Guide to extra care

The Local Authority has a contract with each organisation that provides the on-site care service in each scheme. 

The service will meet individuals’ assessed care needs which may include: 

• Personal care e.g., getting up and going to bed; dressing and undressing; washing and bathing; using the toilet;
• Domestic Care e.g., laundry; ironing; cleaning; preparing meals
• Support Services e.g., day to day budgeting; escorting to hospital appointments; enabling access to social activities
• Medication related support
• Food and nutrition related support
• Telecare / telemedicine (the use of technology)

Everyone living in an extra care scheme will have a pendant or something similar to seek assistance when needed.  This may be used for example, when a person has a fall; or if a person needs assistance to go to the toilet.  This may not be used to request basic errands, such as making a cup of tea; opening or closing curtains; operating the remote control. If a person needs help with these tasks, this will be identified through their assessment and identified in their support plan.

The service aims to ensure every person has a right to:

• Be treated equally and with dignity and respect at all times
• Have their privacy and property respected
• Make informed choices
• Feel safe and secure
• Realise their potential to achieve all they can living independently

The service 

• Is required to be registered with the Care Quality Commission which will inspect services and publish their findings on their website. https://www.cqc.org.uk/
• Will employ care staff with the right skills and core values; use good quality recruitment techniques and require care staff to have an enhanced check from the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS check)
• Looks at how best to utilise assistive technology so that needs can be met with as little intrusion as possible to an individual’s daily lifestyle and routine
• Will be flexible and respond to an individual’s changing needs
• Will agree any formal changes to an individual’s package of support with the persons allocated worker in Adult Social Care.

The Local Authority monitors the service against five overarching aims that ask, is the service safe, effective, caring, responsive and well led.  The local authority will monitor and visit the service as part of overarching performance monitoring arrangements. 

Everyone who lives in an extra care scheme is expected to have their assessed care needs delivered by the on-site care provider.