Cleeve Link Service Users Guide

• The Services Provided
• What we Cannot do for you
• Other Services
• Standards of Service
• Acceptance Criteria
• Financial Arrangements
• Quality Assurance
• Complaints
• Security and Safety
• Insurance
• Giving of Medicines and Application of Creams, Ointments etc
• Disposal of Refused Medication

Cleeve Link Ltd offers the following services:

Personal Care

Help with Dressing and Undressing, Shaving, Washing and Bathing, Oral Hygiene, Feeding as necessary with Food and Liquids, Overseeing Medication, and last, but not least, offer Companionship

Continence

Help with incontinence pads, i.e. changing and disposal, emptying and changing of catheter bags, assistance as and when required to and from toilet

Domestic Help

Housework, Laundry, Shopping, Gardening, and Pet walking

Meals

Services Users living in the Cheltenham area can order fresh meals on a daily basis which are prepared in our kitchens and delivered to your home or our Community Care Assistants can cook for you in your own home

Transport

Provision of transport in our vehicles that are fitted with disabled access and wheel chair lifts for visits to hospital, relatives and outings

Escort duties

Provision of qualified staff to escort and assist you whilst out of your home to ensure your safety.

These services are provided 365 days a year from 7am to 10pm.
"Live-in" Care Assistants are provided on a 24-hour basis, 7 days a week, and "Sleep-in" Care Assistants are provided from 10pm to 7am. All of the foregoing services are currently being provided in the following areas:

• Cheltenham
• Prestbury
• Bishops Cleeve
• Winchcombe/Broadway
• Leckhampton
• Painswick
• Tewkesbury
• Cirencester

And all the areas in between these districts and towns.

These services may also be provided outside of these areas but the effectiveness of emergency cover and cost will need to be discussed to determine viability.

1. On their designated visits asking the Care Assistants to spend more time with you other than indicated on your care plan. All Care Assistants visit a number of people each day who will be expecting them at a certain time. Should you feel that you do require more time with the Care Assistant then please do not hesitate to call our office so that extra time can be allocated to satisfy your needs

2. Medication: If you find it difficult or unable to take your own medication, we will do a medication risk assessment and together with the District Nurses attached to your GP's surgery we will decide a safe system of medication administration. If you have difficulties in opening bottles or "dossett" boxes, or need reminding when to take your medication then we can assist

3. Changing curtains/light bulbs or cleaning windows: Because of the risk of falls, our care staff cannot carry out any task that would involve them standing on anything where there may be a risk of industrial injury through accidents

4. Lifting or moving heavy furniture or other items: Again because of the risk of accidents, our staff are not permitted to move or lift heavy items such as furniture.

These things will be fully discussed with you when your needs assessment takes place.

If there is a need for equipment or continence aids then referrals will be made to the appropriate agency or service.

Mrs. Barbara Tarren and her team of activity organisers working at Cleeve Hill Nursing Home, regularly arrange trips out into the countryside for picnics or visit places of interest. They also accompany our residents to see local shows and theatre productions. You are welcome to join any of these events. We can collect and return you to your home in our mini-buses that are equipped for wheelchair access.

Continuity

If we are unable to provide you with your usual Care Assistants(s), we will let you know in advance and ensure you know the name of the replacement Care Assistant

Dignity and respect

Care Assistants employed by Cleeve Link will treat you with care, politeness and respect

Punctuality

We provide your service on the days and times specified on your care plan. If for whatever reason your Care Assistant is unable to arrive at the agreed time you will be notified and alternative arrangements made

Confidentiality

Care Assistants will not divulge details on your personal circumstances without your agreement, unless failure to do so would put you at risk. Employees found to be in breach of this code may be subject to our Disciplinary procedures

Information and involvement

Cleeve Link will provide you with information about the care we are to provide and its costs. You will be provided with information that will enable you to complain if you are not satisfied with any aspect of the care provided

Flexibility

We are committed to provide a responsive and flexible service wherever possible to meet your assessed needs. This may include visits on weekends, public holidays, early morning and evenings and urgent situations whenever possible

Fees

We will tell you about our charging policy. We will write in advance to you if there are any changes to your normal costs

Report writing

All Care Assistants are required to record on care plans the tasks they have carried out, which should also include relevant information relating to the day to day condition of the Service User. The record of care should be signed and dated on leaving.

One of our experienced assessors will visit you to discuss your exact requirements and advise you accordingly. The service is absolutely free and places you under no obligation. Once this assessment has taken place, has been signed by you or your representative as having agreed the assessment, and we all acknowledge that it is safe and practical to offer the service, a start date will be agreed.

nitially a care plan will be agreed prior to commencement and this will be regularly reviewed and updated. We would like to include all interested parties in this exercise such as your GP, the District Nurse and your relatives as appropriate.

A Contract incorporating our Terms and Conditions will be sent to you to read and sign with a copy for you to retain.

In the event that the service is put in place on an emergency basis or other unusual circumstances, the assessment and the draft Care Plan will be put in place within 48 hours.

You may also choose to use our services on a trial basis.

We normally like to invoice you on a weekly basis but alternatively we can amend this to fortnightly or monthly. We do require settlement of the account within 7 days. The invoice will contain details of visits and services provided and a breakdown of the costs.

Statements of accounts will be sent out at regular intervals and where a regular service is provided, we can arrange a Standing Order Mandate with you. To protect you and our staff we do request our Service Users not to pay in cash.

• All prospective employees at interview stage are requested to bring with them forms of identification, qualifications relating to their care experience, training certificates and references
• All prospective employees have to undergo a Criminal Records and Protection of Vulnerable Adults checks before the start of their employment
• Before working with Service Users all Care Assistants undergo at least 2 days induction to familiarise themselves with our working practices
• Regular training is given in Food Hygiene, Manual Handling, First Aid and Administering of Medications by Approved Trainers
• All Care Assistants have an Annual Appraisal, which includes direct observation of their working practices by a Senior Member of Staff every three months
• All Care Assistants have regular supervisory sessions with a designated member of staff
• Service Users are visited regularly by Senior Members of Staff to ensure that the required standards are being maintained by our staff
• Satisfaction surveys are conducted at least once a year to find out how we are performing
• Thorough investigation of Service Users complaints and the assurance that all complaints and concerns are dealt with in a swift and professional manner
• Regular inspections conducted by the Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI). CSCI can be contacted at any time at the following address:
  
  South West Regional Office
  4th Floor, Colston 33
  33 Colston Avenue
  Bristol
  BS1 4UA
  Tel: 0117 930 7110

Who to contact if you have an enquiry, concern or complaint:

We expect our staff to respond to your concerns and to investigate your complaints. If you are dissatisfied with the response you have received you may wish to complain to our Operations Manager:

The name of the General Manager is:
Jo Goode
01242 662068

The name of the Senior Area Manager is:
Mrs Julie Alvis
01242 662069

Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI). CSCI can be contacted at the following address:
South West Regional Office
4th Floor, Colston 33
33 Colston Avenue
Bristol BS1 4UA
Tel: 0117 930 7110

As Home Care involves access to your home we are very concerned about any breach of your safety and security. If at any time, you feel unwell or insecure and you want us to attend to you, please contact us as follows.

During Office Hours:
01242 662068
01242 662071
01242 662781

Out of Hours and Saturday and Sunday Emergency Numbers:
01242 672022
07766 881880

If you require, we will hold keys to your property.  However, unless you direct otherwise, you should not tell us about the details of your alarm system. Indeed, this information should never be given to our staff under any circumstances.

Such information should be given in confidence to a Manager and it will only be recorded in a file kept in the office safe.

Our service is fully insured and cover as detailed below determines the maximum lift of indemnity that we can offer.

• Public Liability to £5,000,000
• Malpractice with an indemnity limit of £1,000,000

The insurance is renewed every March. A copy of the policy document will be kept in your care plan in your home.

Medication issues should be included in any overall assessment of the Service User's need and appropriate support with medication should be included and written in the Care Plan.

Medicines remain the property of the Service User for whom they are prescribed. Medicines should only be given according to the instructions written on the containers supplied by the Pharmacist. The plan for care may include reminding Service Users to take their medicines, monitoring medicine use, taking medicines from the container and handing them to the Service User to take.

Under no circumstances should Community Care Assistants administer unprescribed medicines to a Service User. People have the right to refuse to take prescribed medication and this should be recorded in their file. Nevertheless, Community Care Assistants are expected to support and encourage their Service Users to follow their GP's advice. A Community Care Assistant assisting a Service User to take medicine will not be held responsible of any adverse effects, providing it can be shown that it was given in accordance with what was written on the prescription or the container supplied by the Pharmacist.

The dosage the Service User receives should not vary from what has been prescribed by the GP or as per Pharmacist's instructions. If it is thought that a Service User is not taking their medication, this should be reported to the attending GP.

Any medications refused by the Service User should be placed in a labeled sealed plastic container supplied by Cleeve Link. This sealed plastic container should be brought into the Office and disposed of in a Pharmacy bin. All medicines will be returned to supplying chemist.