People seeking information about care service providers in North Yorkshire will have their task made easier from this week, with the publication of the first North Yorkshire Care Services Directory.
The Directory has been produced by Care Choices Ltd, in association with North Yorkshire County Council and the Independent Care Group. It contains comprehensive listings of organisations providing residential care, and care in the home. There is also guidance on paying for services, and what financial assistance is available from the State.
County Councillor Clare Wood, Executive Member for Adult Social Care said:
Making decisions about social care can be daunting, particularly for people who have had no involvement with it before,”
This Directory provides clear, easy to understand guidance. While the County Council is not in a position to offer official endorsement to the organisations listed, it welcomes the publication of a directory which makes it very much easier for people to get information about the wide variety of services available.
The Directory will be officially launched at next week’s Independent Care Group conference and exhibition, to be held at the Yorkshire Air Museum at Elvington on Tuesday.
The Group’s Chair, Mike Padgham said the publication of the directory had come not a moment too soon.
Mike Padgham said:
Guidance through the maze of options available when choosing a social care provider is something that all of us, including the Government, have been looking to create for some time and we are delighted to see the Directory for North Yorkshire come to fruition.
The Independent Care Group has been very pleased to work with North Yorkshire County Council to create the Directory.
Social care is becoming increasingly important through the critical role it plays in caring for our older and vulnerable residents. It is therefore vital that we provide the information to make it as easy as possible for people to find the right care for their needs.
Robert Chamberlain, publisher of the directory, said:
When choosing care you should be armed with the most up-to-date information, to help you decide which kind of care is most suitable, who can provide it, and how it is to be paid for.
The Care Services Directory is an invaluable source of information for anyone considering long-term care.
The Directory is free, and can be obtained through the council’s website (www.northyorks.gov.uk), or if you would like a hard copy call the customer service centre on 0845 8 72 73 74, or you can visit you local library to read a reference copy.
Alternatively, the Directory can be read as an e-book (and printed or downloaded) from here
If you’re considering a move to a care home, here’s my top five questions to ask before you make a choice:
What’s the manager like?
Research into the quality of care homes always highlights the crucial importance of the role of the manager. Find a good manager and you’re pretty likely to have found a good care home!
Who owns the care home?
Several big brands are involved in the care home business, as well as owner/operators. Remember, big is not always best. And research suggests that there is no difference, in terms of quality, between homes’ operated by charities or private companies.
Complaints and how they’re dealt with?
Every care home is required, as part of it license, to have a complaints procedure. The smart question to ask a home manager is: what have you done to change things as a result of a complaint?
How many agency staff on duty?
When you visit a home, ask the manager how many staff are on duty and how many of them are not permanent members of staff. A high ratio of agency staff could be an indicator of poor quality.
Who has a social care qualification?
Ask what proportion of the permanent staff group has a social care qualification. This will tell you something about the quality of care on offer and the willingness of the home to invest in its business.