BREAKS SERVICE

020 8302 6579

Carers Support (Bexley), The Manor House, Sidcup DA14 6BY

Care Co-ordinator / Claire
Hunt /
Service Manager / Margaret Arnold /
Respite Manager / Hazel
Grout /

A LARGE PRINT VERSION OF THESE GUIDELINES IS AVAILABLE ON REQUEST

Registered Charity No. 1075801

About Carers’ Support (Bexley)

Carers’ Support (Bexley) was started in September 1994 to provide flexible breaks for carers by offering support to people in their own homes. Support is given by full time volunteers who are trained by the carer and cared-for person to carry out whatever personal care, domestic tasks and social activities are required while the carer is away. In certain circumstances, volunteers can also accompany a family on holiday to assist with the caring and enable a carer to have a more relaxing holiday (UK destinations only). Relationships are built up gradually, and only when everyone is happy about it, will the volunteer take over from the carer.

The Service has funding from Bexley Council and the Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) to provide breaks where a family member carers for a person over 18, and also we receive funding from the Big Lottery and from Bexley’s Disabled Children’s Service (to provide short breaks to parents who care for a disabled child).

We are a registered charity and anyone who wishes to can apply to become a member of our organisation. Any carer using our service will automatically receive an invitation to our Annual General Meeting (AGM) and a copy of our annual report.

As an organisation providing care in people’s own homes, we are registered with the Care Quality Commission. If you wish, you may see a copy of the Commission’s latest Inspection Report about our service and the Statement of Purpose for our organisation. Our last inspection was 28 November 2013. This can also be accessed through the CQC website.

Details of Service

(1) Carers and cared for people aged 18 and over can use the service and each family may book up to

28 days per year (Between 1 April & 31 March). Referrals can be made directly by the family or from other agencies.

(2) Carers of children who have been referred to our service via the Disabled Children Service will be told exactly how many hours they are entitled to by the Council as the number of hours and the frequency of visits is determined by the Short Breaks Panel at Bexley Council. Carers Support Bexley will deliver the hours as specified by them.

(3) If you are a carer of a child who does not meet the Disabled Children Service’s threshold for services funded by them, you might be able to still access our breaks service but this is subject to us having the capacity to support you. We have a very small amount of funding from the National Lottery to support families who fall outside Bexley Council’s criteria for breaks services.

If the cared for person is over the age of 18, subject to assessment, we can provide:-

·  A break of up to 2 weeks so that a carer can go away for a holiday

·  Regular one day breaks (typically 7 hours once a fortnight, but could be up to 24 hours).

·  One-off short breaks but this is dependent on the availability of the Co-ordinator and the volunteer at the time of the request. We need to point out that it is usually very difficult to fit in one-off breaks at short notice.

·  Potentially, emergency cover – for existing clients only – subject to their usual volunteer being available

Services provided by other agencies, for example care agencies for personal care for the cared for person continues while our service is in place, whether you request a regular or a holiday break.

The service is free. Families, however, would need to provide a meal for the volunteer during breaks that cover breakfast, lunch and evening meal times. Additionally, if they take the cared for person out, the cost of food/drink/entrance to activities all have to be met by the family. A further cost to the family would be when you request a break to finish at 9pm or later (see Health and Safety section) as you would be asked to cover the cost of a cab to send the volunteer home (if the family is not able to take them home themselves).

About Our Volunteers

Our volunteers are young people, mostly from overseas, who commit to volunteering with Carers’ Support for between six months and a year. They are provided with accommodation and living expenses by us. They are able to volunteer in the evening, overnight and at weekends so that carers can have a break when they most need it. Volunteers are expected to undertake all the tasks usually done by the carer, including assisting with personal care – for example, washing, dressing and toilet support. They can, occasionally, carry out light housework tasks (but only when covering a holiday break and household tasks are not usually carried when receiving a regular fortnightly visit). They are not expected to do any heavy domestic tasks such as cleaning windows or mowing a lawn. Regular breaks are to provide care most of of all and not to do housework unless it relates directly to supporting the cared for person. With regard to cooking, we usually suggest that frozen/chilled ready meals are provided for the cared for person as few volunteers come with much cooking experience.

If necessary, volunteers may undertake certain financial transactions on your behalf. For example, if you are going away on holiday, you might want the volunteer to buy some groceries. Please discuss this fully with the Care Co-ordinator when she comes to see you as we have to follow strict procedures about handling money. The money always needs to be provided in advance as volunteers cannot pay for things themselves.

The volunteer can accompany the cared-for person on local trips. For example, to the shops, library, cinema. He/she is also there to provide companionship and to ensure that the time spent with the cared-for person is a positive experience for them both. It is important to remember that the volunteer is there because they want to help and they need to know that they are valued. For their part, volunteers are aware that they are guests in your house and should respect your wishes about how things are done.

All volunteers have an enhanced police check (known as a DBS) and also come to the UK with a clear Police Check from their country of origin (if they do not normally live in the UK).

How to get our service

Contact: Margaret Arnold, Service Manager 020 8302 6579

When you first contact us to request support, we will ask you about other breaks services you receive. Because most of our funding comes from Bexley Council, they ask us for the names and addresses of the people who request our help and also details of any other services they receive. If you are not receiving services that the Council fund elsewhere, you will be able request our service.

If you are receiving other breaks funded by Bexley Council, you might still be able to receive a service from us, but the Council have to give us permission to provide our service and it would be offered as part of your whole package: the frequency of breaks we provide will be decided by your Social Worker and not determined by us.

Once a request for the service has been accepted by us, the Service Manager will arrange for someone to visit you at home. The purpose of this visit is to look at what needs you and the cared-for person have and if we can help. Consideration will be given as to whether a volunteer can carry out the tasks involved without problems, risk to their own safety, or that of the person requiring assistance.

Consent

The cared for person has to consent to accepting the service. If they are not able to do so due to their illness or condition (eg because they lack the mental capacity to give consent), if you have Power of Attorney you will be able to give consent on the behalf. If you do not have POA and they lack capacity to give consent, then a discussion will take place to ascertain whether it is in the cared for’s best interests to put the breaks service in place.

Agreement to Commence the Service

If we feel we have a suitable volunteer, he/she will then be introduced to you. Normally, a few visits will be arranged to get to know the person they will be looking after before the breaks start. The planned break can take place when everyone is confident about the volunteer’s ability to support the person needing care and the volunteer and the cared-for person both feel that they can get on together while you are away. The Care Co-ordinator is available to support these arrangements and provide any additional training needed.

Volunteers receive an induction training schedule when they join us, including training in First Aid, Safeguarding Adults and Children, Moving and Handling etc, but they also need to be trained by the family carer so that things are done in the way you and the cared-for person want (but within Health and Safety guidelines).

Health & Safety

We are obliged to protect the health and safety of our volunteers and the person they are caring for. We may, therefore, have to ask you to comply with certain requirements. For example, when moving someone with mobility difficulties the right equipment will need to be in place; any medication given has to be administered from original bottles or packets; when travelling by car, the volunteer must have a seatbelt and would not be able to hold a child on his/her lap. Other factors we have to take into consideration include the environment (your home) she or he will be volunteering in or any appliances they may be using. We cannot allow our volunteers or staff to be subjected to passive smoking in the course of their volunteering and we will, therefore, ask you to provide a smoke-free environment when they are in your home.

If volunteers are asked to provide a break for you that finishes after 9pm, we have to ask that they are taken home in your car (if you have one) or that you pay for a cab to send them home.

Cancellations

Please be aware that, unfortunately, we may not be able to advise volunteers of any cancellations you make at short notice. This is because we do not have the funding to enable us to have a member of staff in the office all the time. If you telephone the office to cancel a visit over the weekend or at the end of the day for the next day’s break, your message will not be picked up until after the booking time. This means the volunteer will still turn up at your home. Additionally, we are obliged to notify the Council if breaks commissioned by the Disabled Children’s Service are cancelled by the family and they may still be counted as part of your allocation.

Cancelled breaks at short notice are also still counted as one of the 28 visits per year.

Occasionally, Carers’ Support (Bexley) have to cancel a break because the volunteer is ill. We cannot usually replace the volunteer with someone else as we do not have a pool of volunteers available for such circumstances. We are sorry about the inconvenience this will cause but we do not have funding to cover such occurrences. However, when a holiday break has been booked, we will make every effort to cover this.

Insurance

Although every effort will be made to meet your needs and provide a volunteer for the times/dates you request, we cannot guarantee a service for specific periods. It is, therefore, very important that you take out the

necessary insurance to cover for cancellation if you book and pay for a holiday. It is also in your interests to provide insurance cover for any damage which may accidentally be caused by a volunteer in your home. Volunteers are covered by public liability insurance through the organistion.

Equality and Inclusion

Carers’ Support aims to promote equality of opportunity. Therefore, families wishing to use the service will not be discriminated against on grounds of race, gender identity, disability, sexual orientation, age, religion and

belief. This also applies to the acceptance of volunteers into the organisation. Any racial or sexual abuse or harassment of volunteers while they are with families may lead to the service being withdrawn.

English is the only language spoken by Carers’ Support staff. However, we can access an interpreter and signers if needed. Please let us know if you require this service.

On going support from Carers Support Bexley

If you decide to use our service on an on-going basis, it will be necessary to introduce other volunteers to you from time to time. Either the Care Co-ordinator or a volunteer you already know will usually bring the new volunteer to meet you and the person you care for. Even if there is no change of volunteer, your Care Co-ordinator will need to visit you from time to time (and at least once or twice a year) to ensure that the original details you gave us are still up to date and review your Support Plan and also to see the volunteer and monitor their support to the cared for person. Please let us know as soon as possible if there are any changes to your circumstances or to the needs of the person you care for.

Donations

The funding we receive only covers the day-to-day running of the service. We rely on donations from the families who benefit from the service in order to provide any “extras” which are needed, for example items of furniture for their accommodation, office equipment and other unforseen expenses. If you are satisfied with the service you receive from us and would like to make a donation, cheques should be made payable to Carers’ Support (Bexley) and sent to the address on the front of this leaflet. Volunteers cannot accept any personal payment but donations are welcome which should be sent direct to the office (please do not send cash).