As anyone who has ever worked with me or been inspected by me knows, I love a good aviation metaphor. This is because running a good care service is very much like flying a plane. Hopefully, by the time I’ve talked you through my piloting principles, you’ll see why I think so.
People’s lives (and comfort) are genuinely at stake
Cabin crew have a similar dual role to care workers: although on the surface of it they are there to make people comfortable, their prime directive is to ensure their safety. Even though the vast majority of cabin crew and care workers will never face an emergency, they absolutely have to be prepared for when they do.
Rules are written in blood
In any sector where people’s lives are at stake, there will be times when it goes wrong. Afterwards, we try and prevent that disaster from happening again. It’s important that everyone who has to follow rules that sometimes seem pointless remembers that the rules are there for a reason.
When training staff, don’t just teach the rules, explain properly why they are there. For example, I don’t think you’ve been properly trained in fire safety in any sector until you’ve watched the 1985 Bradford City stadium fire unfold in real time! In care, we also have our own tragedies to learn from, such as the Rosepark fire and the death of Cedric Skyers.
Tip: before running a session on an ongoing topic such as fire safety, look for relevant recent examples in the news.
The “Moose Jaw test”
Moose Jaw is the fourth-largest city in Saskatchewan, Canada. It has an airport, and lots of snow. The big American airplane manufacturers were/are based in less cold climates. I once read or saw an engineer from one explaining that when designing systems and writing repair procedures he tried to work with a mechanic at Moose Jaw in mind, imagining them trying to deal with the repair in snowy conditions while wearing thick gloves, etc.
In care, when introducing new systems and procedures we need to think about our Moose Jaws. Employers tend to pick their best and brightest for testing new things but your testing teams should include those who might struggle. For example, if you’re considering care software, think about your most technologically incompetent member of staff that you want to keep!
Good paperwork saves lives
A good form or checklist reduces the risk of human error, and also reduces the risk of computer errors caused by human input.
There have been several plane crashes caused by pilots carrying out procedures from memory, and there have been accidents and incidents in care with similar causes.
For example, a common cause of medicines or equipment mistakes is staff either working from memory or “glazing over” as they read instructions. It’s also not uncommon for people to be in danger or an incident to happen because a particular risk hasn’t been identified and assessed.
A lot of the information we require is only required in an emergency – so when it is needed, it is needed quickly and it must absolutely be accurate.
External oversight (and internal integrity) is vital
In 1974, a Turkish DC-10 jumbo jet crashed just outside Paris, killing 346 people. At the time it was the worst aviation disaster in history – the first to kill over 200 people. It could have been prevented if the manufacturer (McDonnell Douglas) had actioned concerns raised earlier; in 1970 the fault had occurred during ground testing, and there had even been a near-miss on a commercial flight in 1972. Required modifications after that near-miss hadn’t been made to the disaster plane, then being manufactured – but internal QA had signed them off!
You don’t need me to draw the parallels here, I’m sure. This is an extreme example but experience shows, in all sectors, that being responsible for checking your own work isn’t best for safety critical matters. We also know well the importance of open cultures in which staff are free to speak up, and are listened to.
People don’t realise the vast complexity behind the scenes
Whether in the air or in care, people’s safety and comfort is contingent not just on the staff offering refreshments but on the company and culture behind the smiles.
It’s said a jumbo jet has over six million parts, and I’m sure that many managers feel their service has as many. These days, both aviation and care staff can also share the sentiment of the astronaut John Glenn who, when asked what he was thinking about as he awaited launch: “every part of this rocket was supplied by the lowest bidder”.
Tip: if you find yourself trying to be the lowest bidder, always ensure you can actually meet your obligations to both people receiving care and staff at that price. For homecare providers, the Homecare Association’s Minimum Price for Homecare is essential reading.
Wage-poor, perk-rich
Did you know that cabin crew don’t get their full wages until the doors close on the aircraft? Homecare workers with travel time arrangements that lower their actual wage rate will know that feeling. Even pilots aren’t raking it in these days. Of course, we do have one big difference from aviation here – the general public know we aren’t paid much!
Regardless, pilots and cabin crew usually do their job for the love of it beyond the wages and so do we. While getting to see the world is a pretty unbeatable perk, providing good care – whichever of the six million parts you are – can also bring unmatchable joy and satisfaction.
If you need assistance piloting your plane, then please get in touch and set up a free consultation call to see how I can help.
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