Help at Home – Your Guide to Support from the Home Care Intake Team

What is the Intake Team?
The Intake Team will work alongside you for up to eight weeks in meeting your assessed care needs. The aim of the team is to promote and encourage your independence in as many aspects of daily living as possible rather than create unnecessary dependence upon our service. It is important to note that Home Care Workers will not normally carry out tasks that you are able to manage yourself.

Who’s who in Intake?

Home Care Workers –
these are staff who will come to your home and provide the care and support that has been agreed following the assessment being carried out by Social Services. They will also work with you in achieving any agreed personal care goals.

Senior Home Care Workers –
Seniors head teams of Home Care Workers. They will visit you to explain the service and can deal with any questions, queries or problems that you might have. Seniors can be contacted via the Intake Team office at 136 Mansfield Road; the telephone number is in your Care Plan.

Home Care Managers –
Managers work from the Social Services Intake Office and are responsible for the support and care provided by Senior Home Care Workers and Home Care Workers.

Team Manager –
works in the Social Services Intake Office and is responsible for the Intake Teams throughout the city.
Please note all staff are appointed only after a rigorous recruitment process, which includes references and a medical and criminal records check.

How will they do this?
They will discuss and negotiate with you your requirements. Depending upon personal circumstances these might be very small improvements in care; however they can be considerable achievements for an individual e.g. fastening a button, regaining the ability to make a drink, or it could be that we work with a person until they are able to manage alone and our support is no longer required. The Intake Team members will work with you and will not undertake any activity or task without your agreement. Details of the care to be provided will be clearly recorded in your care plan to which you will have access.

Will my care be reviewed?
Your care needs may change as time goes on. Your Home Care Worker will regularly review with you the care that you are receiving and review progress towards your agreed goals. If there is a need to alter your care e.g. your circumstances have changed, or a particular goal is agreed to be too difficult, or a goal has been met, then the care plan will, with your agreement be changed.

The Home Care Manager will review your care needs with you in full at the beginning of our support, after approximately four weeks and, finally, in the week prior to your care being transferred to an independent sector Home Care Provider for long term support, should this be required.

How long will I receive support from the Intake Team?
The Intake Team will provide you with support for a period of up to eight weeks. After that time, should you still require ongoing home care support your care will be provided in the long term by an independent agency working on behalf of the City Council. Your care package will be fully discussed with both yourself and the independent agency before any transfer occurs.

Who are the Independent Home Care Providers?
The independent sector providers are agencies that have been contracted by the Social Services Department to provide care on a long term basis. These agencies have to meet all the care standards required by the City Council and also the Commission for Social Care Inspection before they can be registered. They provide care to a very high standard, with staff whom they recruit and train.

The standard of care that you receive should be the same as from the Intake Team. The independent agency will provide the care that is set out in your care plan. We will provide copies of your original social work assessment and any other relevant information that relates to your care to the independent agency. If you have any concerns please let us know. Should any changes be required to your care package after the transfer to the independent sector, the agency will discuss both with you and this department, the changes which need to be made. The agency will continue to work towards achieving your personal independence. You will have an introductory visit from the agency, before the transfer of your care takes place.

What if I have a complaint?

If you are unhappy with the service you receive, please contact your Home Care Manager or Senior Home Care Worker. We will deal with any complaints that you have promptly and do our very best to resolve them to your satisfaction. If for any reason you are not completely satisfied the matter can be taken up by the Commission for Social Care Inspection. The address of the Commission is:

Commission for Social Care Inspection
Edgeley House
Tottle Road
Riverside Business Park
Nottingham
NG2 1RT

Tel. 0115 934 0900

What if I have something good to say?

Please let us know, however small! We will be delighted to pass any comments on to our staff.

Will I have to pay for the service?
Yes, the City Council operates a charging system for Home Care, you will have to pay for the service provided by both the Intake Team, and the independent agency should you require longer term care. The charging policy is in line with the Government’s Fairer Charging Policy. You will receive a separate financial assessment from an officer of the Fairer Charging Team, who will be able to discuss the scale of charges.

What should I do when my Home Care Worker calls?
Please be in. If you know that you will be away from home at the time that the Home Care Worker is due to call, please let this office know.

Standards and best practice
We aim to provide you with the very best standard of care. Your Home Care Worker will be well trained and qualified to give you the support that you require.

Our staff will show you their identity card when they come to see you for the first time.

Our staff will always be dressed in the City Council’s Home Care uniform.

We will ensure that you receive the same Home Care Workers, changes will only occur at times of holiday or sickness. Should a change of worker be necessary you will be informed in advance.

Our staff will endeavour to call on the days and times specified in your care plan. Please note that we cannot always guarantee times specified in your care plan. Please note that we cannot always guarantee times, however, should there be a delay of more than thirty minutes we will endeavour to notify you.

If there are any changes in your care arrangements we will endeavour to let you know in advance.

• Our staff will behave professionally and politely at all times.
• Our staff will respect your privacy and dignity.
• Our staff will not smoke in your home.
• We will keep any information we have about you confidential. Your care plan, however, will remain in your home.
• If you wish, you will be able to see any records that our staff keeps about you.

Staff training
In order to promote and deliver a quality service, all our staff have undertaken a thorough induction into care and health and safety training. In addition, they will have had intensive specialist training in the promotion of independence. A high percentage of Home Care Workers have attained NVQ qualifications in delivery of care at home. In line with the Commission for Social Care Inspection regulations, new staff employed since April 2003 are required to start this training within six months of taking up employment.

Health and safety
Social Services are responsible for the health and safety of its employees. We are also concerned for your own health and safety. Your Home Care Manager will inform you if they think that anything connected to the provision of your care or in your home could cause a health and safety risk. If this happens, your Home Care Manager will give advice as to how the problem can be solved.

Insurance
Social Services are covered by Public Liability Insurance. This means that if you suffer as a result of the neglect or incompetence of our staff, the council will insure this loss. If you suffer a loss that is not due to the negligence of our staff then the council will not cover that loss. Your own household contents insurance may cover you against accidental damage to your property.

If money belonging to you (for example your pension) is stolen from a member of our staff, this will not be covered by our insurance. This is because the council will not be legally liable unless there has been negligence by the Home Care Worker.

Equality
Social Services wishes to provide services that meet the needs of all members of the community. Our staff is drawn from a wide range of cultural and racial backgrounds and include both men and women. All our staff receive training that will help them provide the best possible care that respects the diversity of the population we serve.

We will endeavour to meet your individual care needs and will discuss these with you in the planning process.

Office hours and emergency cover
The Intake Office is normally open at the following times:

Monday to Thursday     7.00am to 5.00pm

Friday       7.00am to 4.30pm

If you have Home Care support out of these hours, including the weekends and bank holidays, and have any problems or concerns please contact the following:

Out of Hours Home Care Service  Tel. 0115 915 9097
The office is open at the following times:

Monday to Friday      5.00pm to 11.00pm

Saturday and Sunday and Bank Holidays 7.00am to 11.00pm

For other emergencies contact the:

Emergency Duty Team     Tel. 0115 915 9299

How to contact us:

Address:  136 Mansfield Road
Nottingham
NG1 3HL

Tel.   0115 915 1293

  0115 915 1294