CAREWATCH'S COMMITMENT TO QUALITY
QUALITY THROUGHOUT
Our foundation for quality are our policies and procedures. These documents were drawn up and amended periodically to reflect and work to the standards set by the Department of Health, and are the standards we are inspected on and rated by.
FROM THE TOP DOWN...
There are two ways in which we maintain and build upon our quality. Our offices are all audited and inspected throughout the year, not only by the relevant government bodies (CSCI in England, CSSIW in Wales and Care Commission for Scotland) but by our own Quality Team. By checking with the offices using our auditing tool, we can ensure that offices are working to and applying the policies and procedures; these apply to employment policy and procedure as well as the way we work with and how we treat our clients.
If we think an office needs to work on their quality, then our teams help establish key points they need to improve and strengthen their service and quality of care – this is something we take very seriously as it is the essence of what our service is about.
By working to the specified procedures, we can ensure our care workers are inducted to the company thoroughly; they receive ongoing and initial training throughout their time with us. We supply all care workers with a ‘Care Workers Handbook’. This handbook lays down certain essential regulations that each care worker must know - for example , it is vital our care workers know and understand our ‘Access, Key holding, Locking Up and Security’ actions they must take – this , amongst many other policies and procedures are laid down in the handbook.
In addition, each office supplies the care workers with the General Social Care Council (GSCC) ‘Code of Conduct’. Many of our offices also work in partnership with local schemes which try new methods or different ways of caring.
...AND FROM THE BOTTOM UP
Our care workers are inducted and monitored by a designated member of the team, who will then monitor them for training needs and achievements. A Field Care Supervisor then works to support the care workers in the field. They will conduct ‘spot checks’ on care workers to ensure they are arriving and departing at the appropriate pre-arranged times; that care and support agreed is being provided properly and safely, and most importantly, the people who receive our service are treated with dignity, respect and are at the centre of planning the care according to their own wants and needs.
Our care workers are given the opportunity to work towards and NVQ in England and Wales, or an SVQ in Scotland; many also choose to specialise with further training in specific areas of care and support, for example, the new ‘Knowledge sets for learning disabilities’ provided by Skills for Care.
HOW TO COMPLIMENT, COMMENT OR COMPLAIN
To ensure that our service matches needs and expectations, we welcome any comments that anyone cares to make, negative and positive. Service users, or their representatives, should follow our procedures in order to make sure their complaint is dealt with in a timely and thorough manner. Click here to read procedure.
We genuinely welcome the opportunity to do things better, and to pass along praise to the relevant individuals who may have exceed expectations.
