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