Primary Homecare

How has changing to Nursebuddy helped your home care business?

"Before Nursebuddy we were using paper methods combined with a previous system which was only used by the office staff.

By using Nursebuddy we are able to make changes to rotas at last minute when there is sickness which has contributed towards safety and efficiency and makes us responsive. We can update care professionals on history of clients immediately without having to wait for paperwork to filter through to the office.

It has also helped us enormously with effective and timely auditing."

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

"The scheduling system and care plans. We have looked at other care planning systems and we feel that the care plans are not of the same standard as those on Nursebuddy.

"Nursebuddy work with us to create a good tailored system."

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

"We are a company that likes to challenge ourselves to try new things and be able to offer a flexible service to our clients. We’ve secured new contracts with the local authority this year, which includes a reablement service. We are now starting to provide live-in support which has been a success. We are currently innovating with AI, by finding new ways to develop our service and effective ways of working.

"A big factor in improving our productivity has been the introduction of Nursebuddy which has helped us with scheduling, achieving audits and thorough care plans. We also feel from feedback from CQC, staff and clients that our training is very good, equipping staff with the skills we need to provide person-centred care to our clients. The care sector unfortunately is notoriously known to have a high turnover of staff, however, this year so far, our staff turnover has been exceptional at only 10%. Our Outstanding rating by CQC and our good reputation locally has aided our growth."

What strategies do you use to retain care workers?

"We have a thorough induction process with continued training and support. Our small office team gives face-to-face support to carers and are always available for meetings, phone calls etc. We have recently started a star awards program where carers can get financial rewards for numerous achievements, such as going the extra mile, compliments, working flexibly, carer of the month etc. We offer staff additional training to meet their aspirations, including diplomas and short courses. All promotions are advertised internally. We have regular team meetings which give the carers an opportunity to discuss any suggestions to improve the service and any ideas that they may wish to put forward. And we make sure we recruit staff that have the same values that the company has.

"We recognise that it is very important to compliment staff where praise is due and make any criticism constructive. We feel that Nursebuddy has helped us gauge the feelings of staff with the wellbeing report where staff can say if they have had a happy or sad day with the reasons why. In September we had 98.5% of staff say they had a happy or very happy day!"

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

"Get a good rota and care planning system in place which helps you stay compliant with the CQC and the local authority, whilst ensuring it promotes safe and effective care.

"Additionally, speak to the local authority about being added onto the framework as there is limited private work out there. This way as well you will have additional support systems and collaboration."

Toni Woods
Registered Manager, Primary Homecare