Find answers to your questions here
Take a look through the questions we get asked the most and see if they can answer any questions you may have.
Is it a zero hour contract?
Do we get paid holiday?
What happens when I join the team if I have no experience?
When you join our team experienced or not you will be fully supported and immersed into our in house
training program delivered by our trainers.
You will complete a 12 week induction period with full training covering amongst other things, manual
handling, first aid, safeguarding, ,medication, , infection control, COVID and much more. The training will
culminate in you gaining your Care Certificate.
After your standard training, you will begin by shadowing experienced staff to understand the processes
and procedures. The shadowing will continue as long as is needed for us all to be happy and confident with
you completing the day to day tasks; you will then progress on to double handed visits.
All the time you will be fully supported by your team and managers who will always be on hand to answer
questions and queries.
Will I receive a mileage payment?
Yes you are paid mileage and every April you can also claim further money back form the government.
Do I get paid holiday?
Yes, you do get paid holiday, your entitlement depends on how many hours you’ve worked over the
previous 12 weeks of employment.
Do you have an Employee Referral Scheme?
Yes, we do. If you refer someone with a year’s experience you will get an immediate bonus of £250 then £100 after 3 months and £50 after 18 months.
For a new staff member with no experience, you will receive £250 after 6 months and then £50 after a further 18 months.
Contact your office for more information.
What bonuses and benefits are available?
There are additional payments if you are on call and every calendar year you can expect an additional £100
for additional training.
The company will fund team building events as well as Christmas parties and support with fundraising.
What type of care will I need and how do I organise this?
We offer a number of different care services and can tailor our visits to meet your requirements. We work with you and regularly review your care plan to ensure you receive the best service for you. Click here to see our Care Services page for more information.
To organise a care package, simply call your local Westcountry Home Care team to discuss your options. We are also happy to arrange a visit at your home to talk about your needs and wishes. We'll then take care of the rest!
What costs are involved?
The fees charged are dependent on the type of care package and needs of the individual client. Depending on your personal financial situation, you can either pay the fees privately, receive benefits arranged by social services, or have your care paid by the NHS.
Your local council's social work team are obliged to perform an assessment of your care needs if you request it. If they agree that you need care, they will then undertake a financial assessment.
Can we pay our bills via Direct Debit?
What are the ongoing communication processes and is there out-of-hours support?
Westcountry Home Care carry out regular 3-monthly reviews of your care package with you or your nominated person to ensure our service continues to meet your needs.
We also ensure that there is a member of the on-call team available to speak to in case of any changes or queries that arise outside of regular office hours.
What tasks will my carer be able to support me with?
Our carers are able to support with a number of tasks around the home. If you need support with personal care, medication, domestic support or shopping we are able to help. Click here for more details about the services we offer.
Any tasks you request will be incorporated into your care plan which we review with you regularly to ensure this still meets your needs.
Will I have the same carer each day?
What are the benefits of home care over a care home?
If you are considering additional support for you or a loved one, the option to remain at home is less
disruptive allowing you to remain in surroundings you are happy and comfortable with, as well as to
continue with your day to day activities.
Home care is a more cost effective approach allowing you to only pay for the care you receive.
What type of care do you provide?
We provide a variety of care packages from support getting up in the mornings, washing and showering to
assistance with medications and more specialist care needed for more complex conditions.
We can also assist with cooking, shopping and trips out – you can find a list of all our services here.
Do I have to pay for my care?
Whether or not you have to pay for your care will be determined by your local authority or council. They will
be able to carry out a needs assessment to identify what care you may need and a means test and
establish whether or not you will need to make a contribution towards any care.
The situation at the moment (Feb 2021) is that you may be eligible for support with any care costs if you
have less than £23,250 in savings.
You can find out more and the process you need to follow on the Cornwall Council website Help to Stay
Living at home page.
How do I organise care?
If you are funding your own care, just get in touch with us at your closest office and we will then
discuss your requirements with you.
We will usually arrange a home visit to talk to you in person, before then confirming a package of
support with you.
Once we are both happy with the detail, we can start providing support. We can usually move
quite quickly to get new care packages in place.
If an authority is arranging your care, they will usually contact us first with your contact information,
following which we will then get in touch to arrange the details.
How long will my carer stay and what will they do?
The duration of the visit and what support you will be provided with, will all be agreed in advance and will
be confirmed to you in writing.
Should your requirements change, just get in touch with your local office so they can review your package
and make any amendments as needed.
What if I need more or less care?
To increase or decrease your care package at any time, please speak to your local office who will revisit
your care package and adjust the requirement accordingly.
Will I always have the same carer?
We have a wonderful team of carers who all work hard to provide the best quality care.
Our aim is to keep your care package as consistent as possible. The number of carers that visit you will be
kept to a minimum, but you will meet more than one carer to allow for periods of holiday, sickness, and
scheduled days off.
In addition, we carry out regular reviews of your care package to ensure our services and carers are all
meeting your needs.
How do I know my carer is trained and qualified?
All of carers follow a 12 week induction and training program whether they are new to care or experience.
All training is delivered by our own in house trainer so that we can ensure the quality and consistency of
learning as well as ensuring we keep up to date with latest best practices.
What if my carer is delayed or does not turn up?
In the unfortunate circumstance that your carer is going to be late, we have an alert system that is sent to the carer through the electronic Birdie system.
How is my care monitored?
Birdie is a tool that allows carers to digitally log the care they provide. This information is instantly shared with the agency, and is made available for you to review, ensuring there is full transparency and constant communication about your loved one’s care needs.
You'll be able to see:
What about COVID 19?
Are Care team are fully trained in infection control and additional measures required for the control of
COVID.
We have access to a plentiful supply of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and will continue to follow
additional precautionary measures for the time being.
How do I pay my care bills?
If you are self funding your care, you will be sent monthly invoices which can be settled in cash or cheque
at the office or via direct debit which is the easiest method.
What if I need to contact you urgently?
The standard opening times for contacting our offices are between 9am - 5pm week days. If you
have a concern about staff arrival, our on call teams are available between 6am and 9am and
between 5pm - 10pm.
All medical emergencies should be referred directly NHS 111 or to the emergency services.
What if I have an issue with my care?
We would ask you to get in touch with your local office if you have any issues as soon as possible in order
that we can investigate.
Alternatively, you can contact the group Operations Manager, Shelly, at shellygoslin@alexandras-care.com
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