Quality standard

Quality statement 3: Consistent team of home care workers

Quality statement 3: Consistent team of home care workers

Quality statement

Older people using home care services receive care from a consistent team of home care workers who are familiar with their needs.

Rationale

Continuity of home care workers will help to promote the delivery of person-centred care. When the person knows their home care workers it can build their confidence in the service and help them to feel safe. When home care workers get to know the person using care they have a better understanding of their needs and preferences. They can communicate well with the person they are caring for, deliver care in the way the person wants and respond to any risks or concerns that may arise.

Quality measures

The following measures can be used to assess the quality of care or service provision specified in the statement. They are examples of how the statement can be measured, and can be adapted and used flexibly.

Structure

Evidence of local processes to ensure that older people using home care services receive care from a consistent team of home care workers who are familiar with their needs.

Data source: Local data collection.

Process

a) Total number of home care workers providing care to an older person using home care services.

Data source: Local data collection.

b) The average number of home care visits each older person receives per home care worker.

Data source: Local data collection.

Outcome

Older people's satisfaction with the consistency of their home care team.

Data source: Local data collection.

What the quality statement means for different audiences

Service providers (such as independent home care agencies, voluntary sector organisations, and local authorities) ensure that older people using home care services receive care from a consistent team of home care workers who are familiar with their needs. Providers should always inform older people in advance if new staff will be visiting.

Social care practitioners (such as home care workers and personal assistants) ensure that they get to know the people they provide care to and deliver care in the way they want.

Commissioners commission services that ensure that older people using home care services receive care from a consistent team of home care workers who are familiar with their needs.

Older people who use home care services have the same home care workers who are familiar with their needs. Older people and their family members or carers are notified in advance if new staff will be visiting.