Our Values
Family
We know that asking someone give so much of themselves to caring is a big ask. We support our team when they are working and reward them for the joy that they deliver. We laugh together, share stories and listen. Our carers are more than a team, they are more significant, they are much more like family.
Relationships
Relationships take time, friendships don’t happen quickly, care shouldn’t be rushed or irregular. We offer choice of caregiver to the families who we work with. By rewarding the loyalty of our carers and paying them well we hope to ensure that caregiver and client can form a lasting relationship.
Nimble
Reacting swiftly to the specific needs of our clients and their families is part of our DNA. Every person will have individual needs and their circumstances are always unique. We always listen, consider and react quickly, tailoring their home care to suit.
Freedom
Quality care should enable freedom. The time to share stories, the support to live as you wish and the help that comes from an unrushed caring professional. Age should not limit life and the right care should adapt to the needs of the client. We want our clients to feel empowered to live.
How it works
Our home care process is easy !
It’s as simple as 1,2,3. From years of experience in home care we find that families will often cope for months or even years before reaching out for home care assistance. Therefore, we are ready when you are.
We understand that your family’s situation is specific to you and the home care services that you need for your loved ones will need to be tailored to them.
Firstly, our job is to listen. Whether you want a friendly chat on the phone, or you would like us to pop in to meet your family, we will start by understanding your needs , your concerns and your situation.
Secondly, Once we have got to know you a little better, our experienced care team will be able to review your home care needs, produce a detailed plan and begin shortlist a number of carers.
Finally, we introduce you to the Caregiving Angel, and watch a wonderful, caring relationship begin.
Caregiving Angels at the ready
As you would expect our caregivers have the necessary skills and experience to support you, but in addition we try to match characters, hobbies and interests. We think people get on better when there is a shared passion.
Because common interests like favourite TV programmes, gardening and cooking, can help build rapport and trust, which are essential ingredients in quality Home Care.
We allow you to choose your caregiver because we understand that inviting someone into your home is a big decision. We know that it is important who provides the home care service as well as what they do and when. We chose our caregivers for good reasons and we want you to choose them too.
“I just wanted to drop you a note to thank you and your staff for the great care you provided for my Mother. It truly made a difference to know that she was well taken care of.”
“Thank you for your kind and considerate care that you provided for my mother. Please thank your caregiver. She was great for my Mum and we were lucky to have her.”
Why our Home Care is different
Person Centred Care
At Visiting Angels we believe that so much home care today is delivered in the same generic way, and strongly feel that for care to be truly person centred it cannot be standardised as “one size fits all”.
Therefore, our move towards person centred care comes from a historic belief that home care was being “done to people”, as a to-do list, rather than caring assistance being provided “for people”.
Many home care providers now use the language of focusing on people’s wants and needs, but if they haven’t changed their approach how can the quality of their care have improved? Because of this we have minimum one hour calls, we set our Angels up for success, and companionship for your loved one comes as standard.
We believe that actions speak louder than words and that to deliver quality home care a provider has to redefine their systems and procedures. Our business is one of the UK’s first carer centric organisations.
Instead of just saying how important our carers are we have truly put the Visiting Angels caregivers at the heart of what we do. We don’t call them Angels for nothing!
“What does this mean for our caregivers?”
For us, every decision we take starts with this question.
We feel that caregivers need to be paid more, supported better and rewarded for loyalty. Without these things a home care provider will have high staff turnover and that will mean an irregular and inconsistent service and potentially a different carer each day. We know that you don’t want to trust the support of your family to someone on minimum wage and we also know that once you are used to a carer it is important that they stay with you.
Our approach delivers unhurried, consistent high-quality home care, from caregivers who want to care, and who work within an organisation which allows them to care.
“I appreciate all you have done for my mother. Visiting Angels was there at a time when we really needed help and we are very thankful for that. Visiting Angels have been great to work with. I would recommend your organisation to anyone who needs assistance.”
“Our sincerest thanks for providing our loved one, Ruth, with some of the kindest people to ever enter our home. Mum’s caregiver not only provided Ruth with daily care but nourished her mind, body and soul with loving words and even song.”
Our Caregiving Angels
Could you be an Angel?
At Visiting Angels we want genuine, caring and dedicated people who wish to make a real difference to our adult clients lives. Providing companionship along side personal care, and help with medication and nutrition, you will have the opportunity to make a real difference every moment of your working day.
We ideally want previous care experience, but our thorough training and coaching program through the Angels Academy, means that we can focus on recruiting people with the right qualities and values, rather than just focussing on education and experience to date.
What is carer centricity?
Our carers are placed at the centre of everything we do. Starting with a rigorous recruitment process, which helps us to understand the people we employ better.
By providing the best pay rates in the industry, and permanent contracts following a successful probationary period, we make attractive offers of employment. Also, we provide ongoing reward and recognition as well as career development opportunities.
Setting you up for success is at the heart of our operation. We provide minimum one hour calls, so that the care you provide is of high quality and not rushed. We match your hobbies and interests to those of the client, and provide extra training as the individual client circumstances and health issues require.
This then ensures that you remain committed to being an Angel, confident and highly capable of placing your clients interests at the centre of everything you do.
We know that as a Caregiving Angel, you are a wonderful, loving, and professional person that does amazing work every day, so why not come and join our “Band of Angels”.
What does the recruitment process involve?
2 interviews, 4 references, a personality profile and a DBS check
Therefore we only recruit highly skilled, talented caregivers based on their values and beliefs as well as their life experience. So in addition to validating your knowledge and experience, we also complete personality profiling to understand a little more about your character. We know that you want to be that special person, you want to be a Visiting Angel.
In addition, we take 4 references and all of our caregivers have to complete written tests, and provide evidence of qualifications before being security screened, and then completing full induction training with us.
What is continual coaching?
Because we are in the people business, (no two carers and no two clients are ever the same), there is always something new to learn. We therefore support continuous learning through our Angels Coaching program.
By providing continual feedback and reports on performance, we ensure that our Caregiving Angels can focus on enjoying the home care that they deliver, confident that they have the knowledge and skills to perform all of their daily activities. Thus their focus remains on delighting their clients and providing warm companionship.
The head office team are here to support you! After all, you are at the centre of everything they do, it’s all about teamwork and good communication.
Why do you have Principal Angels?
For those that are at the top of the Caring Profession, our Principle Angels are our role models, which means that they can continue to develop their careers in front line caring. Principle Angels are the next level above a Senior, and are those who have dedicated their professional life to delivering consistent high quality care over many years. Their client and professional reviews are of the highest level, and they live and breathe the Visiting Angels values and behaviours at all times.
By employing and retaining the very best Caregivers in the industry, we want our Angels to stay with us for the longer term. Only this way can we continuously raise our quality standards higher and higher. By focusing on our caregivers we are able to provide all of our clients with a quality service, and continuity of care.
Funding Care
Some funding for care may be available from the Local Authority and it is an important difference for home care that the equity in your property will not be considered as an asset. Unlike healthcare from the National Health Service, adult social care is not necessarily free. Most families contribute to some or all of their care and support costs. To understand whether funding may be available the Local Authority will complete a financial assessment taking into account earnings, pension, savings and investments.
There are however some elements of support which will covered by the state including intermediate care or reablement for up to six weeks, community equipment such as bath seats and minor adaptations to the home.
Because of limited funding and to give themselves the choice of who provides their care many people have decided that they would prefer to take a direct payment from the Local Authority. By making this choice if it is available, you will be able to receive a payment instead of taking care from the council.
You can then use this funding to choose the care provider that you want to work with not just the one that the council selects.
All of this means that if you qualify for social care funding it is possible to top up your care package with a small additional payment to enable you to fund your care with Visiting Angels. If, however your financial assessment means that you do not qualify for funding at all, we are also able to introduce you to expert financial advisors locally who can help you to pay for your care needs.