Our staff are committed to making a positive difference to our service users’ lives. Each service user is unique in their needs and desired outcomes and supports each one to be in control of their care as far as they are able. We work in partnership with our service users and, where appropriate, their families to provide the bespoke homecare service they deserve and support our valued staff to provide a safe and effective care service.

You can contact Fitzpatrick by telephone or email to discuss your needs and make an appointment for us to visit you at home for a chat about how Fitzpatrick can assist you. If, and when, you decide to go ahead.

A ‘Care Plan’ is produced which will detail exactly what we have agreed with you. This is the basis of the tasks that your care worker will carry out each day, in the way that you have advised us, to meet your needs and desired outcomes. We may need to change this, as and when your needs change, and as part of our ongoing monitoring process we regularly check to ensure that the care we are providing is appropriate. Tasks will be agreed with you in advance and any changes to the care plan will be communicated to your care workers.

Example list of tasks:-

Personal care and toileting

Medication

Food and fluid preparation

Support in the home Laundry and light housework

Shopping

Our staff are not able to give injections or change sterile dressings or plasters. They cannot cut finger or toe nails. Our staff will never carry out tasks which are likely to cause risk to either the person we provide care for or to Fitzpatrick staff.

We understand that people’s care needs change and we undertake regular reviews to assess how effective the care package is. Where appropriate, we can involve members of the immediate family to discuss how effectively the care service is meeting the needs of their relative.

This depends on how many care visits you have each week. We very rarely have just one care worker assigned to each service user. This allows for periods of time where your care worker may be away on holiday.

We take a considered and comprehensive approach to ensuring that our care service meets your needs. After each visit the care assistant will record the details of tasks undertaken during that visit in the care plan. In addition, you will be asked to record your satisfaction by signing the care worker’s timesheet, which is returned to Fitzpatrick each week for checking.

We will put together a detailed care plan which, in addition to setting out the care to be delivered, also shows the weekly costs. Some people will be entitled to assistance with the cost of their care either from their local Social Services office or via other Government funding.

We will send you an itemised invoice every four weeks. You can pay your invoice by cheque, postal order or standing order.

Every employee of Forest Homecare has been through a rigorous vetting procedure before they start working with us. In addition, all Care Assistants will be in uniform and carry a personalised identification card which shows their name and photograph. If you are ever concerned about the identity of a visiting care worker we would urge you to contact the office to verify their identity.

Our office is open from 8.30am to 5pm Monday to Friday. Outside of these hours, including weekends and Bank Holidays, we operate an out-of-hours on call service which is manned from 6am to 11pm. The number for your out-of-hours service will be provided for your reassurance, with someone at the end of the telephone line to assist with any emergencies relating to your care.

All home care organisations in England are regulated by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) by law to ensure they comply with regulatory requirements and provide safe and effective care services.