The Scheme has funding from Bexley Council Social Services (Tel: 020 8303 7777), Greenwich Social Services (Tel: 020 8854 8888) and Bexley Care Trust (Tel: 020 8298 6000). There are several similar schemes now operating in other parts of the country.
We are a registered charity and anyone who wishes to can apply to become a member of the organisation. Any carer using our service will automatically receive an invitation to our Annual General Meeting (AGM) and a copy of our annual report.
As an organisation providing care in people’s own homes, we are registered with the Commission for Social Care Inspection. If you wish, you may see a copy of the Commission’s latest Inspection Report about our service.
Details of Service
*Carers and cared for people of any age can use the service.
*Support can be offered for one-off periods of care or for planned breaks of up to two weeks at a time. Depending on the availability of the Co-ordinator and volunteers, one-off emergency visits can also be offered. We can also provide regular, short breaks (5 hours minimum) on the understanding that priority has to be given to carers booking longer breaks.
*Services provided by other agencies eg Bexley Crossroads Care Ltd, Home Care, Meals-on-Wheels will continue to be provided while the carer is away.
*If the cared-for person is a child under 16 the volunteers will share the care with the parents and other agencies, but cannot take sole responsibility for the child other than for short periods (a few hours at the most), and only then if parents, the volunteer and the Co-ordinator agree that it is safe. A parent or other responsible adult must be contactable at all times in case of emergency.
*The service is free. Families will be expected to provide food and out of pocket expenses for the volunteer during their stay. Volunteers cannot accept any personal payment but donations to Carers’ Support are welcome.
* Each family may book up to 28 days per year (between 1 April and 31 March)
What Happens
Referrals to the Scheme can be made by families themselves or by someone on their behalf. Once a request for the service has been accepted the Co-ordinator will arrange to visit you at home. The purpose of this visit is to look at what needs you and the cared-for person have and if we can help. Consideration will be given as to whether a volunteer can carry out the tasks involved without problems, and without risk to their own safety or that of the person requiring assistance.
A volunteer may then be introduced to you. He/she will arrange a series of visits to get to know the person they will be looking after. Volunteers receive some basic training eg First Aid and Moving and Handling, but most of their training will be undertaken by you so that things are done in the way that you and the cared-for person want.
The planned break can take place when everyone is confident about the volunteer’s ability to support the person needing care, and the volunteer and the cared-for person both feel that they can get on together while you are away. The Co-ordinator is available to support these arrangements and provide any additional training needed.
About Our Volunteers
Our volunteers are young people who commit themselves to working with Carers’ Support for between six months and a year. They are provided with accommodation and living expenses by the Scheme. They are able to work evenings, overnight and at weekends so that carers can have a break when they most need it. Volunteers are expected to undertake all the tasks usually done by the carer, whether these are domestic eg cooking, or to do with personal care eg assisting with washing, dressing, toiletting etc. They are not expected to do any heavy domestic tasks such as cleaning windows. With regard to cooking, we usually suggest that frozen, ready meals are provided for the cared for person, as few volunteers come to us with much cooking experience.
If necessary, volunteers may undertake certain financial transactions on your behalf. For example, if you are going away on holiday, you might want the volunteer to buy some shopping while you are away. Please discuss this fully with the Co-ordinator when s/he comes to see you initially as we have to follow strict procedures about handling money. The money always needs to be provided in advance as volunteers are not allowed to pay for things out of their own pocket and then claim it back afterwards.
The volunteer can accompany the cared-for person on local trips eg to the shops, library, cinema. He/she is also there to provide companionship and to ensure that the time spent with the cared-for person is a positive experience for them both. It is important to remember that the volunteer is there because they want to help and they need to know that they are valued. For their part, volunteers are aware that they are guests in your house and should respect your wishes about how things are done. Volunteers are “police checked” when they join the project.
Emergencies
Please make sure that you give your volunteer and the Co-ordinator the telephone numbers of people who can be contacted in an emergency. If there are any special situations that they may have to cope with, please let us know.
Insurance
Although every effort will be made to meet your needs and provide a volunteer for the times/dates you request, Carers’ Support cannot guarantee a service for specific periods. It is therefore very important that you take out the necessary insurance to cover for cancellation if you book and pay for a holiday.
It is also in your interests to provide insurance cover for any damage which may accidentally be caused by a volunteer in your home. Volunteers are covered by public liability insurance through the scheme.
Donations
The funding we receive only covers the day-to-day running of the scheme. Carers’ Support relies on donations from the families who benefit from the service in order to provide any “extras” which are needed, for example, birthday and Christmas presents for the volunteers, items of furniture for their flat, office equipment and other unforseen expenses. If you are satisfied with the service you receive from Carers’ Support and would like to make a donation, cheques should be made payable to “Carers’ Support (Bexley)” and sent to the address on the front of this leaflet.
Health and Safety
We are obliged to protect the health and safety of our volunteers and the person they are caring for. We may therefore have to ask you to comply with certain requirements. For example, when moving someone with mobility problems, the right equipment will need to be in place. Another example is that when travelling by car the volunteer must have a seat belt and would not be allowed to hold a child on his/her lap. Other factors we have to take into consideration include the environment the volunteer will be working in or any appliances they may be using.
About the Future
If you decide to use our service on an on-going basis, it will be necessary to introduce other volunteers to you from time to time. Either the Co-ordinator or another volunteer you already know will usually bring the new volunteer to meet you and the person you care for. Even if there is no change of volunteer, the Co-odinator will need to visit you from time to time (and at least once a year) to ensure that the details you gave us originally are still up to date. Please let us know as soon as possible if there are any changes to your circumstances or to the needs of the person you care for.
Equal Opportunities
Carers’ Support aims to promote equality of opportunity. Families wishing to use the service should not be discriminated against on grounds of race, disability, age, religion, sex, marital status, suspected or actual HIV status, sexual preference or ethnic origin. This also applies to the acceptance of volunteers onto the Scheme. Any racial or sexual abuse or harassment of volunteers while they are with families may lead to the service being withdrawn.English is the only language spoken by Carers’ Support staff. However, we do have access to interpreters and signers if needed. Please let us know if you require this service. Comments and ComplaintsCarers’ Support is keen to provide a service that meets the needs of individual carers and those they care for. We aim to respond to your needs within the limitations of our resources. We therefore welcome any comments or suggestions you wish to make. You may be asked to complete a questionnaire about what you think of the service offered. This will help us to make any changes that might improve the service and also help with the Scheme’s continued funding.
Of course we hope that it never happens, but if you are unhappy with our service and wish to make a complaint, we have a complaints procedure which will be given to you when you start using our service. Please don’t think that you will lose the service or be a nuisance by complaining — we need to know.
How to contact us
If for any reason you need to contact your volunteer or the Co-ordinator, please telephone the office on 020 8302 6579 (for the Bexley scheme) or 020 8302 0198 (for the Greenwich scheme). You can leave a message on the answerphone if no-one is available to take your call. You may also contact us via email: greenwichvolcare@carerssupport.org (for greenwich scheme) or claire@carerssupport.org (for bexley scheme)
We look forward to working with you.
