Statement of Purpose & Client Information

ASSIST CARING

Providing PERSONAL SUPPORT including companionship, enabling, escorting, personal care, and respite for carers

ASSIST HOME HELP

Providing HOME SUPPORT and help with routine household tasks, such as cleaning, changing beds, laundry, ironing, shopping, and paperwork

Registered Manager: Shirley Fewings
Contact Telephone No: 01626 889288
Email: info@assist-teignbridge.co.uk

The provision of personal care is a regulated activity, for which the charity is registered with the Care Quality Commission.

CQC Provider ID: 1-149127328

Assist Teignbridge
The Manor House, Old Town Street, Dawlish, Devon EX7 9AW. Reg’d Charity No. 1154936
Tel: 01626 889288
Patron: Sir David Hoare Bt.
E-mail: info@assist-teignbridge.co.uk | Web: https://assist-teignbridge.co.uk

1. Aims and Objectives

Assist Caring is committed to the provision of outstanding home care, providing practical care and personal support for individuals in their own home whilst enabling the carer (if any) to have a break from their caring role. Assist Home Help is committed to the provision of high quality help with routine household tasks. It is our aim to enhance the quality of life for our service users who are in need of support due to illness, disability or frailty of age.

We aim to work in partnership with the individuals requiring our care, their carers, and their families to ensure the provision of a quality service, personalised for their needs and provided by staff that have been trained for the tasks they may be required to undertake.

We aim to ensure the services are managed effectively and efficiently. The services will be monitored regularly as part of the quality assurance framework ensuring that the service users are involved in the management and development of services and that the services are run in the best interests of our service users.

We aim to ensure that each client’s needs and values are respected and that all service users have equal rights and are protected against any form of abuse or discrimination.

We acknowledge and respect the service user’s right to privacy, dignity and independence at all times and our staff act with discretion and confidentiality, promoting and supporting people to be as independent as possible whilst maintaining the service user’s personal safety and home security.

We aim to offer services that are flexible and responsive to the service user’s needs.

We aim to work in co-ordination with other services where it is necessary to achieve these aims and to signpost to other services as the need is identified.

The services Assist Caring offers include:

• Personal Care
• Practical Care
• Companionship
• Escorting to Social activities
• Meal preparation and clear up
• Night care (sleep in)

Some of tasks we may undertake as part of the personal care plan could include:

• Washing
• Help with dressing and undressing
• Assistance with eating and drinking
• Assistance with the administration and monitoring of medication
• Moving and Handling
• Help with toileting and continence care
• Foot and hand care (where there are no medical contra-indications)

Assist Caring does not provide medical or nursing care and we do not provide a service for children.

The services Assist Home Help offers include:

• vacuuming, dusting, mopping, general cleaning
• changing bedding
• help with laundry
• ironing
• shopping
• small sewing tasks like buttons, simple mending
• help with paperwork, reading and writing letters

Assist Home Help does not provide DIY, outside window cleaning, or any tasks involving ladders.

2. Client Group

Our service is available to the following groups of people:

• Older People
• Adults with dementia
• Adults with mental health problems
• Adults with a sensory disability
• Adults with physical difficulties
• Adults with learning difficulties
• Carers of any of the above

In addition the service is available to adults requiring temporary support, such as during a period of convalescence.

3. Availability

Assist Caring is available 24 hours a day for 365 days of the year. Night care is available from 10pm until 7am, with the option of extending these hours through the commissioning of day hours. Assist Home Help is available during normal office hours, and outside these times by arrangement.

4. Office Hours and Out of Hours Emergency Contact: Tel: 01626 889288

The office is open from 9.00am – 5.00pm. We have an answer phone for out of office hours and this is accessed remotely, on a regular basis, by a member of the Assist Caring team. The out of office hours facility should be used in an emergency only. Routine calls should be made during office hours. Our care staff have been issued with a dedicated contact number to ring in the event of an emergency.

5. Our Staff

Following a careful selection and recruitment process which involves the take-up of two references and a DBS disclosure, our staff are required to undertake a period of induction to ensure they are trained and fully competent for the work they are required to undertake.

6. Accessing the Services

Anyone wishing to arrange service for themselves or someone they represent should contact the Assist Teignbridge office by phone, in writing or in person. Details of our services will be sent out on request and a referral form will be completed. A home visit will be scheduled to ensure our service is appropriate for your needs. At the time of the assessment we will discuss how we may best support you and your family and we can signpost you to other services if necessary. The visit will also enable us to allocate a member of staff we feel most suited to your circumstances and needs. If at the time of the assessment we identify any hazards or risks that may be potential areas of danger to you or our staff we will make some recommendations to ensure the safety of all concerned. Following our assessment and should you decide to commission our service you will be issued with a file containing a copy of the agreed service user care plan along with our contact details, agreed hours, cost and terms of business.

The staff will perform their tasks as discussed and agreed within the care plan but are also aware of the need to be flexible to meet any change in need. Your care plan will be reviewed every six months and any significant change in circumstances will require us to undertake a reassessment of need. You may also request a reassessment at any time. Staff will record each of their visits on your file and will ask you, where possible, to sign a triplicate timesheet to confirm their attendance, a copy of which will be left on file for your records. You will be informed of the name of your allocated staff member prior to the commencement of our service. The registered manager will contact you by phone following the first shift to ensure you were happy with the service provided. All our staff are issued with a photo identity badge showing their name and our charity name which will be presented on arrival.

7. Confidentiality

Assist Teignbridge offers confidentiality to all service users. Nothing learned in confidence from an individual will be passed on to anyone else without their express permission or under exceptional circumstances. Service users have a right to expect that our services will hold information about them in confidence and that all information will be accurate, relevant to the services we provide and held securely. All staff have a statutory obligation to safeguard the confidentiality of personal information. An individual may agree to allow certain information to be disclosed, however they can change the terms of their consent or withdraw it at any time. Disclosure of personal information without consent may be justified where failure to do so may expose the individual or others to risk of serious harm.

8. Costs

With effect from 20th April 2026, our charge rates are as follows:

Hours/nights provided on Bank & Public Holidays will be charged at £37.50 (home help), £42.50 (care), £183 (sleeping nights) & £355 (waking nights). This night rate also applies on Xmas Eve and New Year’s Eve.

Private mileage for any trips or outings is charged at the rate of 45p per mile. If it is necessary for our staff to incur car parking charges to park near your home then this will be re-charged to you. These charges will be shown separately on your monthly invoice.

9. Cancellation Policy

a) Cancellation of a booked shift

Should you find it necessary to cancel a booked shift the following rates will apply:

Day Hours:

• More than 24 hours’ notice – No charge
• Less than 24 hours’ notice – 1 hour shifts will be charged in full, and for shifts of 2 hours or more there will be a minimum 2 hour charge.
• Uncancelled shifts will be charged in full.

Nights:

• More than 24 hours’ notice – No charge
• Less than 24 hours’ notice – charged in full

b) Suspension of service due to hospitalisation

If the service user is admitted to hospital or another health facility, then normal cancellation charges will apply for the first 24 hours. After the first week of admission, we reserve the right to charge a retainer fee of 50% of planned services for each subsequent week that this is ongoing, to continue until service is resumed or notice to end the service is given. If notice is given, the cessation of service clause will apply.

c) Cessation of service

We require 14 days’ notice to end the service, and we reserve the right to charge for all services planned during the notice period, whether provided or not. In the regrettable event that the service user has passed away, only 24 hours of planned services will be charged.

10. Invoicing

Invoices are issued monthly for a 4 or 5 week period. Payment should be submitted to the office within 21 days. Cheques should be made payable to Assist Teignbridge. Payment may also be made by BACS and details will be shown on your invoice. A receipt will be issued on request.

Please contact the office if you are unable to settle your account within the 21 day period.

11. Quality Assurance

Assist Caring and Assist Home Help aim to deliver a high quality, professional service that is appropriate to our clients’ needs and wishes. In order to ensure that we maintain and improve our standards of provision we use a variety of methods of quality assurance including:

• Client evaluation forms
• Supervision and appraisal of staff
• Monitoring visits
• Feedback from other services

We have a strict code of practice, a copy of which is issued with the care plan. If at any time you feel the service we provide does not comply with the standards laid out in our codes please let us know.

12. Complaints Procedure

If or any reason you are not entirely satisfied with our service and your complaint cannot be resolved by informal discussion and agreement, or you feel dissatisfied with the response, please contact the Manager, Shirley Fewings. When we receive your complaint we will:

• Record the nature of your complaint.
• Address all complaints verbally within 24 hours.
• Investigate your complaint within 7 days.

After full investigation, and within 21 days, a written response will be sent to you informing you of the results of our investigation and the action taken.

A copy of our complaints procedure will be included in your file. If however you remain dissatisfied with the situation in respect of Assist Caring then you should contact:

Care Quality Commission
City Gate
Gallowgate
Newcastle Upon Tyne
NE1 4PA
Tel: 03000-616161

Devon County Council
Adult and Community Services
County Hall
Exeter
EX4 2QR
Tel: 0345-155-1015

Or The local Government Ombudsman (Adult Social Care) 0300-061-0614

You may have comments or suggestions on how we can improve our services. We welcome your comments and would be happy to hear from you. We would also welcome any compliments you may wish to make.

13. Policies and Procedures

The following Policies and Procedures are in place to cover every aspect of our service. Copies of our policies are available on request to the Assist Teignbridge office.

• Accident Policy and Procedure
• Awareness of Abuse
• Bank & Cash Handling Policy and Procedures
• Bequests and Gifts Policy
• Care Plan
• Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH)
• Complaints Procedure
• Confidentiality Policy
• Disciplinary Procedure
• Equal Opportunity and Diversity Policy
• Food & Nutrition Policy
• Grievances Policy
• Health and Safety Policy
• Infection Control
• Lone Working
• Medicines Policy
• Mental Capacity Act
• Moving and Handling Policy
• Quality Management Policy
• Respecting and Involving Service Users Policy
• Recruitment Policy
• Risk Assessment Policy
• Whistle-blowing Policy
• Workplace Stress

If you require this information in another format such as large print, audio or Braille or in another language please contact the office on the number above.

March 2025