Supporting people, supporting people

Guide for Clients

Welcome to Bloomsbury Home Care. We are delighted to be able to offer you our service.

This is our Guide for Clients. We hope you find it useful and informative.

This document can be made available in Braille, large print or audio. Please ask if you would prefer any of these options.

Guide for Clients

Contents

1.Philosophy

  1. Aims and objectives
  1. Services provided
  1. Delivery of care
  1. Comments, compliments and complaints
  1. Policies
  1. Key contract terms and conditions
  1. Hours of operation
  1. Insurance cover
  1. Key addresses

1. THE BLOOMSBURY PHILOSOPHY
  • That clients should have the opportunity to stay living in their own homes for as long as they wish.
  • That clients should be treated as we would wish to be treated.
  • That looking after staff is morally and commercially sound.
  • That teamwork will always produce more than a series of individuals.

2. BLOOMSBURY’S AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

Bloomsbury is pleased to be able to provide supportassistants for older people, physically disabled people and people with learning disabilities.

Assistance can be on an hourly basis, or on a sessional basis, such as sleep-ins and live-ins. Visits of less than one hour are made, but usually at a minimum charge of half an hour. This allows Bloomsbury to pay supportassistants a reasonable sum for each visit, and helps to encourage continuity.

PROMOTING INDEPENDENCE

Bloomsbury promotes independence, both by helping people to stay at home, and by helping people do things for themselves.

Bloomsbury’s approach is collaborative. Staff treat clients with the utmost respect, not simply as users of a service.

ETHICAL BUSINESS PRACTICE

Bloomsbury is a for-profit, private company, which has the interests of its clients and its staff at its heart.

Bloomsbury will invest in people, systems, procedures and training to achieve and to maintain the highest standards of home care.

CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Bloomsbury will not become complacent. We will constantly seek feedback from clients and staff on our service and develop new and better ways of doing things.

3. THE SERVICES PROVIDED

Bloomsbury provides supportassistants who are trained to help people to remain living as long as they wish in their own homes.

Such assistance is divided into three main categories:-

Personal care

Such tasks may include bathing, washing, dressing, or toileting.

Practical assistance

This may include dusting, vacuuming, cleaning, cooking or laundry.

Social support

This will include companionship and outings.

Client groups may include:-

Clients with Physical Disabilities

Clients with Learning Difficulties

Clients with Mental Health Difficulties

Older clients

Clients with Sensory Impairment

Clients with Dementia

Clients with a terminal illness

4. HOW BLOOMSBURY PROVIDES CARE

There are five key steps to the Bloomsbury quality assurance system, namely:-

  • care planning
  • selection
  • training
  • procedures
  • supervision and review

1.Care planning

A Team Leader visits a prospective client before service starts. This gives us the opportunity to:-

  • introduce Bloomsbury’s service to the client
  • record key information about the client’s condition and needs
  • risk assess
  • ensure that Bloomsbury can meet the needs of the client
  • answer any questions the client may have
  1. Selection

All Bloomsbury staff are selected only after a rigorous recruitment process, involving:-

  • detailed application form
  • short-listing for interviews
  • short written exercise
  • interviews by two managers
  • referencing, including follow-up confirmation checks
  • disclosure and barring service bureau check
  • probationary period
  1. Training

Bloomsbury believes that the need for training never stops. Staff at all levels are trained to the highest standards, both induction and ongoing.

National Vocational Qualifications (“NVQ”) represent the core achievement levels for SupportAssistants, Team Leaders and managers. Bloomsbury is proud to be registered as an NVQ Training Centre and to be able to offer NVQ training to staff.

4.Procedures

Bloomsbury believes that training, though necessary, is not sufficient. It needs to be backed up and reinforced with precise, written procedures.

Bloomsbury has developed a detailed handbook for SupportAssistantswhich continues the core principles established in induction.

  1. Supervision and review

Bloomsbury recognises that the achievement of quality is a continuous process.

All staff receive regular supervision by their line managers. This positive function helps to identify and suggest ways of dealing with any problems or training needs staff may have.

Clients are visited at least once every year. Team Leaders can thereby ensure that clients are continue to be delighted with the service they are receiving.

In addition, regular satisfaction surveys for staff and clients are sent, the results compiled, and reviewed by senior management.

Systems

The processes above are backed up by state of the art systems for scheduling, client and staff information, recording and monitoring and quality assurance.

Bloomsbury’s client, staff and scheduling system is web-based. The advantages of this are:-

  • Robustness of data. All data is stored on large servers at remote locations and professionally backed up every day.
  • Availability of data. Bloomsbury’s management can access data from anywhere in the world, provided they have a valid password and internet access.
  • Security of data. Bloomsbury’s staff do not carry written details of clients and staff. Instead they carry computers allowing access to the internet, but only with the correct password.

Quality Assurance

Bloomsbury’s quality assurance processes are a key part of its methodology.

Checks and reviews

  • every client signed off by Team Leader and Registered Manager
  • every new Support Assistant appointment signed off by Team Leader and Registered Manager
  • regular supervision
  • regular client review
  • questionnaires
  • training feedback forms
  • monthly quality meeting

5. COMMENTS, COMPLIMENTS AND COMPLAINTS

Bloomsbury welcomes all comments from clients, both positive and negative.

If you would like to make any comment about our service, you may:-

  • speak to your SupportAssistant
  • speak to your Team Leader on his or her next visit
  • ring your Team Leader
  • ring Bloomsbury Central Support on 0845 5084512

Or if you feel you would like to speak to someone outside Bloomsbury you may contact the Care Quality Commission on the address below.

COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE

INTRODUCTION
Bloomsbury welcomes complaints. It is highly unlikely that a business can deliver flawless service, all of the time. Please be reassured that the fact that you have raised a complaint will not lead to any reprisal
One of the signs of an excellent business is the ability to deal with complaints positively and professionally, and to learn from the lessons.
Complaints can also demonstrate that Clients are empowered to act and know how to complain.
If at any time Clients are unhappy with their complaint, they are encouraged to escalate their complaint either internally to senior management, or externally to social services or to the Care Quality Commission.

THE COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE

Stage 1

If your complaint is about your support assistant, and you feel able to talk to him or her about it, then this is often the best first step. Support assistants are trained to respond positively to complaints.

If you are not satisfied with the response, or if you do not feel able to raise the matter with your support assistant, or if your complaint is about another aspect of Bloomsbury’s service, please move on to Stage 2.

Stage 2

Please contact Central Support either by:-

  • telephone on 0845 508 4512
  • in writing at Bloomsbury Homecare, Unit 2, Station Road, Thorpe-le-Soken, Essex CO16 0HY
  • by e-mail to

and make your complaint. It will then be allocated to the appropriate person to investigate.

The complaint will usually be acknowledged in writing and an investigation began within two working days of receipt of the complaint. A full written report that includes outcomes and any preventative measures taken will usually be given within 21 working days. If the complaint is about a Director it will be investigated under stage 3

Stage 3

If you are unhappy about the way the complaint was investigated at Stage 2 or if the complaint is about the Director it will be investigated at Stage 3. This will normally be completed by a manager or director that is not involved in the complaint and will be completed within 21 days working days.

HOW TO COMPLAIN

If you are unhappy about any aspect of our service then you can

Speak to your Support Assistant

Speak to Central Support on 0845 508 4512

Or

Write to us at

Bloomsbury Home Care Ltd

Unit 2

The Marketplace

Station Road

Thorpe-le-Soken

Essex

CO16 0HY

Or

Email us at

You can also complain to:

The Care Quality Commission

National Customer Service Centre

Citygate

Gallowgate

Newcastle-upon-Tyne

NE1 4PA

Tel: 03000 616161

Other Useful Numbers

General Social Care Council

Goldings House
2 Hay's Lane
London SE1 2HB
Tel (switchboard) 020- 7397 -5100

Local Social Services Department

(Insert name and telephone number here)

6. POLICIES

Below are listed a summarised version of some of Bloomsbury’s key policies. Full versions of every policy are available on request. Please ring 0845 5084512

CLIENT CHARTER

BLOOMSBURY HOME CARE will arrange high quality care in your home through its carefully selected and trained social care assistants.

BLOOMSBURY HOME CARE will support you in your own home with domiciliary care for as long as you wish to stay there.

BLOOMSBURY HOME CARE recognises your right as a person to:

-Privacy.

-Dignity

-Freedom of choice.

-Control over what happens in your own home.

BLOOMSBURY HOME CARE will ensure that any work undertaken in your home will:

-Be agreed by yourself.

-Involve as necessary your other care assistants.

-Be changed at your request.

-Be undertaken in a friendly and efficient manner.

BLOOMSBURY HOME CARE believes you have the right to:

-Choose the service you want.

-Express a preference on the gender of the assistant who helps you.

-Refuse admission of a support assistant into your home.

-Have an explanation of the service that Bloomsbury Home Care can give you.

-Be given information about other services that may be able to assist you

including finding help and advice.

-Have any information you give to Bloomsbury Home Care held in confidence and not disclosed to anybody else without your permission.

-Know that information held on our computers about you is only is done so in accordance with our registration under the Data Protection Act 1988, and is made available to you on request.

-Complain about any aspect of our service in accordance with our Complaints Procedures.

-Be involved in a full assessment of your needs and wishes and be told of the outcome.

-Receive the highest quality care, courtesy, and professionalism from any

employee of Bloomsbury Home Care.

-Expect that all Bloomsbury Home Care Assistants are carefully selected, trained and vetted before being introduced to you.

In return BLOOMSBURY HOME CAREwould ask you to:

-Give as much notice as you can to any changes in your care arrangements.

-Treat your Support Assistant, as you would wish to be treated.

-Allow the SupportAssistant to log on using your telephone (THERE IS NO CHARGE TO YOU FOR THIS SERVICE)

-Settle your account by Direct Debit, Standing Order or credit card.

-Tell us if you are unhappy with any aspect of our service.

Every time you receive an Bloomsbury Home Care Assistant into your house you may expect the following:

-That the SupportAssistant arrives on time.

-That the SupportAssistant stays the full length of the assignment.

-That the SupportAssistant is dressed appropriately.

-That the Support Assistant is courteous and friendly.

-That the SupportAssistant appropriately completes the log book kept in the home

Please be aware that Bloomsbury’s policies state that SupportAssistants must not:

-Accept any gifts, even of minor value (£5.00) without written permission from the Client.

-Be a signatory or witness to a will.

-Be an executor or beneficiary of a will

-Conduct any trading or financial transactions with service users.

If you have any cause for concern under any of the above headings, or any other matter, please speak to your Team Leader. We commit to respond quickly and professionally at all times.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES POLICY

All clients and staff will be treated equally and fairly regardless of their colour, race, nationality, ethnic origin, religion, gender, marital status, sexuality, disability or age.

MISTREATMENT OF VULNERABLE ADULTS

Bloomsbury, on becoming aware of any allegations or suspicions of mistreatment or abuse of any vulnerable adult, will immediately inform the relevant authority (usually Social Services) and agree the necessary action to take, including agreement on who should notify the police and take the lead role during the investigation process.

To comply with Data Protection requirements, the Support Assistant and the client will be informed of allegations/suspicions, including any decision taken to forward the matter to the Police.

Allegations/suspicions made against a Support Assistant will be dealt with in accordance with the organisation’s Disciplinary Procedure, including suspension if subject to an allegation of a criminal offence.

DATA PROTECTION/ACCESS TO RECORDS

Bloomsbury is a “data controller” for the purpose of the Data Protection Act 1998 (the “Act”) and commits to the requirements of the Act. Bloomsbury holds and uses both “personal data” and “sensitive personal data” about its employees, clients and other individuals.

Bloomsbury processes data, including staff and clients records.

The information contained in employee records is taken from the application for employment, Criminal Record Bureau checks, references and Terms and Conditions of employment. The information in the client record is taken from referrals, risk assessments, care planning and the service records. There may be occasions when records could be disclosed to other organisations for example Social Services on inspection and monitoring visits and the Care Quality Commission.

GIFTS AND GRATUITIES

Bloomsbury recognises that people receiving homecare like to be able to thank their Support Assistants and reward them on occasions such as Christmas. To refuse may cause offence and unnecessary distress. However any such gifts accepted by the Support Assistant should be of minor value only (approx £5.00).

All minor gifts will be recorded in Bloomsbury’s central gifts register.

HANDLING CLIENT’S MONEY

All Support Assistants must handle clients’ money with integrity, honesty and trust and will record all financial transactions on the financial transaction sheet which forms part of the client’s support plan.

MEDICATION

PRINCIPLES

Most clients should be responsible for holding and taking their own medication. Clients should be encouraged to do so. If clients are unable to do so, and where Bloomsbury is the main provider of daily care, it may be appropriate for a member of staff (at the request of the client) to assist to administer medication to the client as part of a planned package of care. Support Assistants must have appropriate training, as medicines are potentially harmful if misused.

CONFIDENTIALITY

All information held by Bloomsbury about clients and staff is confidential

  • Every client has an absolute right to confidentiality and privacy regarding the services they receive in accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998 and The Human Rights Act 1999. Information will not be disclosed to a third party without the consent of the individual concerned. Similarly staff will not disclose any information regarding the client imparted by a thirdparty e.g. District Nurse, without the third party's permission.
  • The only exception to this would be in a medical or other emergency that would put the client at risk.
  • Support Assistants cannot promise to keep information about their clients confidential if it is going to put the assistant or others at risk, or for legal purposes.
  • Information requested by public or statutory authorities will not be given without the necessary authority being produced.
  • All information held on Bloomsbury’s computers is only done so in accordance with Bloomsbury’s registration under the Data Protection Act 1988 and is available to the individual concerned, on request.
  • Staff of both the Care Quality Commission and Social Services have access to records when carrying out inspection and contract monitoring visits. The Registered Manager will identify, record and supervise selected office staff that have access to files and keep this list updated regularly. No unauthorised member of staff may have access to files.
  • All Bloomsbury staff are required to observe, at all times, the strictest confidence in all dealings with clients and matters relating to the Bloomsbury’s business.

7. KEY CONTRACT TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Effective from 1 April 2008

Definitions

‘Bloomsbury’Bloomsbury Home Care Limited, trading as Bloomsbury Home Care.

‘Client’Any named individual who is the subject and beneficiary of planned care services provided by Bloomsbury.

‘Support Assistant’Any named support assistants who are employed or contracted by Bloomsbury to supply their services to the Client.

  1. Services

In return for payment by you of the charges outlined in Section 2 below, Bloomsburymay provide you with a home care service as you have requested at the initial meeting with the Team Leader.

  1. Charges

All charges are calculated by reference to the number of hours worked by the Support Assistant, rounded up to the nearest half hour.

There is normally a minimum charge of one half hour.

Any review of charges will be notified to you giving at least four weeks’ notice.

  1. Invoices and Payment

Bloomsbury invoices once per week. Clients normally pay by Direct Debit. This allows Bloomsbury to pay its staff on a timely basis and to keep prices lower.

Invoices not settled in full within the stated terms of payment will incur a surcharge of 10% of the gross invoice value, excluding VAT if applied. Invoices that fall overdue for payment beyond 28 days of the tax date shown on any invoice may incur additional surcharges equivalent to 2% of the gross invoice value, excluding VAT if applied, for each calendar month thereafter until full payment is received.