Home Care in Walton-on-Thames

FAQs

What will the main duties and responsibilities of my Carer be?

The following list gives examples of the type of duties our Carers may undertake. We ask our Carers to encourage clients towards the maximum degree of independence and activity appropriate to their abilities whilst supporting them in the following ways (if applicable to do so):

To participate in the delivery of a service to assist people living in the community and respective environments.
To assist clients to reach their potential by helping/enabling/supporting them to maintain life skills and to enjoy an ordinary life within the community.
To promote the values of respect for individual user's rights and needs.
Assisting getting up in the morning including washing/bathing and dressing and maintaining personal appearance.
Assisting with undressing and getting to bed in the evening.
Assisting with preparation of meals, drinks and snacks when necessary.
Provide assistance with toileting and changing clothes and/or bedding where necessary.
To maintain commodes and wash clothes and bed linen (which may include soiled laundry) when necessary.
Provide assistance with other tasks of personal daily living that you cannot manage and provide general support as part of a caring team.
Assist and encourage the management of medication and monitoring health related conditions such as dietary & fluid intake.
To help clients with mobility difficulties, or other physical disabilities, including incontinence. To help in the use of aids and other personal equipment.
To carry out administrative functions, to ensure that all records and files are maintained and held securely and that confidentiality of the information is upheld.
Assisting the service user with a range of administrative tasks, including letter writing, form filling, accounts management, care coordination, working with external services and agencies etc.
Making, booking and attending appointments.
Arranging payment of bills, collection of prescriptions.
Arranging travel for shopping trips, appointments, social and leisure activities etc.
To carry out general household tasks and light domestic support including general cleaning, washing up, laundry, ironing.
Assisting with preparation of meals, drinks and snacks when necessary.
Providing social support through conversation, reminiscing, encouragement, confidence- building, listening.
Dealing with emergency situations by alerting emergency services and providing support.
Monitoring and reporting of changes in service users circumstances and reporting of changes in service users condition following an emergency situation.

What is the recruitment process for Carers?

Our recruitment process involves the following procedures and processes:

All our Carers complete an extensive application form and medical questionnaire
All our Carers are required to attend an initial in-house interview
We take copies of all relevant training certificates the Carer already has in place
We book and cover the cost for Carers to attend any further training courses that may be either out of date or in need of completion
We obtain an Enhanced DBS (Disclosure & Barring Service) Check. Please note, this was formerly known as a Police or CRB (Criminal Records Bureau) Check
We obtain two professional references for every Carer we register

What work does Amily Homecare carry out that is regulated by the CQC?

The provision of Personal Care, Moving & Handling or Medication Support all come under the criteria of Regulated Activities and this work is regulated by the Care Quality Commission. For this reason, there are certain measures, procedures and protocols we need to implement to ensure this work is carried out effectively and recorded in relation to the guidelines. Some of these processes are worth making the client and their families aware of in advance of the support starting so there are no surprises when it begins.

What kind of information will be gathered in advance, about my needs?

Before commencing work with any client, we are required to compile a Support Plan and a Risk Assessment. The way we go about arranging this is as follows;

We will arrange a visit to the clients home and understand their needs as best as possible by either gathering knowledge from the client directly, or from their representative if it is difficult to obtain this information from the client themselves.
We may also seek to contact associated or linked services to ascertain further information if it would be relevant to do so – ie. Social Services, GP, Occupational Therapist, Mental Health Services
From this information, we would build and put together a bespoke Support Plan & Risk Assessment. This would then be placed within the Client File.
Please note that the Support Plan and Risk Assessment try to mitigate for as many risks and circumstances as possible in their planning, however there are events and unforeseen circumstances that a document of this nature may not be able to cover.
Therefore, this document is to be used a guide and reference – but should circumstances present themselves which require unique solutions then this should be acknowledged by all involved in the support process.
Please also note that not all Carers will be comfortable with every task or activity that a Support Plan and Risk Assessment may elude to. Whereas we will try to match as closely as possible to meet the needs of a client – please be aware that there may be areas a Carer is uncomfortable or unable to become involved in.
A Carer feeling uncomfortable taking a client on a rollercoaster ride in a theme park may be an example of this.

What kind of information will go in my client file?

Please note our Carers are required to write daily comprehensive notes in client files. Here is an example of some of the areas of support that they may write about:

General welfare and wellbeing of the client
Food and drink consumed through the booking and at what times
Note on activities undertaken
Any concerns or problems that may have occurred
Medication notes
Domestic assistance around the home

The client file would generally be left at a client’s home for safe-keeping. Therefore, we ask clients to please ensure that the Client File remains in a safe and regular spot where Carers are aware of its location and are able to access it easily and frequently. Please also be aware that the Client File is the property of Amily Homecare and must be returned when the support is completed.

What is a typical care package?

A typical care package is:

For an initial contract period of 12+ weeks
Depending on the nature of support required, from 10+ hours of support per week

Client referrals through Social Services, Local Authority Referrals, NHS Continuing Care Teams etc. tend to be for 12+ months.

How do I pay for the service?

Amily Homecare issues invoices on a weekly basis in relation to work completed the week before. Our standard payments terms are seven days from the date the invoice is sent.

Is the service insured?

Yes, the service is insured and fully covered by a specialist commercial Domiciliary Care policy and includes £10,000,000 Public Liability Insurance.

Call us on 01932 259 613

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