Florence Medicare Ltd is committed to ensuring that services continue to meet our service users’ needs.  Throughout our service provision we ensure that we have a systematic and ongoing monitoring process.  Delivering a high-quality service in one of our main priorities; we achieve this through a number of ways:

Service users:

• Initial needs assessment, care planning and risk assessment
• Monthly telephone reviews
• Monthly face to face reviews; management will play an active ‘hands on’ role in delivering care to assess and review how field care is being delivered by attending calls in person. This ensures a more personalised service for the service user where any concerns can be acknowledged quickly face to face.
• Completion of annual quality questionnaires
• Six monthly updates of Care Needs Assessment, Care Plans and Risk Assessment
• Full involvement of the client, family members and/or representatives in all aspects of the above.

This process allows us to obtain an in-depth view of our service users’ expected outcomes, review effectiveness of service delivery and amend when/where necessary and monitor how they are being achieved to ensure effective governance of policies and procedures.

Care workers:

• Thorough application and interview process
• Screening of required documentation including:-
  • Enhanced DBS (a risk assessment will be undertaken if any section doesn’t state ‘None Recorded’)
  • Two written references (one must be from the most recent past employer) which will be verified upon receipt
  • Two forms of identification (between them they must include a photograph, signature and address)
  • Visa stamps, Home Office documents, Biometric Residence Permit
  • Driving licence, car business insurance
  • Health declaration, medical reference where required
• Training and shadow working as described above
• Regular spot checking
• Probationary review
• At least four supervisions per annum, one to include direct observation of care provision
• Completion of employee engagement questionnaires
• Annual appraisal
• Proof of qualifications/training/registration to professional bodies

Florence Medicare Ltd aims to carry out a robust recruitment and selection process to ensure applicants are suitable to work with vulnerable people, along with continual training and monitoring which ensures they provide a high level of compliance, quality, consistency and continuity of care.

Managing Aggression:

Florence Medicare Ltd is committed to non-aversive interventions with individuals who may exhibit aggressive or violent behaviour. To maintain the dignity of the service user and the relationship between the service user and staff, Florence Medicare Ltd does not believe in using pain as a method of control, using any restraints and punitive based approaches and neither do we believe in restricting peoples freedom unless it is to protect the individual from risk of harm which in the case must be in line with Deprivation of Liberty Safeguarding requirements.

Safeguarding Individuals and staff from Abuse and unsafe practise

Florence Medicare Ltd has clear policies and procedures in place to safeguard the people we support in all aspects of their care including intimate personal care, minimising disruption and intrusion of personal privacy, safe administration of medication, the right to choice including the right to refuse etc. We ensure that our Staff are aware of the importance of adhering to all policies and procedures, standards and codes of practise and agreed ways of working. We promote a positive work culture where staff are aware of the importance of their duty of care and responsibilities and are given competent training to recognise and raise awareness of types and signs of abuse and potential actions and omissions which could lead to risk of harm to the service user and others. All staff are made aware of our clear guidelines for supporting individuals to raise concerns, for reporting any incidents and concerns of actual or suspected abuse and are supported to use the ‘whistleblowing’ procedure. 

We have clear policies and procedures about supporting service users to manage their own monies and property. In doing so, we ensure that our practise is safe and accountable to minimise the risk of financial abuse and exploitation.

All staff are trained to support service users and others to access and make a complaint on the individual’s behalf. Our complaints policy is readily available and in accessible formats to suit the individual’s needs.

We will also endeavour to work in partnership with our service users and relevant others (people who support them), making our practise transparent and open to scrutiny. All aspects of the service users care are subject to regular reviews to ensure all agreed ways of working continue to accommodate their changing needs and wishes.

At Florence Medicare Ltd, we also respect the individual’s right of privacy and we are committed to protecting confidentiality and personal data. All staff are trained to follow policies and procedures and are aware of the importance of seeking consent and handling personal information. Should the need to disclose any information arise; in the best interest of the service user or where there is a risk of significant harm to the individual and others, we will act in accordance with The Data Protection Act and only after careful consideration with partnership agencies.

Safeguarding Service Users and their property and Staff in their service

Florence  Medicare Ltd aims to seek to provide a safe and healthy home and workplace environment for its employees and service users. We are committed to adhering to health and safety policies including working with service users and staff in ensuring paramount safety and security including providing adequate infection control and implementing safe lone working procedures. We are committed to removing hazards as and when they arise. We carry out risk assessments to identify any hazards and staff are trained to recognise and report potential hazards in which case, we will endeavour to work with the service user so far as it is reasonably practical to prevent or minimise the possibility of any risk of harm (where it is not possible to remove those hazards by their nature) to the service user and to staff whilst respecting their personal space, wishes, belongings and property.  

At Florence Medicare Ltd, we believe in respecting the individual’s autonomy and staff are aware of the need to offer choice and to seek consent before carrying out any activity. We also support service users to make an informed decision where there is an element of risk taking involved in consultation with relevant partnership agencies involved in the individuals support plan. We support individuals to balance their individual rights against risks and provide support to access advocacy and advice from external organisations.

Possible withdrawal of the service

Very occasionally it becomes necessary for the office to withdraw a service.  Such action would normally only take place because of a serious health and safety risk or unacceptable behaviour displayed by the service user; very exceptionally, when the service we are able to provide is insufficient to meet the needs of the service users.  Persistent non-payment of invoices (if self-funding) may also incur withdrawal of services. 

Given the sensitive nature of care implications surrounding withdrawal of service, this action will only be taken after full consultation with and notice to, the service user, their family and/or representatives and any relevant professional involved in their care.