Care One 2 One

How has changing to Nursebuddy helped your home care business?

"We started with Nursebuddy and have never used any other system. We have looked around - not in order to change, but to see whether other systems offered anything different and possible cost savings.

“However we feel we have grown with Nursebuddy and it has developed along with us. It meets all our needs as a business and we see no reason to change."

What is the one Nursebuddy feature that you really can’t live without?

"To be honest they are all important! If I had to pick one it would be the Staff and Client Profiles. Mainly because under each staff member and client is the opportunity to list all important information in real-time, from changes to medication to care needs."

What are the biggest factors that have helped your business grow to be such a success?

"Trying to get rid of the stereotype of what people believe ‘needing care’ means.

"Rather than ‘Care’, we prefer the term ‘Assistance & Support’. ‘Care’ can often give the impression that someone can no longer do anything for themselves, which is often far from the truth. We encourage people to continue doing what they can for themselves, only assisting and supporting when they need it or request it.

"Often too much focus is placed on time allowances and getting the job done and on to the next client. Yes, while in some circumstances timing may be a factor, if you are honest with your client about what is achievable in the time allocation provided and your staff have a good routine and relationship with the client, this issue soon disappears.

"Actively listening to how clients want their service/support delivered is very important. As a company we are honest about how flexible and adaptable we can be. A client's or family expectations can sometimes be unrealistic, especially when payment is either subsidised through the local authority or paid privately."

Watch: Care One 2 One's approach to driving quality and retaining carers through a bonus scheme.

What strategies do you use to retain care workers?

"Changing how others see them. ‘What’s in a name?’ Well a lot actually.

"In the early days as a company we asked a group of individuals what the words ‘Care’ and ‘Carer’ meant to them. The response was as expected: unpaid, menial job, no prospects, under-valued, not professional, ‘worse than working in McDonalds’ were some of the responses. Yet the job itself is probably one of the most important roles anyone can have, the individual has to have key skills such as the ability to work alone, manage medication, be observant with an individual's general health and mental wellbeing (as this is often unspoken), know how to deal with difficult situations which may arise from clients with complex needs like dementia, paranoia and aggression. And that’s on top of supporting with daily needs like personal hygiene, toileting and food preparation. They need to be able to take control and prioritise incidents such as falls or emergencies such as heart failure or strokes. Yet still only be paid the minimal wage and be expected to maintain and use their own vehicles.

"So one of the biggest changes we made was in the title given to our staff. We call them Community Healthcare Workers or CHWs. Respect from other professionals was instant. No longer were they ‘just carers’ who knew very little, people started to listen and realised the importance of what they had to say. We provided the trust for CHWs to phone families, GPs and District Nurses with their concerns.

"As a company we have an open door policy for staff to speak freely about their concerns without being shutdown as unimportant.

"Lastly we looked at ways to reward staff who show the dedication and passion for what they do, often going above and beyond sometimes in their own time. We tried ‘Staff of the Month’. We tried higher fuel payments and a car maintenance scheme which did work really well. We looked at offering health schemes after a certain service time.

"Each of these schemes offered benefits but we wanted something that rewarded the professional job that our type of staff do as the other schemes could be rolled out for any job role.

"Over a period of months we came up with a Bonus Scheme with set criteria the staff would be expected to achieve in order to get an additional hourly bonus if completed. Staff were given the choice to stay on an hourly base rate or sign up to the bonus scheme. (Some chose not to sign up.)

"The criteria of the Bonus Scheme are:

• Work all shifts in rotation: Mornings, Evenings and every other Weekend
• Complete all training within a timescale
• Ensure they are registered to work in Social Care (we refund the cost)
• Provide proof of all absences (absence levels dropped dramatically)
• Agree to pick up two overtime shifts each month where needed (meaning the same staff weren’t always picking it up). Staff who picked up more than two shifts get a further bonus payment. (Needless to say overtime doesn’t stay around too long.)
• Uphold the goodwill of the company and its clients
• No complaints received (a staff member would not lose their bonus if a complaint was not upheld)

"They way the scheme works is if there are any failures in the criteria, they forfeit their bonus for one month and then it resets.

"Staff finally feel they are getting the recognition for the job that they do and as a company we are not asking for more than what is expected."

What's one piece of advice you would give to someone starting a homecare business?

"We have always had the motto: ‘We value our staff, like we value our clients’.

“Because if you don’t value your staff they won't work well with your clients."

Alison Price
Service Manager / Director, Care One 2 One