When Covid-19 emerged, Visiting Angels Oxford acted quickly. Our priority was to provide safe Covid-19 home care in Oxford for every client we served. Before official government guidance arrived, we had already taken action.
Our Covid-19 Home Care Oxford Response
Our team contacted every caregiver immediately to provide updates on the virus. We delivered specific additional training focused on Covid-19 infection control. In addition, we sent detailed guidance to all staff on the importance of hand hygiene. Furthermore, we distributed additional protective equipment and hand sanitiser to the whole team.
Any caregiver with symptoms was required to self-isolate. Staff also reported any contact with a confirmed case to us straight away.
Maintaining Infection Control Standards
Visiting Angels Oxford has always maintained rigorous infection control procedures. During the pandemic, we strengthened these further with targeted training for every carer. As a result, our team continued to deliver care to the highest standards of hygiene and cleanliness.
We kept the team updated using the most reliable sources available — including the NHS and Public Health England. This ongoing communication helped promote good hygiene across all working practices. It also ensured everyone understood the steps to take if a client or staff member developed symptoms.
Prioritising Client Visits
Government guidance recommended that some clients self-isolate. Our team reviewed all client visits and prioritised those considered essential. In some cases, we sent a different caregiver or adjusted visit times and durations. We communicated all changes clearly so families could plan ahead.
Many clients felt understandably worried by media coverage. However, many of our clients already had limited social contact — which kept their exposure risk relatively low. Combined with our strict hygiene protocols, this helped keep everyone as safe as possible throughout the pandemic.
Looking After Our Carers
At Visiting Angels Oxford, we believe that caring for our carers matters just as much as caring for our clients. We paid full sick pay to any caregiver who needed to self-isolate. This meant no carer felt financial pressure to work when unwell. Instead, every member of the team could follow self-isolation guidance without anxiety.
Throughout the pandemic, we also worked to expand our capacity. Our goal was to provide the additional community support that Oxford families needed during an exceptionally difficult time.
To find out more about our current services, visit our Oxford home care page. You can also enquire about a free care assessment.
