Is Helping Hands registered with the appropriate bodies / professional associations ?

Yes,  we are registered with The Commission for Social Care Inspection ( Certificate Number E520002043). We are also a member of the United Kingdom Home Care Association ( UKHCA) and are an umbrella organisation with the Criminal Records Bureau.

What is live- in care ?

The carer stays in the clients home on an ongoing basis.  They can fulfil personal care and general household duties. The level of care provided varies, depending on the individual needs. It can range from general companionship and housekeeping to high dependency, intensive personal care.

What areas of the country do you cover for Live in Care?

Helping Hands will guarantee cover across England and Wales. We maintain a strong pool of trained and qualified carers who are able to travel at short notice. All of our carers are managed from our offices in Warwickshire.

How much does it cost ?

The basic cost for live- in care is from £644 per week. The cost will depend on the level of care that we have been asked to provide, and an individual assessment will be made. Helping Hands have lots of experience  working with multi-source funding and will try and accommodate most circumstances.

How long does the care last ?

As long or as short as you would like it too.

It may be to give the main carer  a one off or regular break, or on a more permanent long term basis.

Who are your carers ?

Our care workforce is representative of the diverse needs of clients. We maintain a strong, consistent base of live in care staff sourced from the UK, South Africa and Poland. Our carers come from a wide variety of backgrounds and range in age from 18 to 70. We have both female and male carers many of whom are drivers. Helping Hands make every effort to maintain continuity of care for each service user providing the service is working well.

What tasks will they complete ?

As many or as few as you wish from the following :

Household tasks eg,  housework, laundry, cooking, shopping.

Errands eg, collecting pensions, benefits, prescriptions

Administration  eg, form filling, letter writing, phone calls on your behalf

Social eg, trips out, visiting friends, excursions

Companionship eg, Conversation, reading, listening,

Personal care eg. Getting up, toileting, bathing,washing, dressing, overseeing medication.

Will they be able to look after my pets ?

As long as you stipulate that this is a care requirement we will ensure that the carer placed is comfortable looking after your pet as well as they look after you.

How are they trained ?

All Helping Hands carers attend our intensive four day Induction Training programme at our Warwickshire Head Office. The topics covered include, Moving and Handling; Health and Safety, Food Hygiene, Safer Handling of Medication, Emergency First Aid, Principles of Care, Role of Care worker, Needs of Service User, Incontinence Care, Basic Infection Control and Abuse Awareness of Vulnerable Adults. Time is also then spent shadowing an experienced carer in a service users home.

Have the carers undergone a Criminal Records Bureau check ?

Helping Hands are a recognized umbrella organization with the Criminal Records Bureau. All of our carers undergo a thorough CRB check as part of their initial interview as well as being checked against the POVA and POCA lists.

What will I be expected to provide ?

The carer will need their own room, bed and linen and somewhere to hang their clothes. You will also be expected to provide the resources for their meals.

How will my care be managed ?

A designated Care Manager will be responsible for the allocation and ongoing supervision of the live in care that you receive. Your initial care needs will be discussed with one of our managers or nurse assessors at the time of your booking or enquiry. Care staff then automatically undergo routine observations and assessments on a regular basis often by visits to you both in your own home.

The Live In Care Dept can be contacted by client or carer on 0808 980 1488, 24 hours a day (answer phone outside office hours, for brochure requests)

What will happen if the regular carer is sick or goes on holiday ?

Once your live in care package starts we will GUARANTEE cover.

Should your regular carer be sick we will immediately arrange cover until they are better. In this circumstance we cannot guarantee that the intermediate carer will be able to fulfill exactly the same criteria eg, driving although we will make every attempt possible to closely meet your criteria. Holidays are only authorized well in advance with the Care Manager so that suitable replacements can be allocated.