Aims and Objectives
West Glamorgan Doorways has developed the following strategic aims and objectives to guide its work.
- To provide a range of good quality support and care services to adults who have a learning disability to enable, maintain and promote their independence.
- To provide support, care and a range of services to adults with learning disabilities who are referred to the service by the City & County of Swansea Social Services Department. The services will be responsive to service user needs.
- To use our resources wisely, creatively and flexibly to ensure that the services provided are of good quality and meet the principles of best practice.
- To listen and review services provided to service users and arrange for the facilitation of service user forums in order to promote individuals rights and representation.
- To actively pursue opportunities to develop, deliver and share common aims and models of excellence in the provision of support services.
- To be at the forefront of policy development through representation on local and national forums at multi-disciplinary multi-agency levels.
- To further develop working arrangements in partnership with local authorities, both locally and nationally.
Domiciliary Care Agency
Statement of Purpose
1. The West Glamorgan Doorways Domiciliary Care Agency is managed by an organisation, namely West Glamorgan Doorways Ltd.
2. Doorways is funded to support adults with a learning disability. The nature of the services which the agency provides are as follows:-
Flexible support:
- To maintain independent living within community settings, normally between the hours of 8am-8pm Monday ~ Sunday.
- This support can be in areas such as:-
- Menu planning/assistance with shopping
- Managing budgets/banking
- Monitoring visits
- Tenancy issues
- Prompts regarding personal hygiene/laundry tasks
- Prompting and assistance with taking medication
Skills Assessment
Skills Assessment completions can take between 8-10 weeks to identify individual support needs, and assist with planning for future service provision and identify areas of skills shortage and training needs.
Skills Training
Service users are provided with time limited support to develop their independent living skills in domestic and community settings. All referrals are made via Social Services Community Support Team for Adults who have a learning disability.
Support in Day Services
Time limited support is provided to individuals so they can have introduction to, or maintain their placements and services. The assistance is provided to support people with such needs as epilepsy, anxiety, behavioural difficulties and communication needs.
Getting to know you Scheme
The facilitation of these sessions is to identify and enable individuals who are planning to live together in shared accommodation. This service entails assessing individual’s compatabilities to live together, identify support needs, encourage and promote choice and familiarisation with new environments and dwellings.
Attending Health Appointments
Support to attend health appointments. Staff can reinforce guidance provided by the practitioner and relay such information to involved parties as appropriate.
The agency provide the above services through arrangements with Swansea Social Services who fund and review the provision of services provided. Other avenues of funding may also be available including funding from health authorities to provide specialist health care services.
3. The geographic area covered by the above service is currently within the City & County of Swansea. However, historically Doorways has undertaken resettlement of adults with a learning disability, from long stay institutions in Bridgend and Cardiff, to the Swansea and Neath and Port Talbot areas, exclusively for Getting-to-know-you and resettlement work. Future referrals may require Doorways to provide services outside the City & County of Swansea.
4. The staff who provide the services on behalf of the agency are suitably qualified to a level which meets the Care Council of Wales requirements and also have specific knowledge to meet the identified needs of the service users they support. (See Training and Qualifications Framework).
5. The agency may cease to continue with the service provision to service users in the following circumstances:
- When a service agreement has been achieved
- If the service user requires a level of support that is not within the resources provided
- If the service user requests a change of provider
- If the funding body deem the service provided does not meet their eligibility criteria.
- If a multi-agency decision is made that the service is inappropriate or ineffective or if there are Health and Safety concerns.
6. All of the above would be looked at on an individual basis, and are therefore not circumstances under which services would be ceased on every occasion, but are triggers which may reach the point of services being withdrawn.
7. The charges for services provided by the agency, are for to Skills Assessments. The agency applies a nominal fee of £3.00 if the individual agrees they have the ability to pay. This is negotiated at the initial service agreement meeting.
West Glamorgan Doorways have a Snozelan/Relaxation room. This is also available to users who are not supported by West Glamorgan Doorways. A charge of £2 is levied for this and is used for replacement of equipment and maintenance. A receipt is issued for this payment.
For all other services the agency does not charge. The City & County of Swansea complete a financial assessment on each individual they refer to Doorways to assess their requirement to pay for domiciliary care services as directed by fair charging legislation from the National Assembly of Wales. Any decision on charging, its administration and collection of levied charges are made and organised by the City and County of Swansea Social Services Department.
8. The arrangements that will apply during the sickness or other absence of domiciliary care workers who are to attend at the homes of service users are as follows:-
Individuals are identified as “priority” or “non priority” support at the service agreement/referral stage with the service user and funding body/Care Manager. In the event that a service user is identified as priority support, the agency will endeavour to provide a service within existing resources. If this is not possible the agency will contact the care manager or manager of the community support team to identify the service shortfall and ensure provision made.
If an individual is not identified as priority support, their session will be cancelled on the first occasion. If there is a cancellation of more than one visit, the agency will assess in conjunction with the care manager and service user the need to provide support against available resources.
9. Requirements in relation to time sheets:
The agency has in place a process for the completion and administration of time sheets. Staff are required to complete time sheets daily and submit them to the service leader or deputy service leader for verification every two weeks.
10. The agency has a Complaints and Compliments policy, which is also available in a user accessible format. The agency has a Health & Safety Policy, which provides procedures for safeguarding service users and staff. These include Protection of Vulnerable Adults, Lone Working, Manual Handling, Risk Assessments.
11. Procedures for safeguarding users’ property are covered in the agency’s policies on Access to Service Users property and Financial Protection Policy.
12. The agency has in place a Medication Policy and it provides training for staff on medication relating to their service users. Training is also provided regarding health related tasks pertinent to the needs of the service user.
13. The agency has in place Health and Safety Policies and Procedures and each member of staff is issued with a Staff Handbook including a guide to health and safety.
14. The agency has a Management of Staff Absence Policy. Additionally the registered manager has a statement with a protocol ensuring compliance with Regulation 27 of the Domiciliary Care Agencies Wales Regulations 2004. See attached “Compliance with Regulation” statement.
15. The agency incorporates various avenues for service users to express their views and opinions.
- multi agency reviews
- individual service agreement reviews
- service user development committee
- complaints and compliments procedure
- quality assurance questionnaires
16. The management structure is:-
Management Committee
Chairman – Colin Williams
Support Services Leader
Adam Mason
Deputy Support Services Leader
Robin Cadwalladr
Support Workers
Admin Assistant
17. The agency does on rare occasions provide services through persons otherthan our own staff. This would be through a partner organisation or employment agency who comply with the staff recruitment standards.