It’s safe to say that there are two figures we’re extremely pleased with.
Firstly, six. This is the number of consecutive years North Haven CS has achieved a ‘Good’ rating from the Care Quality Commission (CQC), an independent regulatory body that reviews and evaluates care organisations throughout England. Achieving a ‘Good’ rating for six consecutive years isn’t simply a matter of providing consistent standards; it takes commitment to maintaining high-quality services and continuous investment in quality and a team that truly cares about the people it provides care for.
Secondly, fifteen. This is the figure representing the amount by which our turnover has increased annually. For domiciliary home care in Sunderland and South Tyneside, a yearly increase of fifteen percent indicates genuine expansion in terms of more families selecting North Haven to provide care for their loved ones and more clients selecting North Haven as opposed to other options.
The Argument for Investment in Staff Development
Staff retention is one of the most significant issues within the UK’s home care sector. Nationally, approximately 25% of care workers leave their posts each year. The causes of such high levels of staff turnover can be attributed to a variety of factors including low wages, difficult working conditions, lack of opportunity for advancement, however, the impact of constant staff turnover on the quality of care provided is unambiguous. Each time a client receives care from a different individual, the client may develop uncertainty regarding which individual will attend at any particular visit. Such uncertainty results in a service perceived as transactional rather than personalised and reduces the potential for long-term relationships between caregivers and clients to be developed during the period of care.
As mentioned previously, we have taken a very different approach at North Haven.
At North Haven, career development is not something we speak of in job advertisements and then neglect. Rather, career development is something we actively implement. Debbie Dring was employed at North Haven as a care assistant five years ago. She is now our Care and Training Facilitator, the person responsible for training each new employee joining the company. Debbie’s progress did not occur by chance. Her success occurred due to Debbie being excellent in her current capacity and due to North Haven being an employer willing to recognise excellence in its employees and act upon it.
“I enjoy no two days being alike and I love meeting all of my clients which is vital to me,” states Debbie. “I am also responsible for training all new members of staff and I take great pride in supporting them in their development.”
This philosophy is applicable at all levels of employment at North Haven. Jude Carter became a Quality Assurance Officer twelve months ago at North Haven, making the move from an office-based role at a local company into the care sector for the first time. Taking on quality assurance responsibilities in a regulated environment was a new challenge, but she says the culture at North Haven made the transition straightforward.. Transitioning from front line caregiving into the area of quality assurance and compliance is a substantial move professionally, requiring entirely different skill sets and thought patterns. Jude successfully transitioned into this area and is presently pursuing her Level 5 qualification.
“Support from the administrative team at North Haven has been critical to my ability to succeed in this role,” states Jude.
What This Looks Like for Families
If you are seeking home care for your family member in either Sunderland or South Tyneside, one factor is more important than virtually any other, stability among caregivers. An individual who has worked for the same home care provider for three, four or five years develops knowledge of his/her clients. He/she notices when there are differences in behaviour or responses and builds trust that is essential in improving the quality of life for an elderly adult or adult with complex needs whose day-to-day routines and familiarities are important aspects of their lives, especially individuals that need dementia care.
To some extent, our CQC Good rating for six consecutive years reflects this. When inspectors assess the quality of care delivered, they consider the outcomes, documentation, processes, but also assess the employees delivering care and if they feel supported, trained and valued. A stable workforce produces better outcomes. Better outcomes result in higher ratings. Higher ratings enable the building of trust necessary for businesses to expand their customer base.
What We’re Doing Now
North Haven has recently expanded its services to include additional parts of South Tyneside as well as continuing to operate its existing services in Sunderland. We are currently recruiting caregivers in both regions and developing the resources and infrastructure required to continue taking on clients while maintaining our six-year history of achieving consistently high standards.
If you would like further information on home care services across Sunderland, South Shields, Hebburn and Jarrow, or wish to discuss possible support arrangements for your family member, we would welcome the opportunity to contact you.
