include narrative inquiry involving gathering information in the form of storytelling by the research participants. Between February 2021 and December 2021, data were collected through semi-structured interviews of 31 participants, including homecare staff (homecare transition practitioners, homecare social workers, and carers), family members, and service users in England.

Results: The research identified key HRM challenges during the pandemic, including staff shortages, high turnover, ineffective communication, occupational stress for front-line carers, and lack of training, all adversely affecting the safety of homecare patients. In response, homecare providers employed strategies like opportunistic recruitment, digital technology for training and communication, and flexible work arrangements to mitigate these issues.

Conclusions: Several implications are proposed, with the over-riding aim of ensuring effective management of HRM practices in responding to address key areas: staffing, performance management, and training. Homecare providers should utilise short-term adaptive recruitment strategies, while also focusing on long-term workforce development and resilience to effectively respond to current and future care needs. Prioritising staff well-being for retention and care quality are crucial. Homecare providers are encouraged to offer flexible work arrangements and digital communication methods, all while being mindful of preventing technostress and digital exhaustion among their staff. They also need to bridge training gaps and employ effective delivery methods to equip healthcare workers with essential skills, thereby enhancing resilience and adaptability in homecare.

Keywords: COVID-19; Care quality; HR practices; Homecare; Safety; Social care.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: Ethical approval was obtained from the Nottingham University Business School Ethics Committee on 05/02/2021. Informed consent was obtained from all participants. Consent for publication: Not applicable. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
HRM challenges impacting homecare patient safety, and responses from homecare providers during the COVID-19 pandemic in England
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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