Care Standards Policy

Care Standards Policy

This policy sets out the standards which The Live In Care Company expects of the care providers who use its platform. By upholding these standards, service users who are introduced to care providers by us can be assured that they will receive a service which safeguards their comfort, safety and dignity.

The standards we expect

We expect carers who use The Live In Care Company platform to provide a professional, punctual, safe, compassionate, well communicated and diligent service for the service user and (if different) the client.

We expect that carers will achieve these standards by:

• Following the law. Carers are expected to comply with all applicable laws and regulations. These include: the Care Standards Act 2006, the Care Act 2015, the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 and the Protection of Vulnerable Groups (Scotland) Act 2007.
• Acting with honesty and integrity at all times. Carers must be truthful and open. Carers should be true to their word and must not knowingly or negligently mislead others.
• Being aware of their competencies. Carers should be mindful of their strengths and weaknesses. Carers must not accept assignments that involve duties which exceed their level of competency. Carers are encouraged to undertake training to increase the quality of their care and to seek relevant qualifications through professional development. When a carer is allowed to appoint a substitute to perform the care services on their behalf, they will ensure that the substitute has all the necessary competencies to meet the standards expected of them. The safety of the service user is of paramount importance.
• Respecting the terms of the contract with the client. The Live In Care Company is an ‘introductory agency’ as defined in the Care Quality Commission (CQC) guidance. We introduce clients to registered carers via our platform. Although we are not party to the contract for care between the carer and client, we expect carers using our platform to honour the terms of the contract between carer and client. We provide a template contract to help the client and carer strike a fair balance which protects the best interests of the service user.

Following our Safeguarding Policy. Carers are required to comply with our separate Safeguarding Policy, a copy of which is available from https://www.theliveincarecompany.co.uk/safeguarding-policy/

Protecting our clients and service users

The Live In Care Company puts in place strict standards to ensure that service users and clients are not exposed to unnecessary risk.

The Live in Care Company makes it clear to carers who apply to join its platform that their application will not be accepted if the carer, or anybody in their household:

• has been the subject of a complaint, arrest, criminal investigation, criminal charges, actual or threatened civil claim or any other legal action involving (or allegedly involving) violence, abuse, neglect, theft or fraud, or any offence that involves: endangering the safety of others, dishonesty, negligence or drugs; or
• has ever been on the sex offenders’ register or any similar register.

The Live in Care Company ensures that carers using its platform have a clean Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, dated within the last 3 years

Complaints

The policies and procedures we have put in place mean that complaints are quite rare. However, carers are expected to cooperate fully with our Complaints Policy (available at https://www.theliveincarecompany.co.uk/complaints-policy/ if a complaint is made against them or if they make a complaint against a client or service user. This ties in with our expectation that carers act with honesty and integrity. We act fairly and compassionately when investigating and helping to resolve complaints.

Striving for improvement

We keep our policies and standards under regular review. If you have any comments or feedback on this policy then please contact us at hello@theliveincarecompany.co.uk. This policy was last updated on 26 October 2022.