Choosing care services

Home Care in Pembrokeshire - What can I expect?

This leaflet is for people who are having home care arranged for them by Pembrokeshire County Council. It provides information about the service and what you can expect from it. 

What is home care?
How will home care help me to stay independent?
How will I find out who my care provider will be?
Who will my care workers be?
How many care workers will visit me?
When will my care worker call?
What happens if my care worker doesn’t arrive on time?
What is Electronic Call Monitoring?
My care and support needs have changed, what should I do?
How is home care paid for?
There are other things that I need help with that the Council won’t pay for. Who do I speak to? 
I’m not happy with my home care, what should I do?
Additional Information 

 

Home care, sometimes known as domiciliary care, is when a care worker visits you in your own home to support you with your personal care and practical tasks so that you stay as independent as possible.  

Home care services are registered with the Care Inspectorate Wales who regulate the quality of care services across Wales.

The aim of home care is to support you to become and stay as independent as possible. Care workers will support you to do as much as you can yourself, including looking after your own health and wellbeing. This means that they may help you to complete activities rather than doing them for you and you will not be offered support in areas where you can do things for yourself. 

Everyone is different and we work in a way that allows care and support to be as personalised as possible. If you have a social worker, they will talk with you to find out what support you need, as well as what is important to you. You and your social worker will agree what care and support will be provided and this will be written in your care and support plan.

When we know what support you need, we will contact local care providers and will do our best to find your care and support as soon as we can. When we do find the right provider for you, your social worker will get in touch and tell you when and how the provider will make contact.

Unfortunately sometimes there can be delays before care workers become available where you live. Where things take longer, your social worker will keep you updated. They might also talk to you about whether there are other options that might support you in the short term whilst we find the right longer term care and support for you.

Your care workers will be trained and skilled to support you. They will also be individually registered with Social Care Wales who oversee professional practice in Wales.

Your care workers are likely to be people from a variety of ages, genders, backgrounds, cultures, and ethnicities.

Pembrokeshire County Council is committed to equality and diversity and we ask that everyone treats other people with the same respect and dignity as they would wish to be treated themselves. If you have any concerns, please talk to your care provider or social worker.

Care providers know that it is important to keep the number of care workers visiting you as low as possible and they will talk to you before your care starts so that you can understand how many workers will be in your team.

The size of your team will depend on things such as the number of visits you have and how many care workers are needed for each visit. Generally, the more care you receive the higher the number of workers will be.

Whilst we know that it is very important for people to have care at a time that best suits them, this is not always possible for a number of reasons.

When you talk to your social worker, they will ask you to choose what time band you would like to receive your care in. These are below

• Band 1 – 6:30am – 8:30am
• Band 2 – 8:30am – 10:30am
• Band 3 – 10:30am – 12:00pm
• Band 4 – 12:00pm – 2:00pm
• Band 5 – 2:30pm – 4:30pm
• Band 6 – 4:30pm – 6:30pm
• Band 7 – 6:30pm – 8:30pm
• Band 8 – 8:30pm – 10:30pm

Each time band gives you a choice of the time of day you would like to receive care. We will then find care providers who are able to provide a call time within this band. The selected care provider will then provide you with an approximate planned call time.

Sometimes care might not be available in your preferred time bands. If this happens, you will be asked if you would be happy to accept calls at another time on a short term basis (unless there is a clear risk to your health). Your care provider will then work to move your call times to your preferred choice as soon as possible.

Care workers will always do their best to be with you at the agreed time, but sometimes they encounter unavoidable delays, such as travel disruptions or needing to spend a little bit longer with someone who needs support. This means that there might be occasions when your care worker will arrive slightly earlier or later than planned.

Your care provider will contact you if there is going to be a significant change to your visit.

Electronic Call Monitoring is a system that records when care visits have started, have finished and which calls have been delayed or missed. It can be used to make sure that both individuals and care workers are safe.

With your permission, care workers may need to use your telephone briefly when they arrive and leave each call. These calls are free and you will not be charged for them.

Pembrokeshire County Council uses the information that Electronic Call Monitoring collects to improve care services so it is important that it is used wherever possible.

If your care and support needs change, please talk to your care provider in the first instance. They may then agree any changes with your social worker.  If you want to talk about any changes with a social worker directly, please contact Pembrokeshire County Council on 01437 764551. 

You can arrange and pay for home care yourself. If you buy help privately you can choose the type of help you receive and the amount that you want.  

If you have eligible care and support needs that the Council has responsibility for, then they will arrange for a care provider to deliver this service. This is a chargeable service which means that you may be asked to make a contribution towards the cost of your care. This payment is means tested and there is a maximum weekly contribution that you could be asked to make. 

Charges are calculated on the care you receive. Cancelling care calls with less than 24 hours’ notice may mean that you will be charged. Wherever possible please try to give your provider as much notice as you can if you are wanting to cancel any care visits. This can help care providers plan better and will mean less disruption for your care workers.   

If you are new to home care you will be getting a financial assessment form and factsheet through the post. These will also contain further details about all financial matters relating to home care. Once you complete and return this to us, we will let you know if you need to make any contribution.  

If at any stage your financial situation changes, please let us know and we can arrange for a new assessment to be completed. 

If you are worried that you would not be able to afford to pay for help at home, it is important to ensure that you are in receipt of all the benefits that you are eligible for.  There are a number of local organisations who are able to provide advice about benefits and entitlements. If you would like more information, please speak to your social worker. 

Sometimes you might want support with tasks around the house that are not eligible for Council funding. Your care provider, or another service, may be able to help you with these as part of a private arrangement that you pay for.

There is also an amazing range of community groups, activities and support available in Pembrokeshire that can help you meet other people, get out and about, stay healthy and active or get involved in things like volunteering.

For more information contact the Pembrokeshire Community Hub on:

Tel: 01437 723 660

Email: enquiries@pembrokeshirecommunityhub.org 
 

If you are not happy about your care and support, in the first instance you should contact your care provider and raise your concerns. You can do this informally or as a formal complaint.

If that does not resolve the issue you can contact the Council via your social worker or by contacting the Pembrokeshire County Council Complaints Team on:

Tel: 01437 764551

Email: socialcarecomplaints@pembrokeshire.gov.uk or at

Post: Complaints Officer, County Hall, Haverfordwest, SA61 1TP

If you need support to make your views known and to have your voice listened to, you can contact 3CIPA who provide a free Independent Professional Advocacy service. You can contact them on:

Tel: 0800 206 1387

Email: info@cipawales.org.uk  

 

• Paying for your care and support
• Choosing care services
• Dewis (opens in a new tab)
• PLANED (opens in a new tab)
• Connect Pembrokeshire (opens in a new tab)  

Home Care Services

There are exceptions, but most organisations offer ‘packages’ of care rather than separate care services. You may find the Yellow Pages or the small ads in the local paper useful for specific services such as cleaning services, gardening services, transport or meals.

 

Who can provide help in your home? 

Types of Care 

Other Services 

Standards of care 

Employers’ associations 

Choosing a home care service 

 

Who can provide help in your home?

Help from privately-run and voluntary organisations

There are many care service providers in Pembrokeshire that you can buy care from.

The Contact Centre can provide you with a list of care providers. Tel: 01437 764551

You can also contact Care Inspectorate Wales (opens in a new tab) for a list of registered providers.

Tel: 0300 7900 126

For details of voluntary organisations that may be able to help, contact PAVS (opens in a new tab)

Tel: 01437 769422

Help from Adult Care

Adult Care will work with people, who qualify for their help, to identify which resources and support can be put into place to enable them where possible, to retain or maintain their independence. 

Help at home will only be arranged for people who need a great deal of support; for example, people who need help with their personal care and people who have just come out of hospital.

Reablement

Reablement is short-term support, tailored to meet individual needs and to help restore independence after a period of illness in the community following discharge from hospital or loss of self confidence, or to prevent unnecessary hospital admission. The aim is to ensure you have the skills and confidence needed to live safely in your own home, without the need for long term care. Reablement support may also include the use of equipment and aids that enable and support you to do things for yourself.   

Initial help may come from Adult Care, with ongoing long term care being provided by other service providers. 
Tel: 01437 764551  

e-mail: enquiries@pembrokeshire.gov.uk

Direct Payments

Direct Payments are designed to give you more independence, choice and control, in order to help you manage your own life in your own home. Direct payments can be made to:

• disabled people aged 16 or over (with short or long-term needs)
• disabled parents for children’s services
• carers aged 16 or over (including people with parental responsibility for a disabled child)
• elderly people who need community care services
  
  

Types of Care

Personal care

Help with such things as getting up, going to bed, dressing, undressing, washing, bathing, personal hygiene, eating and drinking, using the toilet, managing incontinence, tooth and denture care. It also includes help with health related tasks that are done under the guidance of a doctor or community nurse. All organisations offering personal care have to register with the CSSIW.

Nursing care

Given by qualified nurses, and can include tasks such as changing dressings or giving injections as well as general nursing care. All organisations offering nursing care have to be registered with CSSIW.

Night care 

Organisations can provide both sleeping or waking night care. When you contact an organisation you should make clear what kind of care you need. If it involves any personal or nursing care, then the organisation needs to be registered with the CSSIW.

Live in help 

Can be anything from a few days help in an emergency to long term help. If personal or nursing care is included, organisations offering live-in help need to be registered with CSSIW.

Other Services

If you do not need either personal or nursing care, you may wish to contact organisations that offer other home care services. At present these services do not have to be registered or inspected. They include domestic help, shopping, transport / drivers, befriending, socialisation, sitting services, gardening and meals. When you contact any organisation you should check exactly what they can offer and whether they can provide it in your home area. Some organisations offer these services as part of a care package, however you can also access services individually – see Maintaining Independence for more details. 

Standards of care

Who sets the standards for organisations which provide care at home?

All organisations that provide personal or nursing care services to people in their own homes have to be registered and inspected to ensure they meet national care standards. 

The Care Inspectorate Wales (CIW) (opens in a new tab) is responsible for the registration and inspection of Domiciliary Care Agencies (which offer personal care) and Nurse Agencies (which offer care from qualified nurses).  After they are registered agencies are inspected at least once a year to check that they are complying with National Minimum Standards as set by the government. 

Employers’ associations

Some home care organisations belong to local or national associations.

For details about their standards/codes of practice contact:

Social Care Wales (opens in a new tab)   

Choosing a home care service

When you contact an organisation providing care at home you want to be sure that it offers a high quality service, with trained staff who can provide the care you need. You should be specific about the kind of help you want, and do not hesitate to ask questions.

It is important that you know exactly what to expect, how much and what you will be paying for, and have confidence that those visiting your home are capable of providing what you need.

If you have a sight or hearing impairment ask whether home care staff have had training in caring for people with a sensory impairment.

If the organisation does not need to be registered you might ask the manager for references from satisfied clients.

Ask to see the organisation’s brochure and a copy of any code of conduct that they have for their staff. You may find that help from more than one organisation may be necessary to provide everything you need.

All staff giving personal or nursing care need to be checked by the Disclosure and Barring Service and against the Protection of Vulnerable Adults (POVA) register (or POCA where working with children is involved). 

Questions to ask when choosing a home care service

First discussions

• Will you visit me in my own home to discuss what help I need?
• What happens if the care I need changes?

Employees

• Have all your carers been properly screened, interviewed and their references checked?
• Do all your carers have the appropriate training and qualifications?
• Will nursing care always be given by a qualified nurse?
• Have all staff giving personal or nursing care had police checks? 

Supervision

• How do you supervise your carers to check they are doing what has been agreed?

Emergencies

• What help can you provide in an emergency?
• Who do I contact in an emergency?

Confidentiality

• Who will have details about me and my care?
• What personal information do I have to provide?

Handling money

• What records do you ask your carers to keep if they are handling my money (for example, if he or she is doing shopping for me)?

Charges

• What are your charges for daily, evening, weekend and 24 hour care?
• Is anything charged as an extra?
• Will I get written confirmation of the cost of my care before it starts?
• Will I be notified in advice about any changes in charges?
• How do I pay you (for example, do you bill me each week)?

Insurance

• Do you have insurance that covers public and employer liability and losses arising from dishonesty?
• Can I see confirmation in writing of your insurance cover?
• What household insurance do I need (in case a worker injures him or herself, or household items get broken)?

Equipment

• Do I have to provide any equipment?
• What equipment do your carers provide?

Complaints

• What can I do if I don’t get on with my carer or need to complain?
• What is your complaints procedure?

Changes / cancellations

• How much notice do I have to give if I need to cancel a session or the service altogether?
• Is there a charge if I have to cancel the service at short notice?
• Will you tell me in advance if my carer cannot come at the usual time?
• Will you tell me in advance if a different carer will be coming?
• Will you tell me in advance if you have to cancel my service at any time?

Other questions

• Can I give my carers presents, for example, at Christmas?
• Are your carers allowed to sign wills?