Frequently asked questions

It is normnal practice for service users to meet or speak to their prospective carer when they have been matched. However there may be situations such as in an emergency, where this may not be possible. We always seek the active input of service users or their families in matching our clients to a suitable care support worker.

We ask our service users to provide a private room with basic bedroom furniture for the carers' exclusive use. We also ask for a small working Television to be made available in the carers's room, as well as use of WiFi where this is available within the household. We ask for a set of clean bedding which the carer will clean and maintain. The carers will also require use of the household kitchen and laundry facilities. The carer will expect a small weekly allowance for their own food provision, usually £30 per week. We also ask that a telephone be provided for use in caring for the client.

Saint Catherine's Care operates with the provisions of the Oxford Health Shared Care Protocols to ensure that people with various health needs can be cared for at home by specilist trained care support worker. The care provided is led by an Oxford Health Registered Nurse who designs and monitors the health assistance provided by the care support worker. This enables individuals to avoid extensive hospital or rehab bed stays. Our carers can support individuals with a range of health needs including: Dementia Post-operative needs Communication needs Sensory impairement eg loss of sight or hearing Dysphagia Stroke Cancer recovery care Palliative care End of life careEpilepsy Multiple Sclerosis Stroke Acquired Brain injury Mental Health conditions Motor Neuron Disease Parkinsons Huntington's disease Other Neurological conditions Paraplegia Quadraplegia Cardiology related conditions Respiratory conditions including COPD, tracheostomy and ventilation

We understand how important trust is, especially when admitting someone into your home, to undertake very intimate tasks. We acknowledge that being in need of care and support comes with a level of anxiety as people become reliant on others for their wellbeing. We understand that it is also quite difficult, often, to accept care or assistance from people as people with care needs often do not want to be seen as a burden. Afterall, you've managed by yourself for so long so accepting help can feel undermining. Therefore we know how important it is that the person giving you help and assistance is someone you can trust. They need to be competent, friendly, honest, and caring. We have built these values into the core of our practice. This is why we specially hand pick our carer workers to match these values and in addition, pass through our stringent checks and vetting process. These include: Full enhanced DBS disclosure References from previous social care employers Further references from professional acquaintances 2 identity documents and proofs of address Certificate of good character for foreign citizens Right to work in the UK check We also check our staff's full employment history dating back to 10years. They must also pass through 6 months of probationary period. We also check that the person matches our core values and have specialist 6th sense given our experience to screen our staff ensuring they are likely to meet our clients expectations. Quite frankly, unless they would be good enough to. care for our own families, we don't assign them to care for our clients.

The cost of a live in package depends on the assessed need of the individual. Our Standard Live in Care Package starts at £905 per week. This package suits most service users who are mobile but require assistance with personal care, general upkeep , and maintaining home safety. Service users will also need support of the care workers for companionship and minimal supervisory input to keep safe and well. This package also includes overnight assistance upto 1-2 times overnight where each overnight support session is 30 minutes or less. This package is also recommended for service users in recovery after hospital stay or surgery. The Intermediate Package starts from £960 per week. It is recommended for service requiring: More specialised personal care, including help with a stoma, peg or catheter More frequent night-time care, up to 3-4 times a night where each session is less that 30minutes. Hoisting - provided it can be done by one person Help with mild challenging behaviour. The Advanced Live-In Package is suited for service users where round the clock monitoring is required due to advanced health or care needs. This may be due to complex care where the client requires significant overnight care, or repeated need for hoisted moving and handling where it is assessed as requiring 2 trained carers. Often in these circumstances, it is is more cost effective to have 2 care workers on site at all times for the client's convenience and safety. The Advanced package starts from £1750 which includes support from 2 live in carers.

We currently accept payment by cheque or bank transfer. We are working on credit and debit card payments to make these available in the near future. Cheques are to made payeable to Saint Catherine's Care Ltd. The details for bankl transfer is outlined in the invoice or purchase order. Alternatives, please contact our office where an administrtator will be happy to assist you.