Moving Into a Care Home (Scotland) Policy

Policy Statement

This policy sets out the values, principles and procedures, which underpin {{org_field_name}}’s approach to the referral and admission arrangements for a person moving into the home in line with the national health and social care standards set out in My Support, My Life, particularly statements made under Standard 5: “I experience a high-quality environment if the organisation provides the premises”.

It also helps to answer key question 1: “How well do we support people’s wellbeing?”, particularly 1.4: “People are getting the right service for them”, and key question 5: “How well is our care and support planned?” of the Quality Framework for Care Homes for Older People.

The home thinks that much of the success of a period of residence lies in making the correct decisions and taking appropriate action at the time of a person’s referral and admission. The policy therefore sets out the way in which the home handles referrals of new people to the home to make sure that everyone is satisfied that it will meet their needs. It then organises and manages the admission to give the new people to the home the best possible start to their life in the home.

The home must be satisfied that it has the capacity to meet the needs of any person who applies to move into the home before agreeing to an admission. It discusses this issue with the new people to the home and their relatives or social worker/care manager as appropriate. The home will decline to admit someone whose needs it cannot clearly meet and will always explain the reasons for any such decision to the person concerned and their representatives.

The home tries to avoid emergency admissions, but recognises that situations sometimes arise when rapid action is necessary. Then, the home will apply the procedures governing planned admissions — as described below — and gather and supply all necessary information as soon as practically possible.

Referrals

Referrals from social work and healthcare professionals

As a first step, we expect a social worker or care manager or someone occupying a similar post in a health or social services agency to contact the manager of the home informally if they wish to propose a placement for one of their clients.

The manager will give an immediate reaction on the vacancy position, timescales and so on, and if appropriate request formal details of the person using the services. The social worker (or referring professional) will then be expected to send us a full written needs assessment. We for our part will supply copies of the home’s statement of purpose and any other information requested.

A meeting with the new people to the home, preferably in the form of a visit accompanied by the care manager or by a relative or friend will then be arranged. If the person receiving care would like us to meet them in their own home or at another location, eg hospital, that can be arranged.

Referrals from new people to {{org_field_name}} or relatives (self-referrals)

Someone who intends to pay directly for their care might not have had a full assessment by a statutory agency. (However, sometimes a prospective self-funding person receiving care will have had a needs assessment with the person or their relatives then responsible for finding a place in a home.)

If there is no prior needs assessment, the home will arrange for one to be completed or for a qualified member to carry out a needs assessment equivalent to that provided for a local authority assisted funded person.

A key aim of the assessment is to make sure that the home is fully aware of the person’s needs and has the resources to meet them. The home will decide about admitting the person based on this assessment and a contract will then be discussed.

Before Moving In: Pre-admission and Trial Visits

We will give a person who applies to move into our home as full and honest an impression of the home as possible. They will have the chance to talk with the manager and other appropriate staff, to speak with the people receiving care, to take a meal with people, to view the house and grounds, and then to talk privately with their relative or representative.

We understand that they may be visiting more than one home and we want a person to make a positive choice to come to {{org_field_name}}.

{{org_field_name}} recognises that some new people to the home, when moving into the home from, say, a spell in hospital, might not be able to visit or stay in the home before they move in. In their cases, the home will try to visit the person and to provide as much information as practicably possible in a suitable format in line with their communication needs.

Moving In

If everyone is satisfied that an admission to {{org_field_name}} is the right step in the short or longer term, we will arrange for the person to move in. We recommend that they should be accompanied by a friend or representative on the day of admission.
On the day of moving in, if there is no relative or social service’s staff to help the person to move in, the home will appoint a member of staff to go to the person’s home or place of abode and collect them.
We will allocate staff at the appointed time to make the new person to the home welcome, to introduce them to other staff and people receiving care, to help them settle into their room providing whatever help is required, and to be a point of reference for any further information the person’s needs.
We will provide all possible help to make the new person to the home’s introduction to the home as comfortable an experience as possible, will introduce them gradually to the home’s policies and procedures, and will set in motion as soon as possible the drawing up of their personal plan.
On arrival at the home, the person will be welcomed warmly and shown to their room to unpack. They should be served refreshments there and the admitting member of staff should stay with them during this period.
The admitting member of staff will explain to the new person to the home a little about the home and its routines (eg what arrangements are in place for mealtimes, etc).
It is likely that the person will be anxious and apprehensive, and every effort will be made by the staff of the home to be reassuring and supportive. The admitting member of staff will make a point of finding out how the person receiving care would like to be addressed and communicate this to other staff.
The admitting member of staff will offer to show the person around the home but will not force them to do so if they do not wish to at this stage. The person might or might not want to join others at mealtimes immediately and arrangements will be made in line with their wishes.
Great care is taken by all staff during the first few days of any new person to the home’s residency to introduce themselves to the new person t the home and help them to settle in.

Trial Periods of Residence

Where it is agreed that the person will move in for a trial period, the following procedures apply.

Potential new people to the home who are interested in staying at the home but are undecided might be offered a trial period of residency of between four to six weeks or for a specified period agreed with the applicant or their representatives.
Terms and conditions of the “trial period” are agreed with the person and their representatives as appropriate.
Their “moving in” for their trial period will follow the procedures outlined above.

During the trial period, the following applies.

Any special needs will be addressed and the home will explain or demonstrate exactly how those needs will be met from day to day.
A full assessment of the person will be completed with social services and other professionals if involved.

At the end of the trial period, the following will take place.

A confidential case review will be arranged involving all key workers and including the person using services and their relatives and/or representatives or advocates.
The case review will assess the trial period and come to a decision on whether the person should be offered a place at the home or if the person wants a place at the home.
The case review will make any recommendations necessary as to further support required or outstanding needs to be met.

Training

All care staff receive training in line with their roles and responsibilities in the handling of referrals and admissions.

Responsible Person: {{org_field_registered_manager_first_name}} {{org_field_registered_manager_last_name}}

Reviewed on: {{last_update_date}}

Next Review Date: {{next_review_date}}

SCH161. Moving Into a Care Home