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SSA Toolkit

Outline goals

 

Outline goals

Outline goals

Describing the aims of the assessment

This section looks at how to understand the purpose and scope of the SSA. This is important because it sets the scope for what will be considered in the rest of the SSA, and ensures that the necessary background information is in place for later in the assessment.

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Outline goals is the second activity in the Examine phase of an SSA

Outline goals is an activity in the Examine phase of SSA

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Describing the system (in words)

At this point it is useful to provide a Brief description of the system, where the system refers to the organisation, set of processes and/or people being examined. Giving a brief description helps to focus the SSA, clarifying its scope and providing context for the rest of the review. This can be particularly important if different stakeholders are present, some of whom may have different views of what the system is. A fuller description is created later in the Describe system activity, so a brief outline description is adequate at this stage. The description should identify the system's purpose and key elements. It is also helpful to document links to other systems.

The example system description is: The process for admitting a young person to the secure mental health unit in accordance with Section 136.

Example of a system description

Putting ‘Describing the system’ into practice

Space to record this information is provided in the SSA Assessment Form. To do this:

  1. Select the ‘Outline goals’ page in the Assessment Form.
  2. Enter a few sentences in the box headed Brief description of the system. It is useful to mention the system’s purpose, key elements and links to other systems.
Screenshot of Outline goals page of the assessment form

Case Study

The completed ‘Outline goals’ page from the Section 136 case study is shown opposite. Further explanation of this stage in the case study can be found on the Section 136 page about Describing the system (in words).

Screenshot of the Outline goals page from the Section 136 case study. The full form in pdf is available from the Resources page.

Click to enlarge
Click to download PDF for full case study
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Setting the scope

It is useful to be explicit about the Scope of the assessment, i.e. about what is included and what is excluded from the SSA. There can be pressure to feel that it is necessary to cover everything. However, this is often not feasible in practice: real life systems are typically complex with many interconnecting components. Focusing on the most relevant parts of the process or goals can be key to ensuring that helpful outcomes are achieved.

The scope should also reflect the types of risk that the SSA will cover. Some SSAs focus only on safety; others may have a broader scope, perhaps focusing on threats to the success of a project to set up a new service (i.e. project risks), or the ability to meet performance criteria for service delivery during the operational stage of a service.

Typical SSAs require regular review of the balance between the time taken and the rigour achieved in delivering the results. In practice, it may sometimes be necessary to revisit the scope of the assessment to narrow it, if time is limited. By documenting what is not covered, assumptions are made clearer, and show what might need to be considered in any further assessments at a later date.

The example assessment focuses on the process of admitting a young person to the unit. It focuses on the parts of this process that take place at the unit itself. It does not examine the processes once the patient has been admitted. It concentrates on safety risks to service users and staff, including violence and aggression and the risks of delayed care, and will consider other types of risk where appropriate.

Example of the scope of an SSA

Putting ‘Setting the scope’ into practice

Space to record this information is provided in the SSA Assessment Form. To do this:

  1. Select the ‘Outline goals’ page in the Assessment Form.
  2. Enter notes on what is to be included or excluded from the SSA in the box headed Scope of the assessment. At the moment, a brief description is all that is necessary. This may be revised later in the process, once a fuller description of the system has been developed.
Screenshot of Outline goals page of the assessment form

Case Study

The completed ‘Outline goals’ page from the Section 136 case study is shown opposite. Further explanation of this stage in the case study can be found on the Section 136 page about Setting the scope.

Screenshot of the Outline goals page from the Section 136 case study. The full form in pdf is available from the Resources page.

Click to enlarge
Click to download PDF for full case study
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Establishing the goals

It is important to record the Goals of the assessment since these can influence decisions regarding the scope of the SSA and the methods used. The goals are likely to be focused on the need to assess the likelihood of a particular undesirable event; identify potential sources of harm within a given system; or assess the impact of a spontaneous or planned change to a system.

The goals will also be informed by the reasons for doing the assessment, described above and recorded on the ‘Background’ page in the Assessment form.

The examples of SSA goals are: Examine the risks involved in the opening of a new unit and address them as far as is practical; determine how to improve the service; and address the unit's capacity issues, with the increase in number of patients, now that patients aged 17 are included.

Example of SSA goals

Putting ‘Establishing the goals’ into practice

Space to record this information is provided in the SSA Assessment Form. To do this:

  1. Select the ‘Outline goals’ page in the Assessment Form.
  2. Enter the aims of the assessment in the box headed Goals of the assessment. Refer to the system to be reviewed and any particular events, sources of risk, or changes that are of interest.
Screenshot of Outline goals page of the assessment form

Case Study

The completed ‘Outline goals’ page from the Section 136 case study is shown opposite. Further explanation of this stage in the case study can be found on the Section 136 page about Establishing the goals.
Screenshot of the Outline goals page from the Section 136 case study. The full form in pdf is available from the Resources page.

Click to enlarge
Click to download PDF for full case study
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