SERVICE USER'S GUIDE
Contents
1. THAMES HOMECARE SERVICES LTD Suite B 7th Floor Hannibal House Elephant Castle London SE1 6TE Tel 0207 7015161 Fax 0872 115 8906 Email info thameshomecare co uk SERVICE USER S GUIDE OFFICE HOURS 9AM TO 5PM MONDAY FRIDAY EMERGENCY OUT OF HOURS TELEPHONE NUMBERS Tel 0207 7015161 07956037046 or 07904755963 THAMES HOMECARE SERVICES LTD IS REGULATED BY THE CARE QUALITY COMMISSION COPYRIGHT THAMES HOMECARE SERVICE LTD DECEMBER 2014 CONTENTS THE SERVICE INTRODUCTION AIMS AND OBJECTTIVES PHILOSOPHY OF CARE WHAT IS HOME CARE DESCRIPTION OF SERVICES PEOPLE FOR WHOM THE SERVICE IS PROVIDED CHARGES INSURANCE ADVOCACY THE STAFF CONDUCT HOLIDAYS AND SICK LEAVE IDENTITY BADGES PROTECTIVE CLOTHING QUALIFICATIONS RECRUITMENT TRAINING SUPERVISION TIME SHEETS HOURS OF OPENING THE POLICIES COMPLAINTS POLICY CONFIDENTIALITY GENDER CHOICE PERSONAL CARE GIFTS BEQUESTS AND LEGAL DOCUMENTS HANDLING MONEY SHOPPING FINANCES HEALTH amp SAFETY TAKING RISKS KEYS AND KEY SAFES MEDICATION AND HEALTH RELATED TASKS RECORDS SERVICE REVIEWS WITHDRAWAL OF SERVICE PROTECTING YOU QUALITY ASSURANCE NON DISCRIMINATION COPYRIGHT THAMES HOMECARE SERVICE LTD DECEMBER 2014 v g Q oO OAAUURWWWUW OONNNNOG SERVICE USER GUIDE THE SERVICE INTRODUCTION Welcome to Thames Homecare Service Ltd This Service User Guide tells you about our Company a2. You can however use the time allocated in a flexible way and although you might not be given more hours you can use the hours you have to save some for other forms of support that you want so that your care package is more flexible and suited to what you need Once the duties have been agreed the Manager will produce a Care Plan and this will give the times days and detail the duties to be undertaken for you The Manager will also check to see that there are no risks involved in the work of the Care Workers They will check that if there is any lifting involved in helping with personal care that equipment is brought in to help You will not have to pay for the equipment You may be provided with grab rails and other aids to help both you and the Care Workers From time to time the Manager or a Supervisor will visit to see that you are satisfied with the care provided and you may also be asked to complete a questionnaire to assist with quality monitoring DESCRIPTION OF SERVICES The Company provides domiciliary care to people in the community on a daily weekly overnight or live in basis to older people people with a physical or mental disability or people who are suffering from a medical condition or disease Personal care e Assistance with dressing undressing getting up in the morning and preparing for bed at night e Assistance with bathing showering and washing e Assistance with skin care washing hair an
3. be kept in your home you will be asked to sign and date a confirmation of this to be kept on your personal file in the office The Company maintains records in accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998 The service by constant re view and monitoring The system used will be based on the experiences of Service Users their representative s health professionals social services staff and other stakeholders in the service SERVICE REVIEWS We will carry out service reviews every 3 months or more often if the situation requires it Changes in your circumstances will usually require a reassessment to make sure your needs are met Please contact our office if you wish to request a review or contact the Social Services or Health Department who have commissioned the service on your behalf WITHDRAWAL OF SERVICE COPYRIGHT THAMES HOMECARE SERVICE LTD DECEMBER 2014 In the unlikely event of the Company needing to consider the withdrawal of the service it will give a minimum of twenty four hours notice of this under the Terms and Conditions of the Company and the Company s Withdrawal of Service Policy Although the Manager will take all possible measures to resolve problems there are some reasons why the consideration of withdrawal of service have to be made as follows Physical violence towards Staff serious verbal abuse of Staff swearing making derogatory remarks that are racist or sexist and that are meant to cause
4. offence to Staff Refusing to adhere or co operate with the risk control measures put in place under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 and thus putting themselves and Staff at risk Withdrawal of service will be considered when there are risks present to the Health and Safety of the Staff that are unacceptable and no control measures can be found Other reasons that the Company will consider the withdrawal of the service is the continual pressure on Staff to perform duties that are not part of the agreed Care Plan and the continual undermining of Staff one to another or threats of physical violence Continued accusations of theft against Staff and the constant practice of making complaints about Staff and the Company without reasonable grounds for doing so If you have failed to meet your financial commitments to the Company this will also be a situation where withdrawal of the service is considered A service will not be withdrawn before all parties have been consulted and all reasonable avenues of resolution have been explored and exhausted PROTECTING YOU Care Workers receive regular training on how people should be treated and they are trained to recognise if someone is being bullied physically abused or suffer financial emotional and psychological harm Person s such as informal carers relatives friends and members of the Home Care Staff or other professionally can commit abuse Abuse can take fo
5. stakeholders in the service and uses input of this type as part of their Quality Monitoring programme The Company operates it s Complaints Procedure Informal Complaints These are day to day issues and can usually be resolved by simple management by the Registered Manager or a Supervisor If the issue cannot be resolved the matter should be dealt with as a formal complaint Formal Complaints Formal complaints will be acknowledged in writing within 7 working days The Company will carry out an investigation and take action within 28 days of receiving a complaint and the complainant will be notified of COPYRIGHT THAMES HOMECARE SERVICE LTD DECEMBER 2014 the outcomes of the investigation findings and action taken within this time If following this the person making the complaint is still not satisfied an appeal to the local registering authority either the Local Authority or the Care Quality Commission or both can be made by contacting Care Quality Commission Concerns and Complaints Citygate GALLOWGATE Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 4PA Tel 03000 616161 Compliments The Company also welcomes compliments and will also use these as part of the quality monitoring process Compliments will be read out at staff meetings to let them know that their work is appreciated CONFIDENTIALITY The Company is committed to working under the Data Protection Act 1998 and upholding Data Protection principles All
6. HT THAMES HOMECARE SERVICE LTD DECEMBER 2014
7. T THAMES HOMECARE SERVICE LTD DECEMBER 2014 cover of this guide QUALIFICATIONS PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS The Registered Person Registered Manager has Leadership and Management Diploma in Leading Care Service from Oxford Brookes University Care Workers provided by the Company will receive an induction programme to introduce them to the organisation its philosophy of care aims and objectives policies and procedures In addition to ensure that staff are competent and trained to do the job they do all Care Workers will receive training in mandatory subjects like fire food hygiene fire safety Health amp Safety moving and handling administration of medication SoVA PoCA and cross infection at regular intervals Care Workers also receive specialist training in subjects to enhance their knowledge and performance All Care Workers have an annual appraisal interview to identify their training needs and to register them for their National Vocational Qualification NVQ in Care if appropriate at levels 2 or 3 or equivalent and in accordance with the Health amp Social Care Act 2008 Regulated Activities Regulations 2009 Regulations 23 Outcome 14 CONTACT DETAILS OF THE REGISTERED MANAGER REGISTERED PERSON Suite B 7th Floor Hannibal House Elephant Castle London SE1 6TE Email m aden thameshomecare co uk Tel 0207 701 5161 07956037046 We have an excellent team of trained Care Workers The Care Worker
8. d cleaning teeth Assistance with bed bathing e Assistance with toileting and use of incontinence aids e Assistance with medication and health related duties in accordance with the details in the agreed written Care Plan Night sleepover or sitting service and day sitting services Assisting with feeding Social care including e Companionship social skills social interaction e Reminiscing and mental awareness stimulation Letter writing reading and managing correspondence e Escorting to medical and social appointments COPYRIGHT THAMES HOMECARE SERVICE LTD DECEMBER 2014 Escorting to educational employment establishments e Petcare e Participation in hobbies e Walking and traveling e Assisting with an agreed programme of convalescence rehabilitation e Assisting with budgeting and finances e Support to maintain tenancies e Supported living services in general Domestic care including The preparation of food shopping cooking washing up and menu planning e Cleaning and general routine household tasks Shopping e Laundry including incontinence laundry All tasks carried out by Care Workers will be agreed and set out in writing in the Care Plan Contract PEOPLE FOR WHOM THE SERVICE IS PROVIDED The services are provided to people in their own homes who need help and include Older people with a variety of needs Adults younger adults and children with physical disabilities Ad
9. e Care Services are provided to people in the community by Home Carer s who are mostly employed by Agencies and Local Authorities When you need Home Care you will either be able to choose from a selection of Agencies and purchase it yourself or it will be arranged for you by the Social Services Department or Primary Care Trust When you purchase your own care you can decide what you will need and the times you want depending on how much you want to spend You can agree what you require direct with the Manager of the agency and Social Services can help you find an agency If the Social Services Department or Primary Care Trust is paying for your care they will decide the amount of time you will need for the Home Carers to provide your service You may be asked to contribute an COPYRIGHT THAMES HOMECARE SERVICE LTD DECEMBER 2014 amount towards the cost of it depending on your circumstances When you buy from an agency yourself or the help is purchased on your behalf you will receive a visit from the agency s Manager to agree the detail and you will be given information about the agency You will receive a Service User s Guide like this The details of the times and the exact duties you want a Carer to do for you will be agreed with you However because the help will be largely subsidized you will not be able to have extra time other than that offered to you unless the Social Services Department or PCT agree to fund it
10. e time Care Workers receive training in the administration of medication in accordance with the Administration of Medication Policy of the Company Some tasks like catheter care or instilling eye drops when agreed need to be carried out under the supervision of an Health Care Professional No assistance can be provided that has not been formally agreed with the Manager and detailed in the Care Plan RECORDS The Company complies with the Data Protection Act 1998 You have certain rights to see the information concerning you and your service that are held on file Please contact the Company if you wish to look at these records The Company will hold records in compliance with the Care Standards Act and as part of the regular inspections made by the Care Quality Commission s Inspectors they may wish to see files as part of their audit Apart from this your file will only be seen by people directly involved in providing your service Records are kept in the office in lockable filing cabinets and information stored on a code secure IT system Care Workers are required to make detailed records on special documents that will be kept in your home These records take the form of a daily log of the duties they carry out and other records for things like a medication administration record and financial transaction details These records will be removed after one month or until the service is concluded If you do not wish for these records to
11. f the agency that you have agreed to This could lead to legal action INSURANCE COVER The Company carries Public Liability Insurance and Employers Liability Insurance up to 10 000 000 for any one claim The insurance covers all aspects of it s undertakings However the insurance does not take the place of normal household insurance cover for accidental breakage or damage to household items Please do not make private arrangements with our staff because this will not be covered under our insurance policy ADVOCACY If you need someone to represent or advocate for you for any reason the Company will try to help by either finding you a service provided by the Local Authority or a service provided by volunteers One of the reasons that you may need an advocate are that you do not have a member of your family or a friend who can act on your behalf The type of situation where this might be needed is dealing with officials or people who provide your utilities carry out repairs or offer a service of some type THE STAFF CONDUCT The Staff of the Company are trained to treat you with respect and maintain your dignity at all times They have a Code of Conduct detailing the way they should behave when carrying out their duties and the standards expected of them It is the aim of the Company to guide the Staff to work to the highest possible standards of care provision Staff are trained to Safeguard and respect the intere
12. g needs and to register them for their National Vocational Qualification NVQ in Care at levels 2 or 3 or equivalent Care Workers receive formal supervision with their Supervisor at least every three months and an annual appraisal of their training needs Care Workers will also receive direct observation of their care practice with a Service User at regular intervals by their Supervisor with the Service User s permission HOURS OF OPENING The agency provides services 24 hours a day 365 days per year Outside core hours 09 00 17 00 and at weekends and Bank Holidays the telephone is on a divert on call system TIMESHEETS Care Workers will have a timesheet which they need to complete to record the hours they work You may be asked to sign the timesheet to authorise payment of the hours they have spent with you If you are asked to do this please check the hours and sign for them If you are unable to do this other arrangements will be made by the Manager THE POLICIES COMPLAINTS AND COMPLIMENTS In accordance with the Complaints Policy of the Company Service Users and or their representatives who have any cause for concern or who wish to make a complaint about the service are assured that by lodging a complaint or raising a query the service you will experience no disadvantage and the service you receive will not be affected in any way The Company welcomes comments from Service Users and their representative s and other
13. nces a Supervisor will make an assessment of any safety risks that arise either presenting a risk to yourself or to the Care Worker If the Supervisor identifies anything that could present a risk measures will be taken to reduce or eliminate it Care Workers are guests in your home and will respect your right to live as you choose However they are required to contact the office if they believe that the risks you take may cause harm to yourself or have an impact on the service they are sent to provide KEYS AND KEY SAFES Care Workers do not usually hold the house keys of people they visit However if there is a reason why this needs to be done it must be formally recorded in advance in accordance with the Company s Key Holding Policy Care Workers will be given the key safe combination numbers of the people they visit The Company s Policy arrangements ensure that these numbers are kept securely and are never written down with the address MEDICATION AND HEALTH RELATED TASKS Care Workers will administer medication and carry out health related COPYRIGHT THAMES HOMECARE SERVICE LTD DECEMBER 2014 tasks like applying skin cream but only when it has been formally agreed and written in the Care Plan Both prescription and over the counter remedies like Vick or laxatives must be formally agreed beforehand so that it can be checked as to whether the medicines will have no side effects if taken at the sam
14. nd what you can expect from our services The contents of the guide follows Outcome 1 Regulation 17 the Health amp Social Care Act 2008 Regulated Activities Regulations 2009 Thames Homecare Service Ltd is a Registered Company that is registered and inspected by the Care Quality Commission We provide services to Local Authorities and Primary Health Trusts We are a member of the United Kingdom Home Care Association UKHCA This document is available in Braille on tape or in a variety of other languages on request AIMS AND OBJECTIVES The Company aims to provide a quality care service to people in their own homes This is carried out by the delivery of personal care general support monitoring and associated domestic care that is constantly reviewed to achieve a standard of excellence that includes the principles of good care practice Our goal is to be the Home Care Service of choice in the local community PHILOSOPHY OF CARE The philosophy of the Company is to give people choice to be cared for at home by experienced well trained staffs that are familiar with their needs The service recognises that Service User s needs are of the utmost importance and care duties will be carried out in a manner that respects privacy and dignity The service will study the Service User s wishes and preferences and the care plan will be produced to reflect this in a way that maximises the independence of the individual WHAT IS HOME CARE Hom
15. rm in subtle ways like Care Workers calling people pet names that they don t like or speaking to someone else in a language they don t understand so that they do not know if they are being discussed or not Care Workers using their mobile phone whilst they are providing care or speaking over the head of a Service User to another person Any reports of abuse or suspicion of abuse must be reported to the Manager without fail COPYRIGHT THAMES HOMECARE SERVICE LTD DECEMBER 2014 QUALITY ASSURANCE The quality assurance programme used by the Company aims to improve The Company needs your comments on the service to enable them to improve it and we would appreciate your help in completing questionnaires and quality interviews that we will carry out annually to obtain feedback The outcomes of our programme will be published annually and copy supplied to the Care Quality Commission and made available to Service Users their representative s and other stakeholders on request in accordance with the Health and Social Care Act 2008 Regulated Activities Regulations 2009 Regulation 10 Outcome 16 NON DISCRIMINATION Home Care Services Limited will aim at all times to take your individual cultural needs into consideration when developing your individual plan of care Our aim to ensure that you are treated fairly and equally but if you have any concerns regarding discrimination please contact the Manager immediately COPYRIG
16. s Care Workers are not allowed to recommend tradesmen or a member of their family or friends to carry out work in your home Care worker should not accept any money under no circumstance offered by the client when carrying outdoor shopping duties Care Workers must not ask a Service User for permission to make personal telephone calls from the Service User s telephone whether the call be a local one or to a country overseas This policy has been produced to protect both Service Users and Staff from involvement in situations that have the potential of causing serious problems to one or other of the parties involved Situations that have deteriorated as a consequence of the subjects included in this Policy can include the allegation of financial abuse or legal action HANDLING MONEY SHOPPING FINANCES When Care Workers make financial transactions on your behalf for things like collecting pensions shopping or paying bills they will enter the details on the financial record sheet kept in your home They will keep the receipt for shopping and count the change out to you Care Workers should not be given cash cards or PIN numbers to obtain money from a bank on your behalf Only financial arrangements that have been formally agreed and written in the Care Plan can be carried out for you Please contact the Manager if you are not sure about any needs you have that are not being met HEALTH amp SAFETY TAKING RISKS Before a service comme
17. s receive regular training in Health and Safety Moving and Handling Fire First Aid Food Hygiene Safeguarding Infection Control and Dementia Care New Care Workers receive induction training which lasts up to 5 days and includes all the policies of the Company and practice guidance and shadowing with an experienced staff member Staffs are offered the opportunity to study for their NVQ Level 2 and 3 in Care Provision or equivalent RECRUITMENT TRAINING SUPERVISION Care Workers receive a formal selection interview to establish their experience and their suitability for the work An Enhanced Criminal Records check is carried out on each Care Worker and two professional references are obtained Care Workers provided by the Company receive an induction programme in line with the Skills for Care Induction Standards Induction will introduce them to the organisation its philosophy of care aims and objectives policies and procedures Care Workers also receive training COPYRIGHT THAMES HOMECARE SERVICE LTD DECEMBER 2014 in mandatory subjects like fire safety food hygiene basic first aid safeguarding vulnerable adults dementia care Health amp Safety moving and handling administration of medication and cross infection at regular intervals Care Workers also receive specialist training in subjects to enhance their knowledge and performance All Care Workers have an annual appraisal interview to identify their trainin
18. staff will abide by the Confidentiality Policy of the agency and sign to confirm that they have read and understood it Personal information is stored securely in the Company s offices and Service Users personal confidences are respected by staff If you think there has been a breach of confidentiality it must be reported directly to the Manager who will investigate and take appropriate action under the Disciplinary Code of the agency GENDER CHOICE PERSONAL CARE You have the right to choose the sex of the person sent to perform personal care This is because of the personal nature of the service GIFTS BEQUESTS AND LEGAL DOCUMENTS The Company aims to make sure that you receive a care service of the highest possible standard Your compliments are our best rewards and we would ask you to abide by our policies aimed to ensure your protection Care Workers are not allowed to accept gifts of money or other presents Care Workers are not allowed to accept loans Care Workers must not buy lottery tickets or sell you raffle tickets even though they might be for a good cause Care Workers must not sell to you from mail order catalogues Care Workers must not ask for sponsorship or for donations for charitable organisations or good causes Care Workers are not allowed to act as witness to legal documents and COPYRIGHT THAMES HOMECARE SERVICE LTD DECEMBER 2014 wills Care Workers are not allowed to benefit from will
19. sts of the service users and their carers within the Policies of the Company and the guidance they provide Support people s rights to control their lives and make choices about the services they receive within the agreed details of the Care Plan e Listen respect and promote the views of Service Users and their representatives e Value and treat each individual as a person in their own right respect COPYRIGHT THAMES HOMECARE SERVICE LTD DECEMBER 2014 and maintain dignity and privacy of Service Users Our Staff are required to Be honest and trustworthy e Be reliable and dependable Honour work commitments e Declare conflicts of interests Abide by the Health and Safety policies and codes of practice Abide by the Administration of Medication Policy and code of practice Each member of staff has a Criminal Records Bureau CRB police check They are subject to regular supervision monitoring and have regular appraisals for their care practice and training needs In the same way we expect you to show respect for the Staff and treat them well There are some types of behaviour towards Staff that are unacceptable and can lead to the withdrawal of your service HOLIDAY LEAVE AND SICKNESS COVER When a Care Worker is away the Company will make other arrangements to ensure you receive the service you need You will be informed in advance the name of the Care Worker s who have been selected
20. to replace your regular one If a permanent change needs to be made we will discuss this with you The Company will make every effort to ensure you receive a reliable service at all times IDENTIFICATION Care Workers are issued with the Company s laminated identification badge that carries a photograph of them on it Care Workers should show you the identification badge when they visit you You should not allow a Care Worker into your home if you do not know them before they have shown you their identity badge If a you have any concerns about the person you should contact the office PROTECTIVE CLOTHING Care Workers are supplied with plastic aprons and latex gloves which they will wear when they carry out personal care duties Care Workers need to wear protective clothing for hygienic reasons and to prevent the spread of infection Care Workers are also expected to wash their hands on entering and before leaving your home Please contact the office if your Care Worker omits to do this PUNCTUALITY Although we make all effort to ensure the Care Workers arrive punctually there are various reasons why a Care Worker might be late The most common reason is because of traffic congestion This may be a particular problem when your call is at a peak time when the traffic is heavy If a Care Worker has not arrived 30 minutes later than the agreed time you must contact the office on the telephone number printed on the front COPYRIGH
21. ults younger adults and children with leaning disabilities Adults and younger adults with mental health problems Adults younger adults and children suffering from a disease s The Company offers services to all people without prejudice of their culture race ethnic origin colour religion political beliefs sexual orientation marital status disability or disease CHARGES Social Services Health Service and other organisations may provide support for individuals and their families In situations where individuals who do not meet the criteria to receive a service through these sources and wish to purchase a service the charges are as follows Standard Rate Monday to Friday 8am to 9pm 11 70 per hour Premium Rate Monday to Friday 9pm to 8am 11 70 per hour Weekend 11 70 per hour Bank Holiday Rates 17 55 per hour PRICES ARE SUBJECT TO BE REVEIWED ONCE EVERY FISCAL YEAR Shorter visits of 30 minutes duration can be made by arrangement All invoices will be on a four weekly basis and payments must be received within 30 days of the invoice date Prices will be reviewed annually COPYRIGHT THAMES HOMECARE SERVICE LTD DECEMBER 2014 EMPLOYING THE HOME CARERS You must not offer to try to employ the Care Workers that we have introduced to you in any type of private arrangement If you employ the staff introduced by the Company both you and the Care Worker will be in breach of the terms and conditions o
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