Care Companions
Staff allocated by resident, rather than by task
Campaign to “End the round”
Our Care Companion Model enables the people we support to receive care and companionship from a small number of carer workers or ‘care companions.’ It encourages staff to focus on the people they support, not the tasks they undertake.
To support this way of working we have launched a campaign to discourage individual staff members from conducting rounds of all residents for the main daily tasks, e.g. medication rounds, tea rounds, continence rounds, etc.
Each care companion is allocated a number of residents each day this is usually between 6 and 8 people to support. Their role is to support those residents in all aspects of their daily life. Additional care workers will also be allocated in a ‘helper’ role, to provide extra help when more than one care worker is needed.
All care companions have been trained and assessed as competent to administer resident’s regular medication. This means medication can be given as part of each resident’s morning routine, rather than waiting for a medication round. (As and when required medication and controlled drugs will continue to be overseen by nursing staff.)
Companions work throughout the day, to meet the needs of residents in their allocation, including meal times, activities and night time routines. Staff are encouraged to spend time with the residents having a cup of tea and a chat as part of their daily routine.
This gives residents and staff time to get to know each other well and build trust. When staff know residents well, they pick up more quickly signs that the person is unwell or when their needs have changed. Which will mean action is taken more quickly to maintain residents’ wellbeing.
Staff will also have a better understanding of how residents prefer their care to be given meaning they can anticipate their needs. Relatives and loved ones will be able to get to know staff who support their loved ones, leading to improved communication.
The care companion model puts residents at the centre of their care. Both residents and staff really benefit from this.