Yes – Although Way Ahead Care does provide care at home on behalf of the Local Authority, we also provide a great deal of private care and support to those wishing to purchase their own home care.  We are able to deliver a full range of services for those wanting to either purchase these privately or through an Individual or Personal Budget. Home Care is viable and often a more desired alternative to a retirement home or residential care home.

In most cases no. You can purchase as little or as much home help as you need. This could be on either a regular or ad hoc basis depending on your needs and outcomes. However we may need to provide a minimum duration of care at home depending on the location to ensure that it is economically viable for the member of staff to visit.

You can either call your local Way Ahead Care office or email us though the website and we will contact you to discuss your requirements and answer any questions you might have.

Continuity of staff is paramount to achieving successful outcomes of any care at home provision. Way Ahead Care recognises the importance of having regular caregivers and our Care Co-ordination team work hard to ensure this is achieved. However there will be occasions where your regular caregiver will be unable to visit you. This could be due to annual leave or short-term absence for example. Where we are delivering a large care at home package (where there are a number of visits a day) we will endeavour to deliver the service through a small team of staff, however due to staff working patterns this can sometimes be a challenge to facilitate. In this event we will discuss this with you before the home care commences to ensure you are comfortable.

Unlike living in a care home, if you are funding the home care yourself then you are essentially purchasing a service to meet your individual needs. As long as the requested duties of your care needs are legal and deemed safe for our staff to deliver, the routine of your care is up to you. The exact details of private care you are wishing to purchase and duration can be discussed with us at the outset. We will produce an individual ‘Routine of Calls’ in consultation with yourself and will only start the home care once you are completely happy.

Way Ahead Care realises that you will have preferred times for your home care visits. When setting up your domiciliary care package these preferences can be discussed with you. Times of visits directly relate to the level of staffing capacity that we have available and the times the caregivers are working. In some cases it might be that initially we will be unable to achieve the desired times, (for example offer a 09:00 visit instead of 08:30) however due to the nature of domiciliary care it is always changing and we should be able to ensure that you have the desired time when possible.

We appreciate that sometimes things change and you will need to cancel or try and rearrange your care at home. As you can appreciate, it takes a lot of resource to deliver a large home care service and our caregivers are scheduled for work 1 to 2 weeks in advance. Of course you are able to cancel your home care at any time, however this may incur a charge if insufficient notice is given. What these charges might be can be found within the Terms & Conditions of service. If you would like to discuss them further please call your local Way Ahead Care office.

You will be invoiced monthly and our preferred method of payment is by Direct Debit which can be set up at the outset of the domiciliary care package. Unfortunately we are unable to take any card payments at this time.

Like all things there are advantages and disadvantages of opting for either a care agency or employing a Personal Assistant/Micro provider.

The main advantage of engaging with a care agency is that you have security in service. Unlike with a personal assistant that has no resource to continue your home care in the event they fall ill, go on holiday or for whatever reason are unable to continue working at short notice.

Yes – if they are not registered with CQC then you, as the client, need to employ the personal assistant or micro provider directly to negate this regulatory requirement. However a care agency is already registered with CQC and as a result is obligated to provide care at home services in line with their requirements.

Becoming an employer comes with a great deal of responsibility. By doing so you would be responsible for their payroll, pension and NI contributions, facilitating holiday, sick and maternity pay as well as and redundancy costs in the event you no longer require the care at home. By purchasing private care through a care agency, the care provider takes care of all these responsibilities as part of the service you purchase.

Unless you had an arrangement for cover via another Provider, friend or relative it is very likely that your home care service will not be met on that particular occasion. Using Way Ahead Care would ensure that never happened. If your regular caregiver was unable to work we would ensure your visits were covered by another capable caregiver to ensure that at all times your home care service was facilitated and your needs met.

Again, unless you had an arrangement to be able to contact another Personal Assistant, friend or relative, it is very likely that your home care service on that particular occasion would not be facilitated. Way Ahead Care provide an On Call service that enables you to contact us in the event of an emergency. This service is available outside of normal office hours and will enable you to talk to a member of our staff who will assist if there is a problem or delay with your service.

Regardless of their experience all staff undergo a comprehensive training program when they start their employment. This includes Manual Handling training, Health & Safety, Safeguarding, Personal Care, and Medication. All staff have a minimum of 30hrs of shadowing with experienced staff before being assessed as competent to work solo. All new caregivers receive a 4, 8 and 12 week review and complete the Cavendish Care Certificate – national recognised qualification. Throughout their employment our caregivers are supported through ongoing supervisions, competency checks, training updates and Appraisals.

In line with our regulatory requirements Way Ahead Care undertakes a rigorous recruitment process that that includes a 2 stage application process; An interview and competency assessment, 2 references and a full Disclosure & Barring Service check (formally known as CRB check).

In the event that an individual feels they need a little extra support or ongoing care needs, moving into a care home is not the only option. Home care is a viable alternative to moving into a care home. The service is more flexible and can increase or decrease depending on need. In addition, starting with some low level home care earlier can prevent the requirement for more intense and longer term care in the future. Enabling individuals to maintain their independence has further benefits on the individual’s health and wellbeing rather than disempowering them within a care home, with services they might not be ready for.

In the event that an individual requires more intense or longer term care, Live-in care is a viable alternative to moving into a care home. Live-in care enables the individual or couple to remain in their own home, around their possessions and within their local community. A live-in caregiver will stay in your home 24hrs a day and provide the care and assisted living required. The live-in caregiver will be discreet and not intrude in your day to day life, but there to support you with your care and support needs. Live-in care provides you and your family with the peace of mind that you are safe and secure in your own home, surrounded by what you love. Live-in care is a realistic alternative both practically and financially in comparison to moving into a residential home or care home.

Way Ahead Care have vast experience in providing care for those living with dementia. Just because an individual requires dementia care it does not mean that home care is not an option. Way Ahead Care successfully provides home care to many individuals living with dementia in the community.  We will design a private care package to meet the needs of the individual to maintain their independence in the community. Home care packages can be flexible when providing dementia care, increasing or decreasing as required. Way Ahead Care would also be able to extend the home care to a more attentive Live-in care service in the event the individual’s conditions worsen.