Home Care Questions and Answers

Nannies 4 Grannies Ltd - Questions and Answers - We hope you find this of interest.

 

Home Care and Companionship in St Albans and Harpenden

When potential clients enquire about our services

• How do you book in my visits and how do I know when a Nanny will be visiting me?
  
  We plan all our Nannies visits up to 14 days in advance, based on the schedule we have agreed with you. Rosters are sent out via email on a Wednesday for the upcoming week. We always strive to keep the visits and the nannies consistent, but there may be times when illness or holidays can affect this, and you will see a different name on your roster. In instances of emergency or sickness we may need to make a change after the roster has been sent and we aim to give plenty of notice of this change. We will never not turn up; cover will always be supplied.
  
  
• How will the Nannies know what to do when they visit me?
  
  All our Nannies have a mobile app which allows them to access your support plan before they arrive at your home. Here they will read all the essential information needed to attend to your needs, including your medical information. At the end of their visit, they will use the app to complete some ‘handover notes’. These notes will describe what has happened during the visit and record any special information. Where applicable these notes provide essential handover information to the next nanny but also provide family members with a weekly overview of the visits. All of these ‘handover notes’ will be sent to you/your nominated family member(s) on a Monday. If there are any urgent notes, these will be communicated on the same day via the office.
  
  
• What should I do if my nanny doesn’t arrive on time?
  
  On occasions our nannies may be running late or running early, this could be because the last visit has overrun or has finished early, or there may have been an emergency we have had to deal with. Please allow your nanny a 15-minute leeway on your booked time, early and late. If the nanny does not arrive within 15 minutes of your booked time, please call the office on 01582 764305. If your nanny is running late, we will always do our utmost to contact you before their arrival time so that you are aware.
  
  
• I have medication to take, can my Nanny administer these?
  
  No, the nanny cannot administer any medication, but they can PROMPT you to take your medication or check to see if you have taken your medication for the day. Only medication provided in a pharmacy approved blister pack may be prompted. In unusual circumstances, if you are unable to get pharmacy approved blister packs, a dosette box may be put in place. These are to be filled by a family member or you on a regular basis, as required - we cannot do this for you.
  
  
• I have an appointment I need to go to which is outside my normal hours, can you still take me?
  
  Yes, we will always try to take you to appointments and add additional ad-hoc visits outside your normally booked visits. All we ask for is as much notice as possible to fit these into our planned working schedule.
  
  Any trips out i.e. to the hospital, shops, garden centres etc. will be claimed as an expense by the nanny and added to your monthly invoice.
  
  
• What happens if I need to go shopping as part of my regular visit and how does the payment work?
  
  Regular shopping visits will have to be agreed as part of your support plan. Cash or pre-pay card is our preferred method of payment. If the nanny is doing the shop on your behalf, from a security perspective, we prefer not to use a client’s bank card.
  
  If we are picking up some ad-hoc shopping items such as milk or bread, you can settle this with cash on the production of a receipt by the nanny. The nanny will then write this information on the handover notes. If there is no means of payment (which should only ever be an exception) the nanny will claim the shopping as an expense, and this will be added to your next invoice.
  
  Any trips out i.e., to the hospital, shops, garden centres etc. will be claimed as an expense by the nanny and added to your monthly invoice.
  
  
• I have a booked visit that I need to cancel, will I still be charged?
  
  As set out in our Terms and Conditions, we do require 14 calendar days’ notice for any cancellations or amended visits. If you cancel a visit within this period, you will be charged 100%. If you must go into hospital urgently, this charge will be reduced to 50%. We apply these charges as all the visits are booked with our nannies in advance, and whether they attend or not (due to cancellation), we still ensure that they are paid for the time. All cancellations or amendments can either be made via email on admin@nannies4grannies.co.uk or by calling our office on 01582 764305.
  
  Please refer to our Terms and Conditions document which outlines all our terms of business.
  
  
• If I need assistance with bathing or washing my hair, can you help me?
  
  Unfortunately, no. We cannot offer any personal care. This would include helping you get dressed and undressed, toileting (Including catheter/stoma care), showering and bathing, shaving, oral hygiene or skin, hair or nail care.
  
  
• If I have a fall or need medical attention, what will happen?
  
  If it is a minor injury like a small cut, we would contact your emergency family contact for further instruction. If you have a fall or need medical attention, we will need to call NHS 111 for further guidance. We may need to call an ambulance, depending on the severity of the incident. In every case, we would inform your named emergency contact of the incident, what we have done and discuss what will happen next.
  
  
• If the nanny has an accident in my home, am I covered?
  
  If a nanny has an accident in your home, which is not their fault or caused by their actions, your home insurance should cover you as standard, however, please check your home insurance policy to make sure you have personal liability cover in place.
  
  
• Are you CQC (Care Quality Commission) registered?
  
  No, as a home help provider, the services we undertake are not regulated activities as detailed by The Health and Social Care Act 2018.
  We pride ourselves on providing a ‘first step to support’ service that is uniquely different and makes us stand out from care providers.
  
  
• How will you keep my personal data safe?
  
  We at Nannies4Grannies take data protection very seriously. We will never share or sell your data to a third party. Your data is only shared with the nannies who will be providing you with the support you need. We only hold your data for as long as we need to. Electronic data is retained in accordance with our statutory obligations. In certain circumstances, we may be legally required to share certain data held by us, which may include your personal data, for example, where we are involved in legal proceedings, where we are complying with legal requirements, a court order, or a governmental authority.
  
  You have the right to ask for a copy of any of your Personal Data held by Us (where such data is held). Under the GDPR, no fee is payable, and we will provide any and all information in response to your request free of charge. Please contact us for more details at kay@nannies4grannies.co.uk.