15 Dec Quality Assurance

Applewood Homecare places a strong emphasis on providing the highest quality service possible for all of our clients.  We believe that no matter how good current services are, there is always room for improvement.

Statement of Purpose

Our mission is to provide you or your loved one with the highest quality of comprehensive person-centred support care and personal care services within the home.  We strive to offer a safe, caring, kind, considerate, flexible, consistent, professional and affordable individualised service to meet our client’s needs.

Our Home Care Support staff provide a service respecting of rights, privacy, culture, dignity and autonomy, and work to maintain and promote your independence, health, safety and well-being.

We believe that you should be able to choose to remain living in your community among your family and friends.  We work to ensure that all the necessary care supports are in place allowing this to happen, thus empowering you to live safely at home as you wish.

Transparency

Because our care support service is based on trust, consent and co-operation, we find that having honest, open communication and transparency in our dealings is the best way to create positive environments.

Clinical Governance

Clinical Governance and oversight is embedded into our culture and aligned with HIQA Guidelines, Health & Safety & Welfare Legislation, Employment Legislation, Data Protection requirements and Service User rights.

Our Quality Assurance activities include:

• Regular review of all services
• Thorough checks on all staff during the recruitment and selection process
• Close supervision of staff and services using regular direct observations by experienced members of staff.
• Standard Operating Procedures and Policies that are regularly reviewed
• Regular staff meetings including quarterly Staff Forums to share best practice
• Annual surveys of Service User satisfaction to obtain views and opinions
• Complaints & Compliments Policy which encourages feedback about our services.
• Monthly management reporting to measure company performance against Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Continuous Quality Improvement

Our management procedures highlight Continuous Quality Improvement across all aspects of our service.  Therefore, we use key performance indicators to be measured and achieved.  We report on these quarterly to the HSE to show how we are meeting their service requirements.

We find feedback to be very useful because of the actions that it may inform, and as input to the forward planning of the service. Therefore we actively encourage feedback from our staff, clients and other stakeholders.  Feedback is discussed at weekly team meetings and at Service Review meetings.  We conduct a formal client survey at year end, and this we find very valuable for staff morale and in continuing quality improvements.

Complaints/Compliments Procedure

Our aim is to give the best possible home support care service.  There may be times when you think we can improve or when you want to feedback things that you think we have done well.  If you wish to register a concern, make a complaint, or pay someone a compliment you should find it easy to do so.

Whatever the situation you have rights including:

• the right to have your say and be listened to
• the right to complain if you are not happy about something we have done.

We welcome complaints and consider them an opportunity to learn, adapt, improve and provide better services.

If you have any concerns or comments about your service that you would like to discuss informally you can contact your Care Manager on (01-4992201).  You can discuss your concerns over the telephone or if you would prefer a home visit can be arranged.

If you wish to make a formal complaint about your service or to escalate a concern you can:

• Phone the Manager Neil O’Reilly on 01-4992201
• Write either a letter or complete the complaints form attached if you wish
• Meet person to person if you prefer a home visit.

How We Respond to Complaints

Within 2 days of your complaint being received you will be sent a written acknowledgement, confirming what action will be taken next, and, the timescale in which you can expect a full response to your complaint.

Our detailed Complaints policy is available to you from the office.

Note: We report to the HSE complaints received on a Quarterly basis.