Articles

Support and Training

03/08/2016

I would like to share some of my experiences that I have found really helpful when it comes to support and training.

I have been in the care industry for over 30 years, and like most of us care givers I am really passionate about giving the best quality care to a client. Although I have been in health and social care for this length of time, I have been a freelance PA for just over a year. Live- in care is quite different to the other roles that I have done and you’re a lot more isolated so I believe it’s very important to have a support base.

You can have the best possible placement ever and be a part of a family that treat you so well, but the bottom line is that you’re away from your family for weeks at a time.

When I first did live-in care I would get quite emotional but I have learned to switch off. I did this through a very good support network. A co-worker guided me and helped me through the bad times. I still do speak to her regularly on the phone. She also does live-in care and the reason we met was that I took over from her when she took leave for a week. This is when I first started to do this role.

I get my work from agencies so I always check out what support there is, like if there is any on call if I get any problems that I am concerned about. This could be things like the client waking several times in the night or if the client is abusive to me, which is unfortunately rather frequent.

The way that I built up my network of support for myself was that each time I had a handover I would take the carer’s number and ask if it was ok if I called if there was anything I didn’t understand. Fortunately they have always been quite willing to do this.

Over time I have dropped them a message to say hello and to see if they are alright and see how life is and it has just gone on from there really.  The support was formed and has always worked for me. It’s also been good for them as they have also contacted me to support them too, so it has been a two way thing I have also found the live- in care Facebook page very helpful too.

Others are so willing to help and have pointed me in the right direction, which really brings me on to the next thing - training.  I used Facebook to ask where I can get my own training from and got an overwhelming response of where to look on the internet.

Keeping your training up to date is so important as if you’re like me as a freelance carer, agencies want you to have this and some will let you use their training at no cost to yourself which is always good. Some agencies like you to have it each year and some will say to renew it every three years but either way, you cannot do care without it.

It’s one of the most important factors for a freelance PA as not only does it cover you legally, but it also refreshes you in what you already know and in this sense I found it very helpful.

As the Social Care Act is changing each year, and the Care Quality Commission is constantly regulating agencies so you really do have to be up to date with legislation. However, as a self-employed worker you are not necessarily regulated by the Care Quality Commission, although it seems it’s only a matter of time before we are.

We work with very vulnerable people through people centred care. The clients’ needs and wishes instruct us on how to deliver that quality care to the client.

The basic training that a carer will need when undertaking live-in care are as follows;

• Person centred care
• Role of the care worker
• First aid awareness
• Safeguarding of vulnerable adults
• Challenging behaviour
• Communicating effectively
• Develop as a care worker
• Diversity and equality
• Infection control
• Moving and handling theory
• Principles of care and confidentiality
• Risk assessment
• Health and safety
• COSHH
• Dementia care
• Hand hygiene training
• Nutrition and diet
• Fire training
• Manual handling safety at work
• COSHH
• Health and safety in the work
• Fire safety principles
• Principles of safeguarding and protection in health and social care
• The causes and spread of infection
• Decontamination, cleaning and waste management
• Equality and diversity in the workplace
• Dementia awareness
• Understanding behaviour in the context of dementia

All the courses need to be done though the British Accreditation Council. They can be found online which means it is much easier to do them either in the break times you have or in the evening before bed. This is when I undertook mine.

Rosa Taylor