CARING FOR INDIVIDUALS

The Ladies and Gentlemen who reside with us at Avalon have led rich and varied lives; we understand and celebrate their individuality. When we see a picture of the bright vibrant person they were in their youth and who they are today, we see the same person.

Everyone deserves to feel the warm embrace of kindness and an understanding and appreciation for who they are as a person. That’s why, with the help of friends and family, we develop what’s known as a ‘person centred care plan’ for every service user living at Avalon. This plan ensures that the care team within Avalon care for an individual and see beyond the conditions that requires care. It allows them to connect with and understand the whole person and what is important to them. It’s the foundation of the caring relationship and plays a fundamental role in helping us to support service users to live the life they want.

The plan covers everything from medical to spiritual, physical to emotional needs as well as the individual’s likes and dislikes, religious preferences, and suggestions from family members that might make their stay with us that little bit more enjoyable. Once established it will be regularly updated to reflect changing needs and wishes to ensure that care is adapted to the needs of the moment.

You can trust us to do the simple little things that matter: tea, coffee, cake, biscuits, fresh clean sheets and a warm welcome. A friendly smile, a word of comfort and someone always on hand. We actively encourage friends and family to maintain positive relationships with their loved one, welcoming them at our home day or night and encouraging them to join in whenever they can.

KEEPING YOU SAFE ~ Ensuring Quality Care And Service Delivery

Setting Standards ~ We want to deliver the kindest possible care for our Service Users. One of the ways that we achieve that is by making sure that operates to the highest standards possible, ensuring that we meet the required regulation of the local authority and the Care Quality Commission. Avalon must abide by a strict set of operational policies and procedures which set the company standards for quality care and service delivery.

Externally Regulated ~ Sefton council Commissioning service for adults.

www.sefton.gov.uk/social-care/care-and-support-for-adults.

Care Quality Commission ~ www.cqc.org.uk

Normally, these take the form of unannounced visits day or night every year.

Vigilance is Vital ~ We don’t wait until the official inspectors tell us that we have a problem. If we notice anything that might be an early warning of something going wrong – such as a rise in complaints, falls, weight loss, pressure sores, unusual incidents or accidents – we’ll investigate right away.

Service Quality Inspectors ~ We employ STORM Consultancy to carry out announced and unannounced inspections of our home throughout the year. These check consist of CQC Compliance Organisation Checklist & Action Plan / Health & Safety Checks / Fire Assessment Checks. Alone with other outside agencies which will ensure that we stay within regulation of the CQC and law. These inspections ensure that Avalon is working to our high-quality standards. After they’ve inspected the home, the inspectors work with the care home Registered Manager and the care team to look at ways of improving and enhancing operational performance. In this way, our services continually evolve under a programme of constant checks and improvement.

Regular Checks
The inspections don’t end there. Members of our senior team regularly carry out thorough audits and review all aspects of our services. The home Registered Managers’ or Deputy Managers’ typical day requires them to carry out a walk-around inspection to ensure that every member of their team is working to our strict quality standards.

We Value Feedback ~ We actively encourage feedback from Service users, relatives and colleagues to identify areas of strength or weakness of our home, or to tell us about an idea or suggestion.

We carry out annual Service user, relative and colleague surveys. We analyse and review the results and we create action plans for improvement and enhancement. We also encourage Residents and relatives to publish reviews on www.carehome.co.uk the care sector’s leading customer review site. The health and wellbeing of the people we support is our first priority.

Confidential Whistle Blowing ~ Any concern about any aspect of the care or service in Avalon, can be reported to Management within Avalon, if you feel that your concerns have not been addressed within the Management of Avalon you can contact the following authorities:

• Care Quality Commission (Independent Regulator of Health & Social Care) Tel: 03000 616161
• Sefton Social Services. Tel: 0151 934 3737

WELLBEING ~ ‘Laughter is the best medicine. It creates a sense of safety and belonging.’

We foster a real sense of fun and inclusion and encourage everyone to get involved in life at the home. Working with our Service users every day, our care team and activities co-ordinator comes to understand their wants and needs, and creates a holistic weekly plan to nurture mind, body and soul and promote physical, cognitive, emotional, sensory and social wellbeing.

We do have the much-loved, chaotic bingo hour, but beyond that our Service users can look forward to everything from weekly visits from entertainers and people who live or work in the local community, Sefton Active, indoor cinema and more. Staff will interact with gardening skills, to baking, flower-arranging, painting, writing, reading and any number of musical activities. We have an activities unit within the vicinity of our beautiful garden, where Service users can use our shop or have a game of table tennis or pool.

One To One Service ~ Avalon offers a one to one service to allow for the simple pleasures of life to be achieved, with full support of support workers, the home can provide more information on this service.

Outings ~ Minibus, allowing Service users to stay connected with local life, enjoying a trip to the seaside or the Christmas lights.

Food and Dining ~ Avalon offers a variety of nutritional meals and is able to cater for each individuals required needs. We have different option each day for each meal serving.

Just like every family, our meal table is the caring heart of our home. We understand the importance of a friendly and stimulating experience; not to mention the pleasure of a mealtime with delicious, nutritious food, shared with people you know and love.

In our home, mealtimes are one of the main moments in the day when the Service users meet as a complete community; the verbal exchanges and laughter often overheard from the dining room indicate the clear pleasure and enjoyment many service users experience from this. But like everything it is all down to personal choice; some Service users prefer the option to dine alone or in the company of a dear friend in a quieter setting or in the privacy of their own room.

Useful links

www.carehome.co.uk/carehome

www.cqc.org.uk/location/1-114014936

www.ageconcernliverpoolandsefton.org.uk

www.alzheimers.org.uk/info