Frequently Asked Questions
1. Is Easby Healthcare registered with appropriate bodies?
Yes. Easby Healthcare is registered with, and regulated by the Care Quality Commission (CQC). You can find their contact details in the address part of your handbook. CQC will regularly inspect the service we are providing to
ensure we are delivering the quality of care we promised to you.
2. What areas do you cover?
We provide home care, sleepover services (including waking night care) and supported living services, within a 20 mile radius of our Richmond office.We are a local provider, so we can ensure we are able to put you first.
We can cover outside of this area, so don’t despair if you live a little further afield.
3. How do you recruit support workers?
All your / our support workers must pass a thorough and rigorous screening and interview process. We are only satisfied that a candidate is suitable to support you, following a successful interview and receipt of a minimum of 2
satisfactory references, along with a Criminal Records Bureau Check (CRB) and Independent Safeguarding Authority check (ISA).
4. Will I be able to choose who supports me?
Yes you will. Depending upon your needs, you will have one / two main
support workers and several part time support workers. It is important that you have a number of staff who are familiar to you and that you are comfortable with. This will ensure continuity of your care should your worker fall ill or go on holiday.
If you wish, we can provide you with a photograph of your support worker/s so that you always know who to expect.
5. I am worried about a stranger coming into my home to
care for me...
Please don’t worry. We thoroughly vet all of our staff to ensure you will not be put at risk. We also enable you and your support worker time to ‘get to know one another’. It is important that you are comfortable with the person coming into your home to support you.
6. What if I don’t get on with my support worker?
Before we place a support worker in your home we try to ensure that we have found someone suitable. We will arrange for you to meet your support worker before they start to care for you. This will enable you to ask your own questions and ensure that you are happy with your new support worker.
However, sometimes we understand that you and your support worker may not ‘get on’. You can contact us at any time should you have any concerns. We will continue to have regular contact with you and your support worker throughout your care package, and if it isn’t working as well as it should, we will try to rectify the problem. If we are unable to do this, we will endeavour to find you another, more suitable support worker within the next 24 - 48 hours.
7. What training will my support worker receive?
All your support workers will receive standard training, for example:-
- First Aid
- Fire
- Health and Safety
- Food Hygiene
- Infection Control
- Safe Handling of Medication
- Safe Guarding Adults
- Deprivation of Liberties
- Mental Capacity Act
- Equality and Diversity
- Confidentiality
- Manual Handling
Training in any specific needs you may have is also provided. We aim to give you the best. All our support workers receive regular support and guidance.
8. What is the dress code of my support worker?
Our support workers wear a uniform consisting of a tunic or polo shirt with black trousers. All support workers carry with them an identification badge with a photograph so they are easily identifiable to you (where relevant, badges will be written in braille).
Support workers will wear disposable gloves for certain aspects of personal care and for preparing your food (along with an apron). This will ensure we are helping to maintain your well being.
9. What will happen if my support worker falls ill?
We strongly believe in continuity of care. Sometimes your support worker may fall ill. If this should happen, we will promptly bring in another support worker to care for you until your usual support worker has recovered.
If your support worker is going on holiday we will ensure that you are consulted with and are happy with your ‘replacement’ support worker.
10. Are support workers able to drive?
Many of our support workers are able to drive. If you wish for a support worker to drive your own car, we are able to assist, providing the car is appropriately insured and maintained (we are able to support you with this).
If a support worker uses their own car, we will ensure the car is taxed, maintained and appropriately insured. There is a small incremental mileage cost to cover the running costs of the vehicle. All our drivers must pass a competency test and driving safety awareness course.
In either case we would discuss this with you and carry out a risk assessment, ensuring any driver has a clean licence.
11. How long does a support worker stay?
This is dependent upon your needs and wishes. We will discuss this with you
when we meet to assess the care and support you require.
Easby Healthcare prides itself on providing flexible and reliable care and
support packages. We offer continuing care and support on an indefinite basis, enabling you the freedom and of being able to remain living in your own home.
12. Do you provide short term care?
Yes we do. This may be after a stay in hospital or respite care, to give family members or carers a holiday.
We are fully committed to your needs and preferences, and understand that levels of care may need to change. We always put your needs first.
13. How much does live in care cost?
The cost of your care depends upon a number of factors such as the level of care and support required, the nature of your disabilities and so forth. Please do not worry as we can help you with this through social services.
14. How do you know if I am happy with the care and support I receive?
We will maintain regular contact with you, and where appropriate, your family, to ensure you are satisfied.
We want to ensure that you are able to ‘have your say’ about the level of care and support you receive.
From time to time we will send you a confidential customer survey. The survey will be in a format appropriate to your needs (this may be pictorial, braille and so forth).
15. What if I want to make a complaint?
We endeavour to provide you with the highest of standards but we do understand that at times we may not get it right.
It is important to us that you feel able to speak to us when you need too.
This is why we keep in regular contact with you.
We take any complaint or concern seriously and hope to resolve any issues you may have, to your satisfaction. If this should not be the case, we feel it is important that you are aware as to who else you are able to make a complaint to.
You will be provided with a step by step guide to making a complaint and the
complaints procedure in your welcome pack. We will also explain this to you during your initial visit.
We hope to have managed to answer most of your questions. If not, you can visit us at the office, telephone us or you can arrange for us to visit you at home.
