Crossroads Care Uttlesford respects the individuality of carers and people with care needs and seeks to promote their choice, independence, dignity and safety. We also believe that carers must have access to high quality services that enable them to fully benefit from a break from their caring responsibilities. We aim to provide a flexible and adaptable service that meets the needs of individual carers and those they care for.
Trained care support workers go into the home to take over the carer’s caring responsibilities. They will undertake the tasks carried out by the carer so long as appropriate training can be accessed. This may be a personal care service for a person with care needs including support with bathing; feeding; the management of continence; dressing and undressing; mobility and transfers.
Staff are trained in the use of hoists and safe techniques for moving and handling clients with mobility needs. We may also be able to provide help with more specialist care tasks provided the care support worker has undergone the appropriate training, for example, assisting with artificial feeding.
Some clients like to go out for a car ride, to go on a visit to a garden centre or somewhere similar. Care staff are insured to carry passengers in their car. We do ask the carer to pay a mileage charge. Other clients simply want company; a cup of tea and a chat, playing cards, dominoes, etc…Some staff also develop reminiscence boxes with clients where appropriate.
Crossroads Care Uttlesford provides services to carers and families of people of all ages including children. We do not discriminate on any grounds and care for service users with a wide range of disabilities, both physical and mental. We could decline to provide a service if, on assessment, the health or safety of Crossroads Care staff was compromised.
Crossroads Care Uttlesford receives referrals from Social workers, GPs, District nurses, Community psychiatric nurses, and from other voluntary sector organisations and self-referrals by carers or their families. When a referral is received, the manager arranges to do an assessment visit in the home of the family concerned to discuss their needs and to identify the level of support that can be provided. If the scheme is able to help, the manager will agree with the carer and the person with care needs the details of the service, the times when help will be provided and how often this will be. In order to ensure the safety of the staff and the safety of the client, all agreed tasks will be risk assessed. The manager will then arrange for a trained care support worker to visit the family at the agreed time and day. The care support worker will take over the caring role while the carer takes a much needed break.
All discussions about the provision of the service will be user-led and a service plan will be agreed. This may include a personal care plan, which will be developed with, and agreed by, the person with care needs. It is expected that carers who use our service discuss their usual care routine with the carer support worker assigned to the family.
Visits are usually weekly for two to three hours, however, the duration and frequency of visits is negotiable. Crossroads Care Uttlesford endeavours to send the same care support worker to clients each week. Occasionally it is necessary to send a different care support worker to the client, for example, to cover leave or sickness.
All data on the carer and the cared for is kept on computer with a paper copy kept in a locked filing cabinet. This data is confidential and will not be shared with any external agencies without express permission.
Carers Direct payments
Direct payments can be used to buy services from an organisation or to employ somebody to provide assistance. As a carer, you can use direct payments to purchase the services you are assessed as needing to support you in your caring role. This includes support that may help maintain your health and well-being. For example, driving lessons or a holiday so you can have time to yourself.
