Last Reviewed 04/01/2024 by Demi Irawo

Home Care – Service User Guide

On behalf of BEST2CARE and all our staff, we welcome you, your family and others who are important to you. We hope that you will be happy with BEST2CARE. We want to support you in enjoying your day-to-day life in the same way that you do at present. There may be questions that you would like to ask, and our staff will ensure that any queries you have are answered as quickly and fully as possible. The information given below will provide you with the answers to some of the most frequently asked questions.

Useful Contact Information 

• The Registered Manager is Miss Tayo Irawo

• The Registered Manager can be contacted on Mobile phone at 07931481245

• The person responsible for complaints or comments and suggestions is The Registered Manager

• The person responsible for Data Protection is Demi Irawo

• Our email address is [email protected]

Part 1: About BEST2CARE 

We provide flexible home care help in the comfort of your own home ranging from short hourly visits to extended visits. Personal Care. We offer personalised care services suited to your requirements which may include help with getting up,  washing and dressing. So if your needs change, we can adapt our care

BEST2CARE Philosophy of Care  

BEST2CARE aims to:

*Offer skilled care to enable people supported by us to achieve their optimum health and well-being.

*Treat all people supported by us and all people who work here with respect at all times.

*Uphold the human and citizenship rights of all who work and visit here and of all Service Users.

*Support individual choice and personal decision-making as the right of all Service Users.

*Respect and encourage the right of independence of all Service Users.

*Recognise the individual uniqueness of Service Users, staff and visitors, and treat them with dignity and respect at all times.

*Respect individual requirements for privacy at all times and treat all information about individuals confidentially.

*Recognise the individual need for personal fulfilment and offer individualised programmes of meaningful activity to satisfy that need of Service Users and staff.

We base our care around you as an individual. To help us to do that, we adhere to a set of essential principles outlined below. If you have any questions about these, or you feel that someone is not upholding them, please let the Registered Manager know.

Safe 

BEST2CARE will do everything possible to protect you from abuse and neglect,  working with you and other agencies to prevent avoidable harm. We do this by:

• Ensuring that our staff are well trained and skilled to provide the proper care, can recognise signs of abuse and report them swiftly, whilst ensuring that lessons are learnt and  improvements made to the service when required

• Giving you the information, you need to make informed choices and take informed risks.  Staff at BEST2CARE understand and ensure the balance between your informed risk-taking,  and the responsibility to ensure the safety of you and of others

•Identifying any hazards in your home and reducing the risk of infection

•Supporting you with any medication needs carefully to minimise the risk of errors or  supporting you to continue to self-manage your medication safely

Freedom from Discrimination 

BEST2CARE has a zero-tolerance approach to all forms of discrimination and will take action when it is found. Discrimination means being mistreated on the grounds of; age, being or becoming a transsexual person, being married or in a civil partnership, being pregnant or on maternity leave,  disability, race including colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin, religion, belief or lack of religion/belief, sex, sexual orientation or social standing.

Effective 

We believe in Care that meets your needs because you are involved fully in your Care and its arrangement.

Each Service User is celebrated and supported to be an individual, to have their own social,  emotional, spiritual, cultural, political and sexual needs accepted, supported and respected.

The service we provide is effective because:

• We employ the right staff for you who have the proper knowledge, skills and qualifications to  fulfil your wishes and to enable you through Care

• We will ask for your views and ideas about how you wish for your care and support to be  provided and enable you to contribute to any proposed changes

• We will make information accessible in a way that you can understand your Care,  medication and the services being offered and how you can tell us if there is something you  do not like about our services

• We will consult you on your wishes, history and preferences in the assessment and put this in your Care Plan. We will check this is up to date when your Care Plan is reviewed. We will  make sure that your Care Plan is updated if your care needs to change

• We will ask for your informed consent to Care and any changes to it in all decisions about  your Care

• The principles of the Mental Capacity Act will be followed, and we will ensure that, where  you cannot give consent, best interest decisions will be made following the Mental Capacity  Act principles

• You will be supported to achieve as much independence as possible, emotionally,  physically, intellectually and socially and without unreasonable restrictions

• We will keep information about you confidential and will tell you how we use your personal information, store it and how long we keep it. You can talk to our Data  Protection Officer if you are concerned about your personal information

Caring 

BEST2CARE promotes a person-centred approach because:

• Staff will take an interest in what makes you, you; the things you want to share from  memories, the things you like and do not like, current interests, needs and new pursuits • Staff will treat you with dignity in the way they speak with you and the way they behave • We will assist you in continuing to use your skills and in pursuing your interests

• We will uphold your right to privacy in all aspects of your care, personal affairs and  belongings

• All information about Service Users is treated as confidential and only shared with  members of staff, other professionals or organisations for the provision of care with your  consent or your representative

• Information about you will be protected and stored to meet legal requirements and only  kept for as long as is necessary

• We will make sure you understand information and what is said, providing you with the  support you need and giving you the help that you require to make your voice heard

Responsive 

BEST2CARE will be responsive to what we see, hear and know to ensure that you maintain your health and well-being.

• Care staff will ensure that they are up to date with what is in your Care Plans and make  changes when they are needed

• BEST2CARE welcomes complaints, compliments and issues raised and will always take  them seriously, investigate and take action needed to put things right, and improve the  service we offer

• Staff will work with other professionals to ensure that your Care is joined up  Well-Led 

BEST2CARE is a well-led organisation knowing its responsibilities and carries them out.

• The management staff of BEST2CARE are available and approachable for Service Users  and staff alike • BEST2CARE has the skills to monitor the service and make changes  when they are needed

• When things go wrong, BEST2CARE and its management staff are honest with you and  give solutions on how to put things right

• BEST2CARE welcomes feedback from you to shape and improve the service

 • BEST2CARE works in partnership with other agencies for the provision of the service  Statement of Purpose 

We have a Statement of Purpose that you can ask to see. Miss Tayo Irawo will be able to help you with this.

Listening to the People who use our Services 

We can also share surveys from other people who use our services. We do not include them in this guide as they become out of date quickly.

Our Staff 

We recognise that to deliver a good care service; we need to recruit the right individuals. We base the recruitment of all our staff on commitment, compassion and shared values. We expect our staff to be committed to providing the best possible care; they must be passionate about caring for others and be able to demonstrate that they share our values and ethos. The team consists of the  Registered Manager and Deputy Manager.

Our Services 

The services we offer are listed below. If there is a service you require that is not listed, please do not hesitate to speak to the manager to see if it can be arranged: We provide Home Care, Supported Living and Learning Disability Support.

Friends, Family and the Community  

•We will support you in keeping links with the community and maintaining your network of friends and  family and will help you to visit shops and places of interest, where agreed, as part of your Care  Plan

Activities 

• BEST2CARE actively promotes Service Users’ regular social networks and social activities, and the level of support required will be agreed upon as part of your Care Plan

• Each Service User’s Care Plan includes a facility for recording life history, social networks  and contacts, and preferences for activities and hobbies so that the service can ensure that  these are a part of everyday life

Privacy  

We will respect Service Users’ privacy at all times. We will do this by making sure that:

• Discussion about Service Users and their affairs will be to manage and improve care, and for no other reason, and will be conducted in private

• Records will be designed, used and stored safely and confidentially, and the Data Protection  Act 2018 principles for information sharing will be followed

• We will ask you to keep your Care Plan safely in an agreed place so that your Care Workers  can read it when they come to your home

Service Users’ Dignity 

Your dignity is of the utmost importance to us, and all staff will have received training in this area.

• You will be asked what you would like to be called; this name will be recorded on your Care  Plan and used by all staff • In the absence of information on what you want our staff to  call you, staff will address you formally, using your title and surname

• Staff are trained to support you with dignity always and will ensure that support is given in a  dignified way, whether you are alone or in company

• Staff are trained to knock and wait for your invitation before entering your home Complaints and Comments Procedure 

We always aim to provide a high standard of care in all our services.

Our Service Users’ views are important to us and help to ensure that our services are consistently meeting people’s needs. If you are unhappy with our services, you must let us know.

If a complaint alerts us to possible abuse or neglect, we will tell the Kent county council Adult  Safeguarding Team. The Kent county council Safeguarding Team will decide how to investigate and monitor outcomes.

How to Tell us what we Need to Improve 

Often people feel more comfortable about suggesting improvements rather than complaining formally. Anyone receiving services, their friends or family, can tell us how we can improve. First,  you must speak to Miss Tayo Irawo or their Deputy.

If the suggestion is something that BEST2CARE, as a company, needs to consider, you can send it  to:

Registered Manager

BEST2CARE

57 Shamrock Road

Gravesend

Kent

DA122LD

or contact by our phone number 01474 632888 or 03301005482 or by email at [email protected]

Making a Complaint 

BEST2CARE aims to handle complaints quickly, effectively and fairly and honestly. We take all complaints seriously and use valuable information from investigating to help us improve the service we provide. We treat all complaints confidentially.

BEST2CARE assures Service Users and their families that it will not withdraw or reduce services because someone makes a complaint in good faith.

Who can Complain? 

Anyone affected by the way BEST2CARE provides services can make a complaint. A  representative may complain about the affected person if they:

• Have died

• Cannot make a complaint themselves, or

• Have given consent for the representative to act on their behalf

If you are not happy about making a complaint yourself and you do not know someone who can talk to us or write to us on your behalf, we will be happy to find someone from an independent organisation to act as an advocate for you.

How you can Make A Complaint, You can complain:

• In person

• By telephone

• By letter

• By email

• Through a member of our staff

• Through an advocate or representative

We will acknowledge all complaints, whether verbally or in writing, within 3 working days. Anonymous Complaints 

We deal with anonymous complaints under the same procedure. However, please provide contact details so we can tell you the outcome of our investigation.

Responsibility 

Miss Tayo Irawo has overall responsibility for dealing with all complaints made about their service.  We will provide, as far as is reasonably practical:

• Any help you need to understand the complaints procedure; or

• Advice on where you may get that help

How we Handle Complaints 

Miss Tayo Irawo may ask one of the management team to investigate the complaint. That person will have enough seniority and experience to deal with the issues raised by the complainant. We will acknowledge a complaint within 3 working days and give you the name and contact details of the person investigating it. We will keep you informed about the progress of the investigation. We aim to have all complaints finished within 28 working days unless we agree on a different time scale with you.

When we have finished investigating, we will arrange to meet with you to discuss the outcome and  write to you with the following:

• Details of the findings

• Any action we have taken

• Our proposals to resolve your complaint

Time Limits 

You must complain as soon as you can after the date on which the event occurred or came to your notice. If you complain more than twelve months later, we may not be able to investigate properly.  But we shall also consider whether you had good reason for not making the complaint sooner and whether, despite the delay, it is still possible to investigate the complaint effectively and fairly.

Further Steps 

At any stage during the process, if you are not happy with the way the service is dealing with your  complaint, you can contact Miss Tayo Irawo at:

BEST2CARE

57 Shamrock Road

Gravesend

Kent

DA122LD

Phone 01474 632888 or 03301005482

You can also raise your complaint or concern with the following:

Director of Social Services: 

Kent County Council Social Services Joynes House New Road Gravesend DA11  0AT Phone 03000 41 61 61  

Or if your care is funded by the Health Authority, you can contact:

Clinical Commissioning Group: 

NHS Dartford, Gravesham And Swanley CCG Gravesham Civic Centre Windmill Street  Gravesend Kent DA12 1AU Tel: 03000 424 903

Advocates 

All Service Users have the right to access an advocate who will act in their interests to help them solve problems, discuss concerns and understand information. Miss Tayo Irawo will be happy to provide information on local advocacy groups and other support networks.

Insurance 

BEST2CARE carries Public Liability Insurance and Employers’ Liability Insurance up to £10,000,000  for any one claim. The insurance covers all aspects of its undertakings. However, the insurance does not take the place of normal household insurance coverage for accidental breakage or damage to household items. Please do not make private arrangements with our staff because this will not be covered under our insurance policy.

Part 2: About Your Care and Support 

Care, Treatment and Support that Meets your Needs

• Your personal needs will be assessed to make sure you get safe and appropriate care that  maintains your rights

• You will get the Care that you and your social care professional agree will make a difference  to your health and wellbeing

• Your Care needs are coordinated if you move from one provider to another • Staff respect your culture, gender, age, sexual orientation, religion or belief and your  disability if you have one

To be Safe when Using a Service 

• You will be protected from abuse, or the risk of abuse, and staff will respect your human rights • If you need support with your medication, we will make sure that you get the proper support to  make sure your medication is managed safely

To be Cared for by Staff with the Right Skills to do their Jobs Properly 

• You will be cared for by staff who have the knowledge, skills and experience needed to  meet your health and welfare needs

• You will be looked after by staff who are well-managed and have the chance to  develop and improve their skills BEST2CARE Routinely Checks the Quality of its Services • We continuously monitor the quality of our services to make sure you receive the  support you need

• Your records will be accurate and kept safe and confidential

• We will make sure that we have the correct numbers of staff so that your Care Worker  has supervision and support

Before your Service Starts 

• The first step is to arrange to visit you in your own home. BEST2CARE will discuss with you,  your requirements and the range of services we can provide for you

• Miss Tayo Irawo or one of our team will visit you in your home or the hospital if necessary and will write an assessment with you. This information will form part of your Care Plan, which  explains how we will be able to support you in achieving your care, health and well-being goals

• If you have any questions, please discuss them with your Care Worker, or contact the  Registered Manager, who will be very happy to answer them

• Once you have agreed for BEST2CARE to provide you with care and support, you will be  asked to sign the Care Plan and sign that you give us consent to provide you with the care and  support as planned

• Before your service starts, we will ensure you know who is coming to provide your care and support, when they are coming and how long they will stay. Your Care Plan will tell them what they need to do when they visit you. We will also explain to them what your needs and  wishes are

Fees 

The fees of BEST2CARE are set out in the Service User Contract. If you would like details on the fees and terms of payment, you can discuss this with Miss Tayo Irawo.

Your Care Team 

Working with the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS), it is the policy of BEST2CARE to adhere to

• The Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Incl. Exemption Order 1975)

• Health and Social Care Act (2008)

BEST2CARE conducts stringent and enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service checks on all its staff. In addition, our policy further strives to protect by ensuring that at least two satisfactory, written references are obtained to provide information concerning individuals’  competence, ability, trustworthiness and experience.

Staff will be required to seek confirmation of their status via an enhanced Disclosure and Barring  Service check.

Matching Care Staff to Meet your Needs 

For you to receive quality care, we understand that it is important that you can be cared for and supported by staff who know what your needs, expectations and wishes are. We will ensure that we match your Care Worker to meet your needs, and we will have a small team of Care Workers who will provide you with your care and support. This will ensure that you have enough coverage when your Care Worker has a holiday and that they can get to know you and what is important to you.  Not everyone gets on with each other. If you are unhappy with your Care Worker, please bring this to the attention of the Registered Manager (Miss Tayo Irawo ). The matter will be resolved sensitively and confidentially, and a new Care Worker will be assigned to you if this is appropriate.

Holiday Leave and Sickness Cover  

When a Care Worker is away, BEST2CARE will make other arrangements to ensure you receive the service you need. You will be informed in advance of the name(s) of the Care Worker(s)  who has/have been selected to replace your regular one. If a permanent change needs to be made,  we will discuss this with you. BEST2CARE will make every effort to ensure that you receive a  reliable service consistently.

Identification Badges 

Care Workers are issued a laminated identification badge of BEST2CARE that carries a  photograph of them on it. Care Workers will show you the identification badge when they visit you.  You must not allow a Care Worker into your home if you do not know them before they have shown you their identity badge. If you have any concerns about the person, you must contact the office.

Staff Conduct 

• Staff will not directly charge you for any services provided. All charges must be documented  and processed through BEST2CARE

• Staff are not permitted to accept any gifts in cash or kind from either yourself, your family or  friends

• Staff are not allowed to witness or benefit in any way from the last will of  individuals using the services of BEST2CARE

• Staff are not allowed to bring pets, children or other family or friends with them when they  are working in your home

• Staff are not allowed to smoke or consume alcohol in your home

• As a rule, Care Workers cannot conduct any activity that is not specified in the Service  User’s Care Plan or which may place themselves or others in danger

• Care Workers are not permitted to use your internet or Wi-Fi

Your Care and Support 

Your care and health care are planned in consultation with you, our staff and anyone who is essential to you if you ask for them to be involved. To ensure that we provide the highest level of care for you, our staff will record the details of your care in the Care Plan and your personal choices regarding the normal activities of daily living.

All Service Users are actively encouraged to become involved in the Care Planning process and will be consulted at each stage of the Care Plan.

Every time your Care Worker visits you, they will record what activities they have provided. If you decide that you do not want the care as planned on a visit, they will discuss this with you and record it in your daily progress record.

Your Care Worker is trained to tell BEST2CARE when they do not provide your care as agreed in the Care Plan. This is to make sure we can respond if your needs change.

Risk Assessment 

• The assessment of risk is addressed at the start of the service for each Service User, and the results are integrated into the Care Plan. This makes sure that your views and

the views of those important to you will be fully considered as part of the person-centred  Care Planning process

• The following are examples of the types of risks we assess. We recognise your right to choose and take risks, each risk will be discussed in detail, and those discussions will be recorded. This will show how BEST2CARE aims to meet  your needs and ensure that we can work safely with you in your home:

• Security in  the home

• Fire

• Electricity

• Moving and handling

• Infection control

• Medication

• Handling money

• Personal Safety

Review Of Your Care 

We will conduct service reviews within 4 weeks of your service starting and then every 12 months or more often if required. Changes in your Care will usually require a reassessment to ensure your needs can be met. Please contact our office if you wish to request a review or contact the  Social Services or Health Authority which may be paying for your service on your behalf.

Short Notice Cancellations 

We ask that you give us as much notice as possible if you wish to cancel your visit or if you are going to be away from home. You can cancel booked individual Care Worker visits by giving at least 24 hours’ notice to Miss Tayo Irawo. Cancellations, where less than 24 hours’ notice is given, including booked Care Worker, visits made where you are unexpectedly not present or refuse entry, will be charged at the normal rate for the full booked visit.

Terminating your Contract with BEST2CARE 

You can cancel the service at any time (and for any reason) within 14 days of the date of this  Agreement (the “Cancellation Period”). A Service User may, at any time and for any reason, give  BEST2CARE at least 14 days written notice to terminate their individual service contract. If you give less than 14 days notice, we reserve the right to charge a cancellation fee or a service suspension fee. Please note if you suspend the service for a period of time in accordance with the above. paragraph, we cannot guarantee that the same Care Worker will attend your home when you resume the service.

Electronic Call Monitoring  

It is the responsibility of each staff member to ensure that they make a Freephone telephone call to an Electronic Call Monitoring Provider upon arrival at and departure from your home. This will be discussed with you at the start of your service.

Call Times  

Call times are primarily set according to the Service User’s wishes. It is not always possible to achieve the exact requirements from day one, and sometimes a compromise is reached.  You will always be advised of any changes, and your approval will be sought before any changes.

Punctuality is a high priority and is monitored very actively. We aim to arrive on time all the time.  Our policy is that if a staff member knows that they will be more than 15 minutes late arriving,  then the office or our out-of-hours manager will be notified, and the Service User will be informed immediately.

Part 3: Key Policies and Procedures 

Gender Choice  

You have the right to choose the sex of the person sent to support you with personal care. This is because of the personal nature of the service. We will record your choice when we talk to you as part of the Care Planning process.

Handling Money  

When Care Workers make financial transactions on your behalf for things like collecting pensions,  shopping or paying bills, they will enter the details on the financial record sheet kept in your home.  They will keep the receipt for shopping and count the change out to you. Care Workers must not be given cash cards or PINs to obtain money from a bank on your behalf. Only financial arrangements that have been formally agreed upon and written in the Care Plan can be carried out for you.

Please get in touch with the Registered Manager about any needs you have that are not being met or if you are unsure whether or not they are being met.

Gifts, Wills and Other Documents 

BEST2CARE aims to make sure that you receive a care service of the highest possible standard.  To make sure our staff always work professionally and to protect you and our staff from any  allegation of financial abuse:

• Care Workers are not allowed to accept gifts of money or other presents

• Care Workers are not allowed to accept loans

• Care Workers must not buy lottery tickets or sell you raffle tickets

• Care Workers must not sell to you from mail-order catalogues

• Care Workers must not ask for sponsorship or donations for charitable organisations or  good causes

• Care Workers are not allowed to act as a witness or executors to legal documents and Wills • Care Workers are not allowed to benefit from Wills

• Care Workers are not allowed to recommend tradesmen or a member of their family or  friends to carry out work in your home

If you do require legal help, BEST2CARE can refer you to an impartial or independent source of legal advice.

Keys and Key Safes 

Care Workers do not usually hold the house keys of people they visit. However, if there is a reason why this needs to be done, it must be formally recorded in advance as described in The  Management of Keys and Key Safe Security Policy and Procedure at BEST2CARE.

Care Workers will be given the key safe combination numbers of the people they visit. The policy arrangements of BEST2CARE ensure that these numbers are kept securely and are never written down with the address.

Medication and Healthcare-Related Activities 

Care Workers will administer medication only when it has been agreed upon and written in the  Care Plan. Both prescription and ‘over-the-counter’ remedies must be agreed upon beforehand so that it can be checked as to whether the medicines will have no ‘side effects’ if taken at the same time.

Care Workers receive training in medication administration, and we have several medication policies at BEST2CARE. Some health-related activities, when agreed, need to be carried out under the supervision of a healthcare professional and staff will be only able to perform them when they have the correct training, are fully supervised and are assessed as being competent to meet your health-related needs safely. Miss Tayo Irawo will need to approve before any support is provided.

Care Workers are not allowed to administer medication from family-filled medication dispensers. No assistance can be provided that has not been formally agreed upon with the Registered Manager and detailed in the Care Plan.

Your Care Worker will record any medication administered on a Medication Administration Record each time they provide medication administration support. Any verbal reminders or physical assistance in relation to medication will also be recorded on a Medication Administration Record.

Confidentiality and Data Protection  

Our policy is that your information is strictly confidential and that maintaining a position of trust is paramount. However, because some information is relevant to providing quality care, such information will be shared with members of staff who may be supporting you.  You will be consulted, where appropriate, before the information is released.

Information about you will be stored on paper and on a computer or other electronic devices. All are treated in the same strictly confidential way.

Information about you is needed to enable staff to provide proper support and treatment. Some of  the information may also be used for other purposes, such as:

• Making sure our services meet your needs

• Helping staff review the support they provide to you to help them achieve the highest  standards

• Investigating complaints or legal claims

• Auditing of our services

Sometimes information about you needs to be passed on to other organisations, for example, if you are receiving care from a GP or hospital. The types of organisations with whom we may share  information about you are:

• GPs

• District nurses

• Other health professionals

• Social workers

• Care Quality Commission

We have several policies about how we manage your personal information that complies with the  General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Act 2018, and you can speak to our  Data Protection Officer who is Tayo Irawo, for more information about this.

Equality and Non-Discrimination 

BEST2CARE offers services to all people without prejudice of their culture, race, ethnic origin,  colour, religion, political beliefs, sexual orientation, marital status, disability or disease. We,  therefore, believe that: 

• You have the right to practise your beliefs, religion or culture without constraint by a restrictive  or discriminatory practice

• You have the right to express your sexuality and to be free from discrimination on the  grounds of sexual orientation, as well as the right to take free, informed, voluntary decisions  on your sexuality, sexual orientation and gender identity without coercion or discrimination

• Complaints of discriminatory practice will be thoroughly investigated, and the results of the  investigation will be made known to the complainant

• All complaints will be recorded in such a way as to highlight the repeated problem

Infection Control  

Care Workers are supplied with plastic aprons and gloves, which they will wear when they carry out personal care duties. Care Workers need to wear protective clothing to prevent the spread of infection. Care Workers are also expected to wash their hands before entering and leaving your home. Please get in touch with the office if your Care Worker does not do this.

Smoke-Free Law  

Legislation states that a private dwelling is not defined as smoke-free unless used as a place of work. At specific points in the day your home becomes a place of work for our care/support staff. For the health and safety of our staff, we ask you and anyone else in your home to refrain from smoking and ventilate any room used for your care for at least one hour before the agreed time.

If you smoke while your Care Worker is with you, the Care Worker will be obliged to leave your home for the duration of your smoking and shall not be permitted to re-enter your home until 1 hour after you last smoked. Any additional requirements or any variation to this clause will be specified in your Care Plan.

Private Work  

Care staff are not permitted to undertake work for you privately and are not insured by us to be in your home either when you are not present or when they are not visiting as part of their agreed work schedule with BEST2CARE.

Any direct engagement by you of a Care Worker supplied by us shall render you liable to pay either a Permanent Engagement Fee to us totalling £1000.00 or to engage the Care Worker for a further  6-month period.

Protecting you from Abuse and Harm 

BEST2CARE is committed to ensuring that you will be protected from harm and abuse and enabled to live as independently as possible in a safe environment.

Care Workers receive regular training on how people must be treated, and they are trained to recognise if someone is being bullied, physically abused or suffering financial, emotional and psychological harm. Person(s) such as informal carers, relatives, friends and members of the Home  Care Staff or other professionals can commit abuse.

Abuse can take form in subtle ways like Care Workers calling people pet names that they do not like or speaking to someone else in a language they do not understand so that they do not know if they are being discussed or not, or Care Workers using their mobile phone whilst they are providing care, or speaking over the head of a Service User to another Care Worker.

Any reports of abuse or concerns of abuse must be reported to Miss Tayo Irawo without fail.  If you think you are being abused or are concerned, you might be; you can speak to Miss Tayo  Irawo.  

If you do not think you can speak to someone at BEST2CARE, you can contact your local authority.

Your Telephone 

Your telephone will not be used by Care Workers except for the following reasons:

• You or they have a medical emergency. We will not be responsible for the payment of your  telephone bill

Withdrawal of Service  

Where termination of the contract is the only reasonable option after consideration, BEST2CARE will ensure a reasonable notice unless safety issues require a swifter departure from the service.

Although Miss Tayo Irawo will take all possible measures to resolve problems, there are some  reasons why the consideration of withdrawal of service has to be made, and they are as follows:

• At the request of the local authority

• Physical violence towards staff

• Serious verbal abuse towards staff which includes swearing, making derogatory remarks that  are racist or sexist and that are meant to offend staff

• Refusing to adhere or co-operate with the risk control measures put in place under the  Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 and thus putting themselves  and staff at risk

• Withdrawal of service will be considered when there are risks present to the health and  safety of the staff that are unacceptable and no control measures can be found

Other reasons that BEST2CARE will consider in the withdrawal of the service are the continual pressure on staff to perform duties that are not part of the agreed Care Plan and the continual undermining of staff or threats of physical violence.

If you have failed to meet your financial commitments to BEST2CARE, this will also be a situation where withdrawal of the service is considered.

Who is filling this form? Please select the option that applies to you: *

• Care Assessor
• Service User
• Family Member
• Other

Has the service user or a representative been informed of the details of their care plan and have they confirmed they are OK with it? *

• Yes
• No

Has the service user or a represenative received a copy of the Service User guide? *

• Yes
• No

Have you been informed of the details of the service user's care plan and can you confirm you are OK with it? *

• Yes
• No

Can you confirm you have received a copy of the Service User guide? *

• Yes
• No

I confirm that I have provided the Service User Guide for BEST2CARE to the service user. I have also informed the service user that they can contact BEST2CARE should they require further information or have any questions about the care plan.

In addition, I have gone through the care plan with the service user, ensuring that they understand the potential risks and benefits of the proposed treatment options. I have encouraged the service user to ask any questions they may have and have provided answers to the best of my ability.

Once the service user has fully understood the care plan, they have voluntarily given their consent to proceed with the care plan as outlined. I have also made it clear to the service user that they have the right to withdraw their consent at any time and request a change in their care plan.

I confirm receipt of the Service User Guide for BEST2CARE and understand that should I need any further information, to contact BEST2CARE

I have read and understand the care plan provided to me. I understand the potential risks and benefits of the proposed treatment options and have had the opportunity to ask any questions I may have. I voluntarily give my consent to proceed with the care plan as outlined. I understand that I have the right to withdraw my consent at any time and to request a change in my care plan.

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