Why a high staffing to patient ratio isn't necessarily better than well informed practioners

I once heard an analogy about staff to patient ratios. It went like this; if you take your car to the garage how many mechanics would you expect to perform a service? It's an interesting question, the likely answer would probably be 1. However, if the workload needed 2, for example the removal of an engine, then 2 would be fine, right?

The question the speaker asked was "Are you assuming every mechanic knows what they are doing?" The audience said yes, indeed. Here's the problem, how many mechanics would it take to do the job if they don't know what they are doing, 3, 5, even 10? Effectively, if the mechanics don't know what they are doing, it doesn't matter how many there are, the job won't get done.

This is the same quandary that group home management face every single day. Who to assign what work and with whom. Many group homes boast a specific staff to patient ratio, of 3:1 or even 5:1. Is that really necessary? The costs alone are eye watering.

Successful group home management teams will achieve a 1:1 ratio by training their staff, continually educating them, supporting, coaching and providing feedback mechanisms, and getting them immediate access to the information they need to be able to deliver fantastic care and support.

CHARMS, our social care management software, is designed for agencies that provide group home services, and enables them to get their staffing costs down whilst improving service delivery. A win-win. Staff using CHARMS report that not only is it easy to use, it delivers exactly the support they need to do their jobs effectively and well. Moreover, agencies using CHARMS report that there is less staff turnover and more effective and positive outcomes for their cared for children and adults.

You will be pleased to learn that CHARMS is the most affordable management software available today. Contact us to book a demonstration.