The Knowles / Care

Your comprehensive care
Upon admittance the Home Manager will agree with you an individual care plan with the emphasis placed on retaining your independence and self-respect. A close friend, relative or Social Services support worker is welcome to take an active role in this and all future care plan reviews.

The care plan details the daily support to be provided according to your needs and the daily routine and lifestyle you prefer which is regularly reviewed.

The care plan is also a confidential record of your medical and personal care. All care staff will endeavour to follow the care plan when providing personal assistance, care and support, 24 hours a day, to ensure you receive a continuous high standard of individual care.

The care team will work closely with your family, social workers and doctors to provide the correct type and level of care required in order to remain unobtrusive, but at the same time understanding when a helping hand is required.

Your care team

The Manager
The Home Manager trains and supervises the care team, placing your care and safety as the priority, with best care practices and techniques being employed through extensive ongoing staff training.

Tracy Heyes has been engaged in the care industry for over 20 years and is currently working towards an NVQ Level 4 Registered Manager Award. Tracy’s lengthy experience enables her to adopt a positive management approach  to the care team.  Tracy lives in Derbyshire.

The staff are selected for their qualities of reliability, integrity, skill, friendliness and professionalism. They are carefully screened and references are always checked thoroughly. During induction, all staff are trained in-house by experienced senior staff in the following critical subjects:

• Care code of conduct
• Confidentiality
• The rights of clients
• Health and Safety
• Food hygiene and safety
• Personal care tasks
• Care assistants’ responsibilities

We like all Care Assistants to usually have a minimum of 12 months experience and the desire to achieve a minimum of NVQ 2 level in Care. All new members of staff are encouraged to achieve this important qualification.

The home also ensures staff attend further external training courses for such topics as Food Hygiene, Handling and Moving, Care of the Elderly, First Aid, Drugs Practice etc.

Our aims, objectives and your rights

You have worked hard throughout your life so we think you deserve that extra effort. With our many years of experience we, therefore, pride ourselves on being able to offer you a high level of professional care. In this home your individuality will be respected and promoted by staff that have the ability and skills to give attention to detail and you have the choice of enjoying the company of like minded fellow clients.

We can accept you for either long term living or short term respite stays.

PRIVACY: The right for you to be left alone and undisturbed whenever you wish.

DIGNITY: The understanding of your needs and treating you with respect.

INDEPENDENCE: Allowing you to take calculated risks, to make your own decisions and think and act for yourself.

CHOICE: Giving you the opportunity to select for yourself from a range of alternative options.

RIGHTS: Keeping all basic human rights available to you.

FULFILMENT: Enabling you to realise your own aims and helping you to achieve these goals in all aspects of daily living.

We cannot be held responsible for you outside of the home unless accompanied by a member of staff, or we have been negligent, or breached any duty we may owe to you either under this contract or by virtue of any other duty imposed or implied by law.

Philosophy of Care
We aim to provide you with a secure, relaxed, and safe environment in which your care, well being and comfort are of prime importance. We will strive to preserve and maintain your dignity, individuality and privacy within a warm and caring atmosphere, and be sensitive to your ever-changing needs. These needs may be medical/therapeutic (for physical and mental welfare), cultural, psychological, spiritual, emotional and social. You will be encouraged to participate in the development of your individual care plan in which the involvement of family and friends may be appropriate and is greatly valued.

We pursue programmes of activities designed to encourage mental alertness, self-esteem, social interaction with other clients and which recognises the core values of care, which are fundamental to the philosophy of our home.

All care staff will be appropriately trained to deliver high standards of care. A continuous staff training programme is in place to ensure that these high standards are maintained in line with the latest developments in care practices as may be laid down in appropriate legislation, regulations and the Care Quality Commission.

Your care plan reviews
Once developed your care plan will be regularly reviewed to ensure that you are progressing in a satisfactory manner. All ame ndments require the authorisation of the Home Manager or senior person on duty and are recorded in full.

The care plan is reviewed:

• At the end of a new clients settling-in period.
• Thereafter with care staff on a regular basis.
• Fully at least every six months involving all parties.

Your relatives and close friends will be encouraged to participate in your daily routine as far as is practicable and are invited to care plan full reviews. They are also always welcome to chat with a member of the care staff at any time if they have any concerns.

We reserve the right to move you to an alternative room for health, regulatory or management reasons.

Our monitoring and quality
Attention to detail is pivotal to everything that we do. We have various systems to ensure that close monitoring is maintained on all of the home’s services and procedures.

An important part of our quality monitoring is to involve you and your relatives. We interview a selection of clients, relatives or friends each month and also regularly ask for comments on the home, the staff and services we provide. We also have available in reception a ‘Client Survey’ and ‘Visitors Survey’ for you to complete should you wish.

We are regularly inspected by the Care Quality Commission, which we welcome and view as a positive aid to our constantly improving standards. Our latest CQC Inspection reports are available in reception or on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk We can also post you a copy if required. All new clients will be given a copy of the report together with the information book.

Your Medication
Subject to a risk assessment and compliance with our self-medication policies and procedures you may take charge and dispense your own prescribed medication and we will help and advise where possible if required. We cannot accept any responsibility for misuse. Otherwise all medication will be managed by us and dispensed and ordered by us as per/under instructions from the doctor. You may request to see a doctor in private if you wish.