Our philosophy is based on John O’Briens Service Accomplishments. These are principles that show a commitment to the rights and opportunities which should be available to all people we provide a service to.

We want everything we do to be driven by the needs, abilities and aspirations of the people we provide a service to; we recognise that this focus can slip and we will remain vigilant to ensure that the service, its policies and its activities, remain service user-led.

We have embraced the Personalisation Agenda, which aims to put service users and their families in control of current and future service provision.

We want all the people we support to be safe and well and will provide an open and transparent service and listen to people’s concerns.

Quality Assurance

Prior to any admittance to the service, the individuals care manager will complete an assessment of need. This assessment will identify the individual’s personal support and care requirements and give an overview on the level of support needed. We will assess whether we can provide this support and care before we agree to offering a place within our service.

We will ensure that support workers are trained, supervised and supported to provide a range of support and where required, personal care services for people in order to meet their individual needs. With consideration to each individual’s assessment of need, staff may require additional training and guidance prior to us delivering a service to that person.

Staff that provide personal care services will have their practice guided by values, and will;

• Encourage individuals to express their choice of where, when, how and by whom they receive their personal care.
• Ensure the dignity of the individual is given high priority when any aspect of personal care is provided.
• Endeavour to form good working relationships with individuals in order to establish mutual trust.
• Enable the people we support to care for themselves wherever possible and maintain their independence
• Provide support and care in such a way that embraces their diversity and meets the personal, emotional and cultural values of an individual as well as their physical needs
• Each person we support will have a person centred plan which will identify their individual personal care requirements
• and daily routines. As stated above, they will be encouraged and promoted to direct their own support wherever we can
• facilitate this and at all other times, service delivery will be done in the individual best interest at that time.
• Basic personal care tasks include support with;
• Bathing
• Dressing and undressing
• Eating & drinking
• Continence Care
• Mobility and transfers.
• Administration of prescribed medication - both orally and topically.

From time to time support workers may be asked to carry out some tasks that may be considered to be specialist. These tasks may only be undertaken after appropriate risk assessments have been carried out and specialist training has been arranged.

• Such tasks may include;
• Managing challenging behaviour – Positive Behaviour Support Plans
• Managing an individual’s mental health
• Changing sterile dressings
• Assistance with eye or ear drops
• Catheter care-changing bags, monitoring output
• Stoma Care
• Administering emergency recovery medication re: Epilepsy eg buccal medication
• Support with PEG feeding - other types of tube feeding
• Support with pressure care
• Any other specialist task that is not considered to be a nursing procedure

Support workers will not undertake tasks that require the skills and expertise of clinical professionals.