Brooke East Africa presents at VetEd
Brooke East Africa’s Dr James Kithuka was at the University of Glasgow on Wednesday 6 to Friday 8 July 2016 showcasing Brooke’s clinical quality enhancement framework at the Veterinary Education Symposium - VetEd.
VetEd takes place annually, with delegates from vet schools around the globe. It is an opportunity for veterinary educators and professionals to come together and share ideas and innovations for teaching undergraduate and postgraduate vets. Keynote speakers are invited to hold workshops and present posters designed to inform, stimulate and inspire.
James was invited to present on Brooke’s work-based assessment, which we introduced to ensure that Brooke standards are met by the service providers Brooke works with. Brooke East Africa works with over 950 service providers, including vets, paravets, farriers and local animal health workers. These providers work to improve the welfare of 329,000 working equines, so James was well placed to present on its merits and limitations.
Brooke staff use the work-based assessment tool to train and mentor a diverse range of local service providers. Within the work-based assessment, service providers work on six areas of competence in animal welfare; communications, clinical expertise, clinical governance, kit content and kit maintenance. The tool also encourages one-on-one feedback, the development of mentor relationships and identifies future training needs both individually and at a regional level.
James’ presentation highlighted the need for a standard work-based assessment procedure and demonstrated how the work-based assessment tool contributes to the professional development of service providers in order to maintain the highest level of clinical standards when addressing equine welfare.
The integration of work-based assessment in the provision of equine health care is one of the easiest and most appropriate methods of guaranteeing continuous improvement in the quality of services provided.
James also ran a workshop giving delegates the opportunity to try the assessment model and see the benefits for themselves. Senior professionals from various UK universities, including Cambridge, Nottingham, Glasgow and Edinburgh, as well as staff from other animal welfare charities attended.
With the help of the work-based assessment framework, Brooke aims to develop mentoring relationships with all levels of healthcare providers across our country programmes, in order to improve the quality of healthcare services to better the lives and welfare of working equines.
Projects in Kenya
National Donkey Welfare Day aims to recognise the contribution donkeys make to the national and rural economy across Kenya.