Assured quality

Setting the standards for high quality care in the home.

Committed to delivering the best home care

Following an inspection in March 2019, The Care Quality Commission (CQC), rated The Good Care Group to be OUTSTANDING in all five categories for being safe, effective, caring, well-led and responsive to people’s needs, the highest possible rating. The Good Care Group is the only dedicated Live-In Care provider to receive this unique rating.

We also have an independent Advisory Board to help us continually innovate and deliver best practice.

The Good Care Group

CQC_logo_TGCG

12 April 2019

Safe
Outstanding ☆
Effective
Outstanding ☆
Caring
Outstanding ☆
Responsive
Outstanding ☆
Well-led
Outstanding ☆

Rigorous recruitment process

Our carer selection process features a revolutionary ‘situational judgement test’ that profiles candidates and ensures we only employ the most dedicated among them. Only 2% of people who apply to become carers with us. They are then trained and equipped beyond industry standards to ensure you receive 1-2-1 care of the highest quality.

And the following checks are completed:

  • A Barring and Disclosure Service (formerly Criminal Records Bureau) check or PVG disclosure in Scotland
  • Written references from an applicant’s previous two employers, verified by verbal references
  • A full employment history is explored – with any gaps explained
  • Identification verification
  • Verification of any medical or clinical qualifications and training certificates
  • Work permit status

Risk of agency carers

We acknowledge that some agency/introduction agencies offer a good service. However, their carers are self-employed so clients will need to manage everything from paying the carer, medical liaison to home administration. Rota patterns can often be long and many carers do not return to the same placement, resulting in poor continuity. And most agency carers are not registered with the Care Quality Commission and so are not regularly inspected.

We passionately believe that our home care service gives complete peace of mind – to clients and their families when it is needed most.

Rigorous recruitment process

Industry-leading training programme

Designed in tandem with leading charities and experts, our training goes beyond industry standards, enabling carers to support complex medical conditions with an unrivalled quality of care. From induction through probation and into placement, our carers never stop learning new skills.

“Age UK has reviewed the training provided by The Good Care Group to its professional carers and has found it to be of high quality, going above industry expectations to give carers the theoretical and practical knowledge needed to ensure that their clients receive a high level of care. Age UK reviewed training in a number of key mandated areas, including dementia, end-of-life care, safeguarding, mental capacity, medication management and infection control, and are happy to commend the quality of this training. The Good Care Group’s training is well aligned with the way(s) in which Age UK believe older people should be treated and cared for, particularly the ways in which individuals are provided with person-centred care where maintaining independence is the aim.”

Our induction training programme covers the following:

Manual Handling – carers learn the theory and legislation surrounding moving and handling, before a highly practical session which focuses on safe moving and handling operations and use of supportive equipment. Falls prevention and best practise relating to preventing falls is also covered during this session. 

The care pathway – carers learn the daily, weekly and monthly routines of the company, what is required of them and what they can expect from us.

Caring for clients – personal care, the ageing process, common conditions and end-of-life care – carers gain practical hands-on caring skills in these areas.

Aging, client conditions and dementiaan introduction to dementia and common client conditions and various aspects of ageing. This informative session covers medical psycho-social models of dementia, the Bookcase Analogy from Professor Dawn Brooker, effective communication skills, engaging activities for those with dementia, challenging behaviours and distressed reactions, care planning and transition management.

Parkinson’s disease – delivered by Parkinson’s UK, carers learn about Parkinson’s disease and its impact on the person living with it.

Urinalysisan introduction to urinalysis and the role carers play in utilising urinalysis testing and observing vital signs. This session will include a demonstration on how to effectively test the proper procedures to escalate and report concerns regarding symptoms and results, and the effectiveness of early urinalysis in detecting and addressing potential issues with the client.

End-of-life care – helping carers to gain an understanding of approaches to death, symptom management and client support. It equips the learners with the knowledge and skills to provide valuable support to clients and guides them in how to access additional medical support when the need arises. Legal aspects surrounding person-centred end-of-life care, such as advanced decisions and mental capacity, are explored to ensure compliance and ethical practice. 

Culture and Well-being: Exploring the Rising Vibe Scale and promoting mental well-being for care workers and their clients.This module focuses on the Rising Vibe Scale, which supports carers to actively contribute to fostering a culture of well-being and create a positive impact on themselves and their clients. 

Nutrition – menu planning to meet the nutritional needs and preferences of clients living with a range of different needs.

Medications management:  Exploring training materials from prescriptions training, best practice examples and legislative guidelines for medicine in the UK. This session focuses on medicine management and utilises materials from a best practice organisation. Practical training is provided, covering both paper based and electronic Medication Administration Record (eMar) platforms, and how they are implemented within our company for effective documentation of medication administration.

First Aid – a fully accredited first aid course, delivered by ABC Training, covering all regulatory requirements.

IT – our carers are equipped with the latest technology and use a digital platform to record and monitor notes, medications, meals and appointments. It enables a genuinely proactive approach to care where issues such as falls or infections can be anticipated and prevented.

Ways of working – covering processes such as payroll, sickness absence, dress code, professional boundaries and expectations. Carers are also given the staff handbook.

Safeguarding adults – carers learn how to identify, prevent and respond to abuse including the whistle blowing policy. They will also learn about the Mental Capacity Act.

Once a professional carer is placed with a client, there is a further twelve weeks training in placement when a carer will be monitored, coached and assessed by an expert Regional Care Manager. Mentoring, on-going specialist training, refresher training and professional development are all also offered.

Improving health outcomes

As part of our commitment to delivering quality home care services, we continually measure the following outcomes as part of our quality and compliance procedure:

  • Promoting wellbeing, stimulation and enjoyment
  • Setting and achieving personal goals for clients
  • Reducing behaviours that challenge through psychosocial techniques
  • Reducing and eliminating antipsychotic usage
  • Promoting excellent nutrition and hydration through home cooking
  • Falls prevention and management
  • Reducing hospital admission and re-admission
  • Reducing, identifying and treating urine and chest infections
  • Ensuring regular medications reviews and reducing polypharmacy
  • Reducing carer stress and relieving the burden of care

Our nurse and OT-led services, directed by a full time Consultant Admiral Nurse and experienced Occupational Therapist, are transforming outcomes for clients with complex medical conditions like dementia, Parkinson’s and stroke.

With dedicated professional carers, a fully managed and regulated service and by using the latest infection-monitoring equipment, we’re proven to keep our clients safer, happier and healthier at home Transforming outcomes through ‘Outstanding’ live-in care​​​.

The best carers

Our carers stay with us long-term – building lasting relationships and providing you with continuity of care. We believe our carers are the very best and here’s just a few reasons why:

  • Our carer selection process features a revolutionary ‘situational judgement test’ that profiles candidates and ensures we only employ the most dedicated among them. They are then trained and equipped beyond industry standards to ensure you receive 1-2-1 care of the highest quality
  • We employ our carers – we never use agency staff
  • We offer expert training – each carer completes our industry-leading training programme based on the latest thinking and techniques
  • We invest in our carers – on-going training and professional development, endorsed by charities and experts, helps our carers continually deliver best practice care
  • We support our carers – our regional care teams and experienced managers are dedicated to small numbers of carers and clients to ensure high levels of 24/7 support
  • We care about carers – we operate nationwide through closely knit local teams. Small client portfolios enable each dedicated Care Manager and their team to offer a tailored, 1-2-1 approach with higher levels of monitoring and support than a care home can offer. Along with shorter rota patterns, paid above market average salaries, paid holidays, and performance related benefit

Talk to us about your care needs

To talk about your care needs, contact one of our friendly advisors. Calls from landlines are free.

0203 728 7577

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