Mears Care 1. Home Improvements Handyperson Services 2. Creating Dynamic Systems Supporting Flexible Services 3. Extra Care 4. Hospital Discharge and Rapid Response Services 5. Independent Living Service 6. Reablement Homecare 7. Serving Communities
Home Improvements Handyperson Services It can be difficult and expensive to find a reliable person to fix small issues around the house. With our handyperson service we offer reliable, fully vetted and experienced people who customers can trust to come into their homes and sort out their repairs. WHAT TYPES OF WORK CAN THEY DO? Our handy people are versatile as well as flexible, this means they can deal with a wide variety of repairs and improvements. They types of work they can do include: Small repairs putting up curtain rails, shelves and pictures, fixing loose carpets, repairing dripping taps or replacing broken handles. Installation of mobility aids - grab rails, shower seats and lever taps. Safety measures fitting smoke alarms, carbon monoxide detectors and testing the alarms. Home security door and window locks, door chains, anti-snap locks and door viewers. Energy efficiency checks installing draught excluders, radiator heat reflectors and energy efficient light bulbs. General jobs - moving furniture, changing light bulbs and building flat packed furniture. WHAT CUSTOMERS CAN EXPECT FROM OUR HANDYPERSON SERVICE? We aim to give customers an appointment for a visit within two weeks of their call. We offer morning or afternoon appointments. Our handy people are directly employed by Mears. They carry identification and wear the Mears uniform. Our handy people are professional, friendly and polite. HOW MUCH WILL IT COST? Customers can be reassured that there are no expensive call out fees and that our handy people will cost and complete the job in the most economical way. They will discuss customers requirements with them and confirm the cost of the repair before the start. If they cannot fix it on the first visit they will arrange a suitable time with the customer when they can come back and complete the repair. Our aim is to provide customers with a reliable professional service and to ensure the job is completed to their satisfaction. To discuss the information in this leaflet, please contact: email: care.info@mearsgroup.co.uk web: www.mearshomecare.co.uk
Creating Dynamic Systems Supporting Flexible Services As one of the largest UK providers of community based care and support, we are constantly looking for new ways to ensure quality, value for money and develop our services to meet the changing policy landscape and challenges facing health and social care. We understand that the move toward more responsive, flexible services such as reablement, home from hospital and personalised services, requires dynamic systems and processes. We also know that overall productivity and the experience of our Care Workers could be improved if they have access to information and can respond to changes in real-time. Working with our Information Technology, Operations and Business Development teams, we have explored new ways to meet all of the competing demands and changes outlined above. There was a consensus that this could be achieved through development of a dynamic IT system linked to Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs). PDAs enable Care Workers to send instant messages via the internet, as well as to log notes, track medication, make real-time changes to care packages, access information and keep tabs on all manner of other tasks in one easy place, without relying on paper or having to repeatedly phone the office. Using this system we can ensure a more flexible service delivery, for example if upon arrival our Care Worker finds a customer is feeling more able that day and requires less time, our staff can log this via the PDA, immediately up-dating the system and allowing our Coordinators to redeploy the time elsewhere. Likewise, if more time is required than initially planned as the customer is unwell, the Care Worker can spend this additional time knowing that their follow-on call will be allocated to another member of staff. In addition, PDAs greatly reduce the amount of time lost on missed calls, for example if staff don t know about, or miss, a message that a client will no longer be available at a scheduled time.
In order to test the effectiveness of the new system, we conducted a pilot at our Barnsley branch, which in April 2012 received 12 PDAs and distributed them among its 70 Care Workers. Within just a few months the initiative has proven to be a great success. Sharon Bell, branch manager at Barnsley: We started to use the PDAs at the end of April for rotas, instant messages and so on, and they re a quick and efficient way to communicate. The staff using them say they are fantastic, they love them. Some were sceptical at first, saying they wouldn t be able to cope with the technology and they didn t like change, but all the feedback has been really good. Sharon, an experienced Branch Manager, finds the PDAs are helping to ensure the most efficient use of staff time. Messages can be sent by staff out in the community to the office electronically, meaning Care Workers instantly keep the office staff up to date and all messages are immediately filed onto the IT system. Previously the process was completed on paper and by phone: staff rotas were provided on a weekly basis in paper format, and any updates were communicated via telephone, requiring Care Workers to update their paper timesheet. With the new Mears Care Management solution, these updates only need to be done on our IT system, which automatically updates the Care Worker. We are finding therefore that this is also a much more environmentally friendly way to work, greatly reducing the amount of paper and printing previously required. Our IT team are now rolling the system out across the company, however following our commitment to continuous improvement, we are also looking at how we can incorporate customer outcomes into the system so these can be monitored and reported in real time adding an extra dimension to our service delivery. To discuss the information in this leaflet, please contact: email: care.info@mearsgroup.co.uk web: www.mearshomecare.co.uk
Extra Care Mears delivers the care and support element of Extra Care Housing into over 20 schemes across the country. Extra Care Housing describes a type of specialised accommodation that provides independence and choice to adults with varying care needs and enables them to remain in their own home. Services are provided in a purpose built, housing environment with care and support delivered to meet individual customer needs. This type of housing can provide 24-hour care and support, meals, domestic help, leisure and recreation facilities and a genuinely safe environment to its residents. Extra Care Housing should be able to provide most people with a home for the remainder of their life, regardless of changes in their care needs. Mears delivers its care and support services in a way that heightens and maintains people s independent living skills, supporting them to support themselves and increasing wellbeing. Our model for extra care incorporates: Enabling Approaches All of our Extra Care Housing care and support is delivered in a way that supports people to re-gain and increase their independent living skills. We have developed a robust induction and training programme that not only exceeds CQC requirements; but instils the principles and ethos of reablement. During training, staff learn the importance and value of a supportive, enabling rather than doing for approach to care and support. Our assessment and support planning processes guide staff and customers to consider what other services, for example Occupational Therapy and equipment, should be incorporated to support people to live independently. Outcomes As a matter of course, our services are designed and delivered around the outcomes that our customers want to achieve. We have developed an assessment and support planning process that ensures we work with our customers, and where appropriate their carers and family, to define the outcomes they wish to achieve. We then work together to break these outcomes down into achievable goals or steps along the way, considering who and what is needed to attain each goal. All goals have agreed time scales and measures attached so we can regularly review the service with customers, carers, family and commissioners and check if things are progressing as planned or if we need to make changes. Personalisation As an organisation we have embraced personalisation and welcome the choice and control it offers our customers. Our in-house training programme, procedures and paperwork have all changed in recent years to reflect a person centred
approach. We are experienced in the use of Individual Service Funds as a means of delivering flexible, personalised service in Extra Care Housing without the requirement for customers or their carers and family to take on the accounting and monitoring responsibilities associated with Direct Payments. In order to deliver Individual Service Funds effectively we had to develop new systems and processes that allow us to manage the funds and provide a complete breakdown of how the money has been spent for each individual and commissioners. Benefits arising from our use of Individual Service Funds can include: Flexibility of service delivery customers are able to choose how their service is delivered to fit with changing lifestyles or a fluctuating condition, for example during periods of decreased need customers can bank and roll-over time and services to use at a later date. Increased customer satisfaction. Paying for services based on an overall Individual Service Fund per customer, can result in cost savings to the authority in the form of reduced invoicing and transactional costs. Access to the Community We believe that care and support in Extra Care Housing should always strive to build networks and links into the wider community. As part of our person centred plans we identify customers personal hobbies and interests and support them to identify and access activities in the wider community that meet their preferences. Our Managers build relationships with local partners and groups whose services can be incorporated to help meet outcomes. Local services and providers are invited into the scheme to deliver services which our customers have identified as important to them such as hairdressing. Where possible, our staff open up activities to people from outside the scheme who would benefit, helping to forge greater links with the wider community. In-line with our enablement ethos, we always strive to support customers to manage development of community activities themselves. For example, establishing Tenant Events Committees and identifying local volunteer support groups who can work with the committee to access funding and other opportunities. Integrated Service Delivery Wherever we deliver care and support in Extra Care Housing we ensure that we develop productive partnerships with all relevant care partners. However, Mears is in the unique position of being able to offer the full range of services from a single point of access. Through our extensive range of in-house services and our strategic partnerships with large national telecare and equipment providers we are able to offer, through a single assessment and point of contact: Community care and support services, (including palliative care and home from hospital services). A handy person service undertaking small repairs, fitting minor aids such as grab rails and completing related tasks e.g. fitting curtain rails. Assessment and fitting of telecare/health. Advice and access to a range of equipment including removal and recycling. Access to Mears 24/7, a specialist contact centre using the most advanced telecommunications technology to provide an on-call, response service. This unique offer provides improved outcomes and value for money for commissioners and our customers in Extra Care. To discuss the information in this leaflet, please contact: email: care.info@mearsgroup.co.uk web: www.mearshomecare.co.uk
Hospital Discharge and Rapid Response Services Mears provides home from hospital, rapid and crisis response services through both our home improvement and home care services. These services have delivered a range of positive outcomes for our customers and commissioners: Supporting people to maintain or regain their independence and wellbeing after illness or injury Improving the hospital discharge experience for service users and carers Promoting independence in community settings Supporting people to avoid the need for health or social care interventions in their lives Reduced admissions to hospitals giving GP s an alternative to hospital admission Preventing re-admission to hospital Reduced ambulance call outs Preventing deterioration and therefore reducing the need for residential or on-going care packages Preventing premature entry into long-term institutional care settings. We have found that the most successful home from hospital, rapid and crisis response services: Are integrated across health and social care; either jointly commissioned and delivered or underpinned by strong partnerships, joint working protocols, multi-disciplinary teams and co-location where possible Are accessed through a single entry point Have a guaranteed response time Are designed holistically to meet the needs of the person and maximise their independence Incorporate housing support under a single assessment for aids, adaptions and safety alongside social and health care needs Utilise telecare and telehealth to promote selfmanagement and independence. Are short-term but with flexibility Have strong links with or include end-of-life services Have an underlying philosophy of reablement Benefit from excellent information technology to supply sound performance management and communication amongst staff.
Our own in-house social care IT system has been developed to be at the cutting edge of technology in social care and allows us to equip our staff with PDA devices to facilitate real time changes to rotas and care packages as well as the collection and transfer of real time data. In delivering such services we typically respond to all referrals within 24 hours - conducting an assessment of the immediate requirements necessary to avoid hospital or residential care admission and to facilitate discharge. We provide a maximum of two weeks intensive support during which time we work closely with local Multi-Disciplinary Teams (MDTs), service users, carers and community based groups and services in order to secure an appropriate long-term care and support package or to enable customers to live independently. All Mears Care Workers involved in the delivery of home from hospital and rapid response services receive additional training in order to equip them with the required skills. For example, our care staff in one Rapid Access service receive medical training such as Stoma Care and are chosen for their emotional maturity and ability to deal with a rapidly changing and often emotionally demanding environment. Many of those who access the service require end of life care and it is imperative to us that we provide the correct support for our staff so they can manage to work in a professional manner, with support when they require it. As a provider, Mears is in a unique position to be able to offer a full range of services that support hospital discharge, rapid and crisis response from a single point of access. We have an extensive range of in-house services and have developed strategic partnerships with large national telecare and equipment providers that enable us to offer the following through a single assessment and point of access: Community care and support services, (including palliative care) Handy person services such as small repairs, fitting minor aids such as grab rails and completing related tasks for example fitting curtain rails Advice and installation of telecare and telehealth Advice and access to a full range of equipment including removal and recycling. To discuss the information in this leaflet, please contact: email: care.info@mearsgroup.co.uk web: www.mearshomecare.co.uk
Independent Living Service Working together to improve service and lower cost There is significant evidence to support the use of telecare, telehealth and equipment as a part of a range of measures to support independent living. The benefits of such services are more easily realised when they form part of an integrated care and support plan. We have joined forces with Tunstall, the leading provider of telehealthcare solutions and NRS Healthcare a leading supplier and the professionals' choice for daily living aids and services. Through this partnership and our organisational capacity to deliver both care and support alongside housing repairs and maintenance, we are able to provide a solution where the benefits of the technology are integrated with the day to day service delivery. Our services Mears, Tunstall and NRS provide a holistic independent living service which includes: Assessment Provision of telecare & telehealth equipment Provision of a full range of daily living aids & equipment Equipment installation, servicing, maintenance, storage, distribution and demonstration centres Housing adaptations 24 Hour a day monitoring service through Mears 24/7, a specialist contact centre using the most advanced telecommunications technology. Personal care and support Through our Apprenticeship Scheme we can also offer care worker apprenticeships for new employees and the development of clear career paths for care staff, supporting local employment initiatives. All provided by professional, experienced staff.
What are the benefits? 1. Mears and our partners have the expertise and capacity to rapidly deliver large scale telecare, telehealth and equipment programmes. 2. Incorporating care, support, telecare, daily living aids and equipment, the service: improves service and customer satisfaction; promotes prevention and independence; and reduces care packages helping to avoid cost. 3. The service can help prevent hospital admissions and speed up safe, sustainable discharge. 4. A service that integrates health, social care and housing. 5. A holistic approach that meets the needs of individuals through a single point of access and single assessment process. 6. A service that can be marketed locally to reach out to selffunders. 7. Carers are given increased freedom and feel more supported to get on with their own lives. 8. Added value through local staff recruitment, apprenticeships and Mears programme of Corporate Social Responsibility: engaging with our customers, we find ways of utilising our skills and experience to carry out community-based projects that will make a difference to the lives of the people we work alongside. 520 projects were undertaken by Mears staff in 2013 to help improve the communities in which we work. We believe the Independent Living Service is an enabler for the re-engineering of health and social care provision whilst creating an integrated healthcare pathway. Our combined experience is unique and enables us to provide a complete independent living service for home, assisted living and specialist care environments. We also offer hospital communication systems, response centre software systems and monitoring. Mears welcomes discussions around risk sharing models in the commissioning of this Independent Living partnership service. At no risk to commissioners, Mears will share the upfront investment cost of telecare to support the provision of reabling homecare linked to a payment by results model. To discuss the information in this leaflet, please contact: email: care.info@mearsgroup.co.uk web: www.mearshomecare.co.uk
Reablement Homecare Mears is actively developing reablement homecare services that are focused on helping people to do things for themselves rather than a traditional approach of doing things for people. We believe that delivering care and support in this way provides positive outcomes for: Those who use services, their carers and families by building health, confidence and wellbeing and reducing the need to have health and social care intervention in their lives. Commissioners by reducing or eliminating dependence on long term care services; and facilitating timely supported discharge from hospital and temporary residential stays. Providers allowing providers to deliver services in new ways, increasing staff autonomy and satisfaction through movement away from task and time delivery of services. Our Model for Reablement is simple Reablement is the cornerstone of all care & support. Reablement should not be limited to short-term interventions alone. Although there is a place for intensive programmes of support to reduce or negate immediate need; all care services, whether they are delivered in people s own homes, extra care housing or supported living, should follow a reablement approach that increases self-sufficiency and decreases dependency. Reablement services should be holistic and personalised. We believe that all reablement - whether short or longer term, should be delivered as a holistic service across social care, housing, equipment, telecare and health; that dovetails with personalisation - putting people in control and responding to their requirements as an individual. Reablement should promote outcomes. Commissioning and evaluating services on their ability to achieve key outcomes will focus providers on developing holistic services that achieve desired outcomes and will support commissioners to meet the challenges they currently face supporting the personalisation agenda and providing services to those who need them, whilst reducing demand and avoiding cost. At Mears we have been proactive in developing our internal systems and processes to enable us to deliver reablement homecare.
Outcomes: As a matter of course, all of our services are designed and delivered around the outcomes that our customers want to achieve. We have developed an assessment and support planning process that ensures we work with our customers and where appropriate their carers, family and other health and social care professionals to define the outcomes they wish to achieve. We then work together with people to break these outcomes down into achievable steps along the way, considering who and what is needed to attain each step. All outcomes have agreed time scales and measures attached so we can regularly review the service with customers, carers, family and commissioners and check if things are progressing as planned or if we need to make changes. Responsive, Flexible Systems: We have developed our IT systems and internal processes to ensure dynamic services that respond in real time; robust staff communication; and sound performance management linked to outcomes. Our in-house social care system has been developed to be at the cutting edge of technology in social care, allowing us to: equip staff with PDA devices to facilitate real time changes to rotas and care packages collect and transfer information in real time monitor and record upon achievement of customer outcomes bank time and finances to be used in a flexible manner make rapid changes to care plans to accommodate changing needs. Integrated Service Delivery: Wherever we deliver care and support we ensure that we develop productive partnerships with all relevant care partners and voluntary sector, community-based organisations. However, we are also in the unique position of being able to offer a range of services through a single point of access. Through our extensive range of in-house services and our strategic partnerships with other large national providers we are able to offer: Community, home-based care and support services Handyperson and Home Improvement services Assessment for and fitting of telecare/health equipment Access to Mears 24/7, a specialist contact centre using the most advanced telecommunications technology Advice and access to a full range of equipment including removal and recycling Energy and fuel efficiency support. This unique offer provides improved outcomes and value for money for commissioners and a truly holistic reablement service for our customers. Mears welcomes discussions around risk sharing models in the commissioning of reablement homecare services. At no risk to commissioners, Mears will share the upfront investment cost of telecare to support the provision of reabling homecare linked to a payment by results model. To discuss the information in this leaflet, please contact: email: care.info@mearsgroup.co.uk web: www.mearshomecare.co.uk
Serving Communities Mears has housing and care operations in every region of the UK and in every kind of community - from remote rural villages to inner cities and industrial heartlands. We feel a strong sense of responsibility towards finding ways to improve the long terms prospects of the people who live in the communities we serve. This philosophy has always been at the heart of Mears. Over the years, we have developed four goals which are the corner stone of our practice: Our Community Goals To improve the lives of people living within our communities. To reduce prejudice and improve understanding of differences within our diverse communities. To provide career and skills development opportunities to those needing them the most. To be a positive contributor to our environment. In 2013, 520 projects were undertaken by Mears staff to help improve the communities in which we work. Each year our branches develop Serving Communities plans. This is done with ideas from customers and staff. We try to identify those projects that are most aligned to the needs of the local community and where we can best utilise our skills. This could be supporting schools, local environmental groups, youth clubs, facilities for the elderly or by helping local businesses and Social Enterprises. By engaging with our customers, we find ways of utilising our skills and experience to carry out community-based projects that will make a difference to the lives of the people we work alongside. We support and encourage our staff to get involved, providing two days each year of paid leave for staff to take part in volunteering projects in the community; and supporting branch fund-raising initiatives for projects and charities identified by local staff.
Most of our staff live in the communities where we work. Helping our local community to thrive not only increases the quality of life for residents but is also rewarding for staff who volunteer. The effect of our community activity is remarkable with the impetus to make a difference, the company is united in this common goal. Staff volunteered 64,729 hours in their communities around the UK in 2013. To discuss the information in this leaflet, please contact: email: care.info@mearsgroup.co.uk web: www.mearshomecare.co.uk