DSS is working with Health Quality & Safety Commission on a Quality Improvement Project to reduce choking-related incidents across DSS funded providers.
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The project
DSS and Health Quality & Safety Commission are working alongside disability support service providers to reduce choking-related harm for disabled people who:
- receive DSS-funded supports, and
- experience eating, drinking, swallowing and behavioural difficulties that may cause a choking-related incident.
Health Quality & Safety Commission Te Tāhū Hauora is a Crown Agency that plays a critical role as an independent and expert monitor of quality and safety across the health and disability system.
This project takes a quality improvement approach that is grounded in evidence and data, and will strengthen safeguarding practices.
Best practice guidance, resources, and/or tools will be developed to help identify and mitigate risks. These will also support the continuous improvement of reporting and managing incidents.
This is also an opportunity for DSS to strengthen its quality improvement approach that could be replicated in the future to address other quality and safeguarding issues that may arise.
Project timeline
The project is divided into three phases, which will be completed by July 2027.
Phase One: The initial setup of the project includes provider engagement, gaining a common understanding of quality improvement science and principles, and forming a project steering group and working group, so that the scope of the work is clear.
Phase Two: The project team and working group gather information, identify gaps and opportunities, and set baselines to inform the development of best-practice guidance, resources, and/or tools. Change and improvement ideas, informed by this data and intelligence, will be tested across providers involved in the project, as part of a continuous improvement cycle often referred to as PDSA (Plan, Do, Study, Act).
Phase Three: The guidance, resources and/or tools are finalised, published, and shared with disability providers, the sector, and community, to build a culture of learning and sharing across the sector.
Project structure
Different groups have been established to support the project.
Steering group
The steering group includes representatives from DSS, providers, and Health Quality & Safety Commission. They provide strategic, operational, and quality improvement support for the project.
Working group
The working group includes provider representatives with relevant skills and experience, e.g. Speech Language Therapists, Clinical Advisors, and Quality leads. Providers on the group will engage with their staff, and the disabled people they support who are at risk of choking-related incidents to inform and test ideas at a practice level.
The group will develop, adapt, and improve best practice guidance, resources, and/or tools to assist in improving prevention, risk identification, management and reduction of choking-related incidents.
The group plays a key role in supporting successful planning, delivery, and review of the project.
Advisory group
The project will receive feedback and advice on its activities from the DSS established National Quality Leaders Group.
Provider representation
The providers working collaboratively on this project include:
- IDEA Services
- Laura Fergusson Brain Injury Trust
- NZCL
- Spectrum Care
- St John of God Hauora Trust
More information
Health Quality & Safety Commission Health Quality & Safety Commission Te Tāhū Hauora external
If you have any questions about this project, you can contact quality@msd.govt.nz