http://www.scie.org.uk/

Alternatively, if you live in the Midlands area, give us a call on 01902 810174 for a no obligation assessment of your needs.

The coffee morning is a quarterly get together where people with dementia, their families, carers and friends can come together in a safe and welcoming environment.  Carers, the cared for, families and friends will be in the company of other carers, volunteers and professionals.  it aims to provide emotional support, information and the opportunity for discussion for people living with all aspects of dementia as well as a chance to relax and have fun.

Refreshments are provided free of charge and there will be a singer performing on this day, so it should be a lot of fun.  If you are interested or you know of someone that may benefit from this, please let us know so that we can make sure that we make suitable arrangements.

Sandra attended this course to become the dementia specialist within C&S Care Services and she has brought a wealth of information back with her.  Our in-house dementia training session has been improved and extended from an afternoon long course to 3 afternoons and contains vital ingredients to improve the knowledge of the carers.  The focus has been on self awareness of the individuals on the course to try to give them a perspective from the Service User, their feelings and emotions etc. 

Nicky attended the course and is a dementia champion for the company to ensure that the good work continues and works alongside other dementia champions for continual improvement for dementia sufferers and their families/carers.

Courses are mandatory for all our members of staff but are also available for external companies and individuals who wish to attend.  Please contact the office on 01902 810174  for more details on courses available.

The Care Quality Commission regulate all of adult health and social care services and make sure that the care that people receive meets the essential standards of quality and safety.  They also give action plans for providers and commissioners to encourage ongoing improvements.

The Outcomes have been developed to assist providers of health and adult social care to comply with the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2010, and the the Care Quality Commission (Registration) Regulations 2009.  These regulations describe the essential standards of quality and safety that people who use health and adult social care services have a right to expect.  When the outcomes were developed CQC focused on people’s experiences of care and the quality of the treatment and support that they receive as Service Users told them that this is what matters the most to them, not the systems, policies and processes.

The outcomes were developed from the regulations which were grouped into six key areas:

• Involvement and information
• Personalised care, treatment and support
• Safeguarding and safety
• Suitability of staffing
• Quality and management
• Suitability of management

Involvement and Information                                                                    

C & S Care Services aim to respect and involve Service Users as much as possible.  We perform initial assessments with a dedicated Assessor who gives all the relevant information that the Service User needs and aims to answer all questions that might be asked of them.  The care plan is bespoke to each individual and a risk assessment is performed to ensure that safety is maintained at all times.  The Service User is made aware of telephone numbers needed to contact the office both in and out of hours and left with this information, plus a statement of purpose and complaints procedure that can be referred to at any time.  The Service User is consulted at every point and and their consent is gained to ensure that they are happy with the care plan and what the carers will be doing for them.  Where the Service Users are in a private contract, the fees are explained to ensure that all payments are fully understood.  Confidentiality is adhered to at all times so Service Users can be confident that their information stays safe and protected.

Questionnaires are regularly sent out to Service Users in order to gain their opinions and feelings on the care that they receive.  They are encouraged to be open and honest with their answers that we can act upon the information received and use this to improve the service for everybody.   Newsletters are sent out on a quarterly basis which contains important information about the business and it also has crosswords and poems in it so has something for everybody.

Personalised Care, Treatment and Support

C & S Care Services ensure that all care is personalised to the person who is receiving it by consulting with them or those acting on their behalf at every step of the way.  The care is planned to ensure that the Service Users needs are fully catered for and that it works with or eliminates any risks to their welfare and safety.  We ensure (within reason) that that the same care staff are sent to the Service User week in, week out, which enables the Service User to develop trust and a rapport with the staff they receive.   Care Plans have been developed so that they are outcome based rather than task based – this means that the Service User is at the centre and their care plan encompasses their life and well being as opposed to just the physical tasks that need performing in order for them to remain at home.

Our training and policies and procedures are robust which helps eliminate poor conduct and practice from any member of staff and protects the Service User from receiving a poor service.  Meeting nutritional needs is also so important and all care staff undergo Basic Food Hygeine course before they commence their caring role.  This ensures that they are fully knowledgeable on food hygeine and preparation and Service Users can be secure they are receiving a good level of service.

Safeguarding and Safety

C & S Care Services ensures all Service Users are protected from abuse or the risk of abuse by taking action to identify and prevent abuse from happening by having stringent recruitment procedures in place.  New staff are vetted in their interviews and carefully analysed to ensure that only the very best people come on board.  CRB’s are performed on each new recruit and 2 employment references are gained before working in the community, with constant monitoring happening to ensure continuity and to guage a true picture of the persons personality and abilities.

Cleanliness and infection control is so important for a Service Users safety due to the amount of healthcare related illnesses such as MRSA and clostridium dificile.  We ensure that this outcome is covered by commodes being thoroughly rinsed and cleaned – this is incorporated into the risk assessments.  The carers all wear their uniforms and also use fresh gloves and aprons for and every Service Users that they visit.  We are able to get high quality Personal Protective Equipment supplies from Start Workwear and are confident that this protects both Service User and carer from passing on healthcare related infections such as MRSA and Clostridium Dificile which can be deadly for vulnerable people.

Quality assurance spot checks and medication audits are performed on all members of staff to ensure their competence in the administration of medication and are fully trained in this area.  Detailed Care Plans and Risk Assessments are in place before care commences for an individual to ensure each member of staff has the full information in order to perform their role safely.

Suitability of Staffing

All staff have an enhanced Criminal Records Bureau check before they commence any work in the community, this ensures that C & S Care Services are fully aware of the staff members past.   Service Users can feel safe in their own homes and that they have trusted community care workers visiting them.   Strict disciplinary procedures are in place which are not seen as punishment but more as support for the member of staff to help give them guidance towards being the best that they can be.

All staff receive support with Registered Manager who has an ”open door” policy which gives staff the comfort of knowing that they can come to her with any personal problems that they may be having.  The Registered Manager holds annual appraisals with all members of staff and every 3 months they receive Supervision Sessions, these give support to the staff in they have their own time to discuss issues and have constructive feedback.  Staff are thoroughly trained from the minute they start – they are inducted over a 5 day period which involves everything that care staff need to know, including safe manual handling where the carer gets the chance to use a hoist and be hoisted themselves so that they know how vulnerable a Service User feels when they are being hoisted.  The training goes on from this to being shadowed for 2 weeks with an experienced carer, with ongoing support from the office this is when the new carer performs care alone.  After this time the carer will enrol on their Level 2 Diploma in Care to gain recognised qualifications for the work that they do, and they also receive ongoing training from the inhouse training department.

Quality and Suitability of Management

The Registered Manager is a responsible person who is registered with the Care Quality Commission.  She ensures the day to day smooth running of the company and responds appropriately to complaints and issues as they arise ensuring that individuals are supported with their problems with an unbiased manner ensuring that the Service Users are protected.

The Great British Care Awards are held to celebrate social care from 9 regions in the UK  to recognise teams, individuals and organisations which show commitment, innovation and entrepreneurial flair in social care.

Roger Booker who was one of the judges told us that it was well deserved and we won due to our commitment and passion that shone through during the interviews.

At C & S Care Services we have a clear vision based on support, development and valuing staff.  We have defined objectives for the future, a positive environment and are committed to delivering quality services.  Utilising a person centered approach we deliver services that are consistent, reliable and well managed.

We are so proud to have won this fantastic accolade and can’t wait for the national awards!!

I thought this would be a great service for those who aren’t able to get out of their homes and would like their laundry/drycleaning/ironing undertaken by a professional company. Select Services are based in Wolverhampton but also cover Shropshire and Staffordshire so distance isn’t a problem for them.  Select Services are an award winning company who are members of the Certified Restoration Dry Cleaning Network, they are an Insurance Approved Specialist and are also approved by Wolverhampton City Council so you can be sure that you are getting a good service when you use them.

If you are interested in using Select Services, please contact them on 01902 735300 or email on select.laundry@virgin.net. and they will do their best to cater for your needs.

Claire Walters and Sue Fisher started C&S Care Services 11 years ago, when they were two Registered Nurses at Newcross Hospital.  They saw that people were desperate to get out of hospital and receive the care they needed in the comfort of their own homes.

This idea led to them creating C&S Care Services and the start of a journey that has led them to being the successful company that they are today.  Sue and Claire began delivering care to private Service Users in the small village of Albrighton where they quickly became reknowned for delivering a high quality service which mainitained the Service Users dignity and independence.

Within a few years they won contracts with Shropshire, Staffordshire and Wolverhampton Social Services and have successfully achieved an Excellent status with the Care Quality Commission who are the Governing body for all care providers.

Now with their own training department and carers specializing in their chosen areas, we think that C&S Care Services have done really well, Happy 11th Birthday!!

The Great British Care Awards seek to acknowledge and celebrate employees and employers’ commitment to care and how this is achieving success in delivering an excellent, quality service. Employers should be able to demonstrate considerable acumen and entrepreneurial flair whilst at the same time having a sustained track record of delivering high quality care and managing improvement.

• Is able to demonstrate substantial strengths and has a sustained track record of delivering good quality care and managing improvement
• Demonstrates a commitment to learning and development activities
• Can demonstrate examples of leadership best practice: supervision and appraisal systems, continuing professional development, qualifications and achievements, creating a learning environment. Can show an effective workforce development plan
• Demonstrates the ability to change to meet the new social care priorities
• Demonstrates good practice in person centred care and support
• Demonstrates a commitment to dignity and privacy for clients
• Is able to demonstrate how clients and/or relatives/carers participate in the development of service
• Examples of how clients have benefited
• Can show satisfaction of clients
• Can say how they achieve a caring culture within their organisation
• Can say what makes their care service special

This black tie event is to be held at The International Convention Centre, Birmingham on the 15th October 2011 and will be hosted by former Big Brother star and TV presenter Alison Hammond.

The very best of luck to you Claire and Sue from all at C&S Care Services, we know you can do it!!!!

Both have a caring background, having worked for many years in a nursing home, and had parents whose quality of life had suffered due to being unable to get adequate vehicles and people to assist them to travel.
Drivers are CRB checked, which means you can put your complete trust in
them and they use specialist wheelchair adapted vehicles.

Ability2Travel actively want to encourage independence and dignity when travelling as your journey is a big part of your day, wherever you are choosing to go, to quote them, “we are not just your average taxi firm, we are carers too”. 

They can provide assistance for visits to the hospital or a shopping trip, they can even offer assistance for a person who wishes to attend a funeral but are unable to access most vehicles.

Promoting independence is a core value of C&S Care Services, as we recognise that it is vitally important for a person’s well being to retain as much independence as possible, whatever their age or disability.  We feel that Ability2Travel hold these same values.
Contact them on 01902 843572 / 07791 745104 or send an email on: enquiry@ability2travel.co.uk.

The challenge sets out 10 core values that people who use care services can expect:

1. Have a zero tolerance of all forms of abuse.

2. Support people with the same respect you would want for yourself or a member of     your family.

3. Treat each person as an individual by offering a personalised service.

4. Enable people to maintain the maximum level of independence, choice and control.

5. Listen and support people to express their needs and wants.

6. Respect people’s right to privacy.

7. Ensure people feel able to complain without fear of retribution.

8. Engage with family members and carers as care partners.

9. Assist people to maintain confidence and positive self esteem.

10. Act to alleviate people’s loneliness and isolation.

Here at C&S Care Services, we believe that each and every person should be treated with dignity as it is a basic Human Right.  We promote this ideal with new members of staff from the very beginning when they are in their interview and continues to be embedded in their ongoing knowledge via induction and training.  Dignity is also regularly discussed in staff meetings to keep awareness current, to highlight areas of bad practice which can be resolved and pass on examples of those who are already providing dignity and respect for their Service Users. 

Everyone needs to be involved in this challenge to ensure that Service Users or it could be a family member of yours, is always treated with respect and dignity.   You can start to make a real difference others lives  by looking at the Dignity in Care website http://www.dignityincare.org.uk/ and signing up to be a Dignity Champion.  This will give you lots of ideas and inspiration of how you can improve the care experience of others… remember that one day it could be you…