University Teaching Trust Salford Care on Call An introduction to our service 0161 607 7133
Contents Welcome to Care on Call Page 2 About Care on Call 3 Using the alarm equipment 4 Care on Call service 7 Paying for the service 9 Change of circumstances 10 When you no longer need Care on Call 11 Our agreement with you 13 Service standards 13 What we expect from you 16 Health & safety 18 Other information 18 Useful telephone numbers 22 1
Welcome to Care on Call This booklet contains important information about our service and the quality standards that you can expect from Care on Call. Care on Call is a community alarm and mobile warden service provided by Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust on behalf of Salford City Council. With our locally based Control Centre, we offer a unique service in the area by sending our experienced wardens to respond to you in emergencies. You can have peace of mind 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, knowing that there s always someone ready to answer your call. We hope that you will be happy with Care on Call but to enable us to continue to improve our service we would welcome your views and comments. You can let us know by writing to the address below or by telephoning the Control Centre. If you have any questions about Care on Call, please contact our Control Centre on 0161 607 7133 where a member of the team will be happy to help you. Care on Call Manager, Care on Call, Humphrey Booth Resource Centre, 16 18 Worsley Road, Swinton, M27 5WW Email: careoncall@srft.nhs.uk 2
About Care on Call In addition to a 24-hour monitoring and emergency response service, you can choose a regular weekly visit. The visit gives you the chance to meet the wardens, who will also assess your support needs, offer advice and with your permission contact the appropriate services that can provide any assistance to you. Who can benefit from Care on Call Any one over the age of 18 can apply to have Care on Call. You do not have to be referred by your GP or a social worker. Application forms are available on request. People who apply for Care on Call want to remain living in their own homes but need that little extra support in case of emergency due to health problems or a disability. Sometimes older people who live alone or have been recently bereaved just want the reassurance that help is on hand should they need it. Some people only need Care on Call for short periods following a hospital stay until they get back on their feet, or when their main carer becomes unavailable. 3
Using the alarm equipment The equipment We have given you alarm equipment similar to the one on page 6. Alarm units are also available to customers who do not have landlines. If you need help, press the red button on the alarm or the pendant once and this will connect you to the Control Centre. You do not have to pick up the telephone. If you continually press the button, your call may be delayed. When your call is answered You will be connected to the Control Centre. Our trained operators will assess the situation and either send a warden to your home or offer you advice and reassurance. If someone is at the door and you are not sure who they are or whether to let them in, you can contact the Control Centre for advice and assistance. Don t worry about what to say. Even if you are unable to speak we will know who has called and will be able to send help. Don t worry if you press the button or pendant by mistake. Please speak to the operator and let them know what has happened so that they know the call is a false alarm. Using Care on Call service We treat all calls as potential emergencies until our trained operators have assessed the situation, or you tell us otherwise. 4
Emergency visits When you have alerted the Control Centre we will send out a mobile warden to you in the following circumstances: l Medical emergency e.g. a fall, chest pains, feeling unwell, etc. l Fire emergency l Police emergency such as a break-in, attempted break-in or personal attack l If you are unable to talk to the Control Centre operator. If necessary, we will contact the emergency services for you and our wardens will also attend. There may be other situations where we need to send out a mobile warden. Overriding customers wishes in emergency situations Our wardens will always take your wishes into account when dealing with emergencies. However, there may be times when we need to override the specific requests of customers. Examples of such situations are: l When customers who are ill ask staff not to tell their relatives l When customers do not want an ambulance but our wardens feel one is required l When customers are in fear of violence from a third party. (continued on page 6) 5
Overriding customers wishes in emergency situations (continued from page 5) We will only override your wishes l With the agreement of more than one member of staff (ideally the wardens dealing with the situation, with advice from the Control Centre staff) And if one or more of the following applies l We are worried about your general health and wellbeing l The warden considers that you are too unwell to make a rational decision l That we are not aware of any advance decision or advance directive (these are terms that you can find out more about ask us if you want to know more) about refusing particular treatment or actions l There are obvious symptoms i.e. broken bones, lacerations, heart pain, confusion, loss of sensation. In these situations, we will usually let your family know. Following such an event a Care on Call warden will explain to you why we decided to override your wishes. If you are still unhappy with our actions you can make a complaint. Alarm equipment 6
Equipment testing The equipment has an annual maintenance check but also needs a test call once a month. This is to ensure a quick response in the case of an emergency. If you don t have a weekly visit you should test the equipment every month by pressing your pendant and confirming the call is a test call with the Control Centre. You can use the leaflet called Alarm Equipment Testing Record as a reminder and record of the test. Risks of not testing equipment It is important to test your alarm regularly as you may be at risk if there is a problem connecting you to the Control Centre. This is likely to result in a delay getting help to you which could cause you unnecessary distress. If you have 1571 facility on your telephone for taking messages, you should check this regularly and delete old messages. If the message box is full, the alarm unit will be unable to send your call to the Control Centre. The Care on Call Service Care on Call provides two levels of service: l Visiting Service - 24 hour monitoring and emergency response plus a weekly visit l Non-visiting Service - 24 hour monitoring and emergency response. If you want to change your service just phone us. 7
The visiting service This service involves a weekly visit, giving you a chance to get to know the Care on Call team. Our wardens will also use the time to check on how you are doing and to assess your support needs. Some people prefer this more personal approach. At the weekly visit our wardens will be able to answer your queries about our service and update information about you held in our records. We will also be able to offer you advice and information about other local services. Our wardens will also regularly check the alarm equipment and at least once a month they will put a test call through to the Control Centre just to reassure you everything is working as it should. If you are going to be out when your visit is due, for example, if you have a doctor or hospital appointment or other commitment please contact the Control Centre via your pendant. Alternatively you can telephone the Control Centre on: 0161 607 7133. Don t forget to let us know if you are going into hospital, on holiday or staying with family and when you expect to return home. 8
Paying for the service You can pay in any of the following ways l Monthly (in advance) by cheque or direct debit, through the bank l Quarterly or annually in advance l Telephone payment by debit card l Weekly by taking cash or cheque into any Post Office in the Salford area using your Care on Call payment card. Please make cheques payable to Salford City Council and send to Care on Call, Burrows House, 10 Priestley Road, Wardley Industrial Estate, Worlsey, M28 2LY. If you choose to pay by cheque or debit card please ensure that your first payment covers any arrears. Accounts will be regularly monitored and we will contact you if you fall behind with your payments. Your Care on Call service could be at risk if you fail to keep your payments up to date. We will review the cost of the service each April and let you know at least four weeks in advance of any changes. If you have any questions about your account or want make a telephone payment, telephone 0161 607 1470. 9
Change of circumstances You must tell us about any changes to your circumstances, so that we can continue to provide you with a quality service. Examples of changes you need to tell us about are: l Any significant changes in your medical condition l If you change your doctor l If your emergency contacts change, move house or change their telephone number l If you change your telephone number l If you are moving house l If you change your locks and we are key holders. If you have a weekly visit, you can tell the warden of the changes on your visit day. If you do not have a visit please tell us of the changes when you test your alarm or ring the Control Centre on 0161 607 7133. We will ask you to update the information annually in any case. If you wish to withhold any information you must understand that Care on Call cannot be held responsible for actions taken on the basis of incomplete or inaccurate information. You will need to tell us if you prefer not to have information shared with health and social care professionals. You will need to tell us if you do not want your family or named contacts informed in an emergency. 10
Cancelling Care on Call If you want to cancel the service for any reason please telephone the Control Centre on 0161 607 7133. We will arrange to collect the alarm equipment or you can bring it to Humphrey Booth Resource Centre. The charge for the service will stop as soon as the alarm equipment has been returned. We will refund any payments you have made in advance and any charges outstanding will become due. It would be very useful if you could tell us why you have decided to cancel the service. If you are going to be away from home for a period of time, we recommend that you keep the equipment so that it is immediately available when you return home. In these circumstances charges will continue as normal. If this is a problem you can cancel the service and reapply when you return home. 11
Your comments, compliments and complaints We hope that you will be happy with the services provided by Care on Call. However, if you are not satisfied for any reason please report your complaint to the Control Centre on 0161 607 7133. We will make every effort to deal with your complaint there and then. If you do not want to report your complaint on the telephone you can use the computer: complaints.chsc@srft.nhs.uk You can also contact the adult social care contact team on: 0161 631 4777 Text (if you are deaf) 07970 134894 You will receive an acknowledgement to your complaint within three working days. This letter will advise you who will be dealing with your complaint, what action has been taken and the progress to date. Also, that you should receive a written response with 10 working days. As our customer, you are best placed to tell us how we can improve it. We hope that you will take the opportunity to do so and perhaps also tell us what is good about our service too. If you think you are being treated unfairly or unlawfully in anyway because of your age, disability, gender, race or sexual orientation please use the above procedure to let us know about it. 12
Our agreement with you Our customer agreement outlines our obligations to you and your obligations to us. The warden who installed your alarm will have given you a copy of this. Please read and sign it to let us know that you agree with it. Our Service Standards We aim to: 1. Answer 97.5% of calls to the Control Centre within one minute and 99% within three minutes. 2. Monitor the quality of our service delivery by voice recording all calls to the Control Centre. 3. Update the information you give us annually. 4. Ensure monthly tests are carried out. 5. Consult our customers regularly, taking their views and wishes into account. 6. Report to our customers on our performance on an annual basis. 7. Acknowledge / respond to correspondence within seven days. 8. Regularly review and update our services and procedures. 9. Retain accreditation to the Telecare Services Association. Care on Call wardens receive regular training to ensure they can deal with customers effectively and in accordance with an agreed Code of Conduct. 13
Code of conduct You can expect to: l Be treated sensitively and courteously at all times l Have your lifestyle choices and views respected l Have your wishes taken into account l Have your confidentiality and privacy maintained l Have any complaints dealt with in accordance with the established complaints procedure (as detailed in this pack) l Be consulted on any changes to the service which may affect you l Be treated in accordance with the Equal Opportunities policy. All calls to the Control Centre are recorded for training and monitoring purposes. The information will then be held for a period of 12 months in a secure place 14
What you can expect from Care on Call We will provide our service on a continuous basis subject to certain events beyond our control. These include damage to the Control Centre or to alarm equipment or loss of essential supplies and services from third parties such as electricity and telephone line suppliers. We do however have reasonable contingency arrangements to protect the service. These arrangements are an alternative site with Control Centre technology and emergency call out agreements with suppliers and contractors who repair and maintain the equipment. If no contact is made with you within 24 hours of a prearranged visit or call, we will have concerns about your safety and welfare. Our policy is to force entry into your home after making reasonable attempts to check on your whereabouts. In these circumstances any necessary repair work will be the responsibility of the property owner and not the responsibility of Care on Call. In an emergency, for example if you are admitted to hospital, Care on Call will notify your named contact (usually a member of your family). Although we guarantee to safeguard confidentiality, in order to provide you with a better service, personal information may be shared with health and social care professionals in an emergency. If you do not want Care on Call to act in this way, please let us know. 15
What we expect from you In order for the equipment to be tested regularly and properly maintained it is important that you provide reasonable access to your home. We will give you plenty of notice if we need to test the equipment. Please let us know if you move home as the equipment remains the property of Care on Call and must not be moved to new premises without our prior agreement. If you are planning to move please contact the Control Centre on 0161 607 7133 for advice. You are responsible for the safekeeping of the alarm while it is in your possession. We advise you to check with your insurers that your home contents policy covers loss or accidental damage to the equipment. In these circumstances we reserve the right to recharge you for its repair. The value of the equipment for insurance purposes is 150. The equipment must not be removed or tampered with in any way. If you lose the pendant you will be charged for a replacement. Care on Call needs to ensure that its employees work in a safe environment so if you are aware of any hazards in your home please let the wardens know immediately. If you have a pet please respect the views of our wardens if they ask you to remove it from the room while they are visiting. Even the most gentle pet can be a distraction. Our wardens are there to help you and we ask that you treat them with courtesy and do not use abusive language or 16
threatening behaviour towards them. Care on Call has a zero tolerance policy and any incidents will be taken seriously and investigated. Serious incidents may result in a reduction or even loss of the service. Gifts/beneficiaries Wardens are not permitted to accept personal gifts or money, or to become executors or beneficiaries of wills. 17
Health and Safety We value our staff which is why they must carry out their duties in line with a robust Health and Safety Policy. This policy is in place to ensure the safety of wardens and other people they come into contact with on a daily basis. It is the responsibility of the management team to ensure that the policy is implemented and that wardens receive the appropriate training. If you have concerns about any health and safety issues relating to either yourself or a member of staff please let us know. You can either telephone the Control Centre on 0161 607 7133 and ask for the manager or write in to the address at the front of this booklet. Smoking in the home Care on Call has an obligation to provide a safe and healthy working environment for our staff. Some of our staff have health conditions such as asthma which can be affected by smoke. Please help us by: l Not smoking before or during the warden s weekly visit l Asking visitors or other members of the household not to smoke before or during the warden's visit l Open windows to clear any smoke. 18
Adult safeguarding Adult abuse is more common than we would like to think. Adults at risk may be abused by a wide range of people including relatives, professional workers, paid care workers, volunteers, neighbours, friends and strangers. Abuse is l Being bullied l Being hit l Being badly looked after l Having your money taken l Being touched where you do not want to be touched l Being made to feel scared l Being hurt l Being made to feel worried l Being shouted at l Being ignored l Being kept apart from your friends and family l Being slapped or shaken. No-one should do any of these things to you. Even people who are supporting or caring for you. If you are being abused or are worried about someone else being abused you can ring the confidential helpline on 0161 631 4777. 19
Adult Social Care Social care staff help adults remain independent and well. If you need help with daily living tasks, due to physical or mental disability or illness, you may be entitled to help from adult social care services. This might be equipment, care workers, direct payments to arrange your own care and support. You can find out more at www.salford.gov.uk/health or call 0161 631 4777. BT Free Priority Fault Repair Scheme This scheme is only available to customers who rent their telephone line from BT. Their aim is to provide a fault free service to those customers whose telephone is vital in emergencies and an essential link to relatives, friends and carers. If you are interest in applying please contact the Control Centre and we will send you a leaflet. If you have a different supplier you will need to contact them direct to ask if they offer a similar scheme. 20
Carers Centre The Carers Centre can help with emotional and practical support for unpaid carers who look after someone else. For more details visit www.salfordcarerscentre.co.uk, or call Salford Carers Centre on 0161 833 0217. Helping Hands Handypersons Scheme If you need any work doing around the house and want reliable workers, you can contact Helping Hands Minor Repair Service. www.helpinghandssalford.co.uk or call Helping Hands on 0161 793 9419. Housing Choice for older and vulnerable people Salford s Housing Choice Service helps to support older and vulnerable people who are thinking about moving home. The aim of this service is to offer a wide variety of housing choice and promote independence to all Salford residents whether you are a homeowner or living in rented accommodation. This is a free, no obligation service. If you would like more information contact the Housing Choice team on 0161 793 2829 or email Housingchoice@salford.gov.uk 21
Salford Home Improvement Agency Salford Home Improvement Agency can help owner occupiers and some private tenants, if you need repairs, adaptations or improvements to your home, enabling you to stay put in your community in comfort and safety. For more information phone 0161 793 2896 Useful contacts Adult safeguarding 0161 631 4777 www.salford.gov.uk/adultsafeguarding Adult social care 0161 631 4777 www.salford.gov.uk/health Age UK Salford 0161 788 7300 www.ageuksalford.org.uk Bereavement Group (Cruse) 0808 808 1677 www.cruse.org.uk/ Helping Hands 0161 793 9419 www.helpinghandssalford. co.uk/ 22
Home Improvement Agency 0161 793 2896 www.salford.gov.uk/ salfordhia Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust 0161 789 7373 www.srft.nhs.uk/ NHS 111 www.nhs.uk Community occupational therapy 0161 631 4777 Salford City Council emergency out of hours 0161 794 8888 Police (non emergency) 0161 872 5050 or 101 Ring & Ride 0161 200 6011 www.tfgm.com/ringandride Welfare Rights 0161 793 3550 www.salford.gov.uk/ welfarerights 23
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G16092604W. Design Services Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust All Rights Reserved 2016 This document MUST NOT be photocopied Information Leaflet Control Policy: Unique Identifier: MED 50 C (16) Review Date: January 2019 University Teaching Trust For further information on this leaflet, it s references and sources used, please contact 0161 793 2862. Copies of this information are available in other languages and formats upon request. If you need this interpreting please telephone In accordance with the Equality Act we will make reasonable adjustments to enable individuals with disabilities, to access this treatment / service. Email: InterpretationandTrans@srft.nhs.uk Salford Royal operates a smoke-free policy. For advice on stopping smoking contact the Hospital Specialist Stop Smoking Service on 0161 206 1779 Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust Stott Lane, Salford, Manchester, M6 8HD Telephone 0161 789 7373 www.srft.nhs.uk If you would like to become a Foundation Trust Member please visit: www.srft.nhs.uk/ for-members If you have any suggestions as to how this document could be improved in the future then please visit: http://www.srft.nhs.uk/ for-patients