Change is hard at any organization, especially when it involves new employee procedures and policies. But with the right preparation and planning, change can often make a positive impact on your clients and staff.
We understand that you may have questions or concerns about SteadyCare Check-In Plus — any new system is bound to come with some uncertainty. With that in mind, we’ve provided answers to some of the most common questions we hear from our clients.
If you still have questions after reading through this list, please don’t hesitate to reach out to your SteadyCare customer success manager.
What if staff leave because of the new check-in system?
Managing employee turnover is a challenge, and we know that it often falls on the program managers and supervisors to fill staffing gaps. While it may cause some stress in the short-term, ultimately, Check-In Plus will help create more accountability for your awake overnight staff and reduce liability at your organization.
If a staff member has concerns about working with Check-In Plus, we encourage you to reach out and listen to those concerns. Emphasize that the check-ins improve resident safety as well as employee safety. Awake overnight staff can feel more secure during their shift, knowing that someone will be notified if they don’t make a check-in.
We’ve also heard from many clients that staff members opposed to check-in policies are often those who have accountability issues during the overnight shift. While this may not be the case for every employee, the system will help create a more responsible staff that ultimately leads to a better environment for your residents.
How does Check-In Plus verify check-ins?
Every employee who calls to check-in will need to state their name and enter a unique personal identification number (PIN). If you would like further verification, you can also ask employees to leave a brief message with a status update.
Check-ins done through our website require employees to enter the check-in phone number and their PIN.
Is Check-In Plus worth the cost?
The return on investment (ROI) varies across organizations, but consider the value Check-In Plus provides by:
• Delivering real-time alerts on missed check-ins, so you can follow-up on problems or incidents before they become more costly issues.
• Eliminating the need for spot checks, which saves you time and money spent on sending an employee out to a facility to check on awake overnight staff.
• Helping you market a safe and reliable home for residents, which builds your credibility and ultimately helps grow your organization.
• Providing third-party verification for employee attendance to ensure staff accountability and reduce liability for your organization in case of an overnight incident.
• Reducing workload for program managers and supervisors who no longer need to check a voicemail box that employees call to check-in.
How quickly can you get the Check-In Plus system in place?
Check-In Plus is an easy-to-use system that usually requires minimal staff training. Once you complete our Check-In Plus set-up form, we can have the system running within two business days. Then, it will be up to you to decide on the schedule for rolling out the new check-in procedure for your team.
Do you provide training resources?
We’re happy to provide ongoing training and support for you and your team. Some of the materials and resources we offer include:
• Check-in policy templates you can use as guidance for your organization’s policy • Step-by-step directions you can distribute to employees
• Support and training from a dedicated customer success manager
• Webinars and training videos
Can I customize Check-In Plus alerts?
The Check-In Plus system is entirely customizable. You can receive alerts for every missed check-in or only after a set number of missed check-ins — there are options to fit every need or preference. The alerts can come via text, phone call or both.
You can set alerts to deliver in real-time, so you will know right away if one of your team members misses a check-in. If missed check-ins are not an urgent matter at your facility, you can elect to have a recap notification that summarizes all completed and missed check-ins from a particular shift.
Can I easily access a log of all my facility’s check-ins?
SteadyCare’s online management portal allows you to quickly view a log of your facility’s check ins, including the check-in time, location and employee name. You can also search check-ins for specific employees.
If you need regular updates about a specific facility, shift or employee, you can use our Reports feature to generate reports on a schedule automatically. You can also view these reports in real time through a personalized dashboard.
Do I need to have awake overnight staff check in every hour?
Every facility is different and it’s up to you to decide whether you need employees to check in every hour. Over the years of working with various organizations and residences, we’ve found that most missed check-ins happen between 2 a.m. and 5 a.m. With that in mind, we encourage our clients to make sure they have check-ins during that timeframe.
Here are some of the benefits of having your awake overnight staff check in every hour:
- Detailed check-in records can reduce your organization’s liability if there is an incident.
- Overnight staff often say that regular check-ins help them stay awake during their shift.
- Residents and their family members can feel reassured that someone is available and in the building during the entire overnight shift.
- Staff can feel safe and secure during their shift, knowing that someone will be notified if a check-in is missed.
- You can quickly see which staff members are doing their part, fix potential problems and reward staff members who are responsible and accountable.
Is there a way to set up reminders for employees who miss a check-in?
Check-In Plus offers automatic courtesy calls to go out to a location just before an employee misses a check-in. The courtesy call is a great reminder for employees who may have been tied up with a task and forgot to check-in. You can customize the window of time employees have to check-in.
If a team member does miss a check-in, they can still call Check-In Plus for a late check-in and leave an update as to why they missed the check-in.
More questions? We’re here to help
Attendance verification is our specialty, and our goal is to make sure that your employees and residents feel safe and secure. If you have any questions about the Check-In Plus system, please don’t hesitate to contact us. Your customer success manager is available to provide answers, training and more.