In-depth interviews by managers with older service users
One method which may encourage a more holistic viewpoint among service managers would be a short experiential programme which involves managers in conducting around four in-depth interviews each with older people who use services. Aims are:
· To orient managers to the aspirations of service users through an interview schedule which is based round the service user’s life as a whole.
· To encourage managers to tackle barriers to flexible, person-centred care through knowledge gained from these interviews and through greater identification with a service user viewpoint.
This suggestion derives from an experimental programme of interviews by Social Services managers with their older home care customers, which was designed and studied by SPRU jointly with a Social Services Department. (A short description and a detailed description are available on the internet.) These interviews were initially intended simply to collect information to feed into Social Services policy making. But the interviews affected some managers quite strongly. On their own initiative they began investigating problems raised by their interviewees and began making improvements to the service. The most interesting of these interventions were those which could improve services for many more service users than the interviewee who had drawn a manager’s attention to a problem. Another consequence from these in-depth interviews, according to some managers, was increased enthusiasm for caring.
The suggestion here is for a much swifter and less formal programme of interviews than in the original version described on the weblinks provided. The following elements are recommended.
Four interviews per manager – lest one or two interviews have undue influence.
Interviews are conducted in service users’ own homes.
Preferably interviewees include people who receive high weekly hours of care and who do not have helpful relatives nearby. They are particularly likely to show the need for a flexible, holistic approach since they will have many miscellaneous needs but little informal help with these.
Interviewers record their interviews in their own way, so they can share their experiences verbally with colleagues – for instance in a working group.
Verbal feedback / experience sharing / reflection is planned for the managers who participate.
No overall written report would be collated from the interviews. This would make the interview programme much quicker and easier than the original version.
Within their ordinary managerial roles, interviewers can use information from the interviews to investigate and make changes if they feel moved to do so.
For a structure for such interviews, consider adapting the topic guide sent to service users during the original interview programme.