Chris Brougham

Chris Brougham is committed to delivering a safe and high-quality service for each of our clients at Verita Consultancy Limited.

9 steps to commissioning an independent review

What is an independent review? An independent review is the process whereby a service being provided by an organisation is evaluated by an external party in order to gain unbiased and objective feedback. An independent review team can help your organisation to make improvements or changes to your service to enhance customer satisfaction and trust. …

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The importance of good leadership

During a recent webinar, CQC talked about the characteristics they see in the organisations that are improving.  They are that the organisation is outward looking, it responds well to feedback and where the leaders have an ‘open door’ culture.  It is striking that these features of improving organisations are the same as those of good …

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Do we need a patient safety commissioner?

Baroness Cumberlege’s report ‘First Do No Harm’ gives everyone involved in healthcare a lot to think about.  The report examines the consequences of the use of Primodos, Sodium Valproate and pelvic mesh.  It highlights serious failings and describes the industry’s response as “disjointed, siloed, unresponsive and defensive”.  The reader is left with the dispiriting feeling …

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Courage in the workplace: leadership essential to prevent and tackle abuse

The importance of courageous leadership to prevent abuse in the workplace has come into focus with the emerging scandal at British Gymnastics, which experience suggests is still in its early stages. It is positive that, as more victims have come forward and external scrutiny increased, the organisation has now pledged to carry out an independent …

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Charity Governance

The role of trustees in a charity and the effective actions they can take

Trustees in a charity – Verita and Saxton Bampfylde executive summary   The important role of trustees in a charity are explored. Being tenacious is key to successful governance. The issues of confidence, complacency, and challenge were common themes during a wide-ranging discussion with leading trustees and audit chairs on their role in a charity …

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Put it right: serious incident investigations

Put it right: serious incident investigations

Serious incidents The current NHS England national serious incident framework outlines the need to make sure that investigations into serious incidents are carried out for the purposes of learning to prevent recurrence. Despite this guidance, there is evidence that the same type of incident happens again and again across the NHS. In our experience, there …

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Investigating serious incidents in the NHS: developing an open and fair approach

Investigating serious incidents in the NHS: developing an open and fair approach

Investigating serious incidents The draft Health Service Safety Investigations Bill aims to bring about a whole-system change to how the NHS investigates and learns from investigating serious incidents. A learning culture in the airline industry has led to dramatic improvements in safety and it is this philosophy that is driving the draft investigations bill. Building …

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Serious incident investigation – care homes in Devon

Serious incident investigation – care homes in Devon

Serious incident investigation In 2011, the Devon and Cornwall Police launched an investigation into alleged abuse at several care homes across Devon, which had been run by Atlas Projects Ltd for people with learning disabilities. Looking into serious incidents, this investigation in October 2013, the police commissioned Verita to review the care provided to residents at …

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Providing a ‘safe space’ in healthcare safety investigations

Providing a ‘safe space’ in healthcare safety investigations

Healthcare safety investigations In October last year, the Department of Health launched a consultation titled “Providing a ‘safe space’ in healthcare safety investigations”. The consultation ran until mid-December with its purpose to collate views on the creation of a fair and balanced ‘safe space’ in healthcare safety investigations in order to support NHS staff in …

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Outsourcing public services: clearing a backlog of complaints

The advantages of complaint management outsourcing

What is complaint management outsourcing? Receiving a complaint never feels good so unsurprisingly there are many organisations who find it difficult to see them as useful feedback. This can lead to delays in responding to complaints, as well as an inability to use them as a tool to drive improvements. This is where complaint management …

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