SCH48. Day Trips and Outings for People Living in Care Homes
{{org_field_logo}}
{{org_field_name}}
Day Trips and Outings for People Living in Care Homes Policy
Policy Statement
This policy sets out the values, principles and key procedures in relation to the organisation of people’s day trips and activities outside of the home.
It is the policy of {{org_field_name}} that staff should take every available opportunity to support people living in the home who want to involve themselves in activities outside of the home, thus maintaining their independence, interests and links with the wider community and their families and friends.
This service recognises the importance of day trips and outings to people’s wellbeing, and that they are a vital part of the care service. The service has a designated lead for outside activities.
[Indicate who this is — depending on the size and type of your service it could be a resident or staff Champion, activities or lifestyle co-ordinator, a manager with specific responsibilities, or even a social committee.]
Activities will be arranged to support each person’s independent wants, wishes and needs and no one should be forced to attend an activity or trip that they do not want to be part of.
Types of Day Trip
Trips take three main forms.
Individual or small-group trips
These may be with a single member of staff as an escort, or with family or friends. Sometimes such trips can take the form of several people who live here deciding that they want to go out together.
Regular activities
Regular activities are run by the home to which people are asked to sign up if interested.
Group trips
The service recognises that larger group activities and excursions are at risk of being less person-centred and having an institutional feeling and appearance.
In general, individual day trips are preferred to larger group outings as the home is keen to support people’s individual preferences and needs wherever possible. The home is particularly keen to support people to maintain links with their family and friends and to fulfil their spiritual and cultural needs.
Note:
How a service approaches excursions really does depend on the size of the service and the needs of the people living there. The below are examples for different kinds of services.
Example for a large care home for older people.
However, the home also recognises that due to its large size it is likely that people will meet fellow residents who share similar hobbies and interests and will form friendship groups.
Therefore, the home supports the arrangement of group trips in line with people’s interests such as to shows, to the theatre, to dances, to the seaside, etc. A group trip can range from just a few people to a larger group according to interest in the event planned.
For a smaller service for younger adults with learning disabilities, who are largely independent with decision making.
However, the home also recognises that due to its small size, people living here may become friendly and independently request a home excursion. If so, the planning process will ensure that everyone’s needs and wishes are considered. Any trip arranged for the group will be fully accessible for the whole group.
Planning
When planning a day trip, staff should carry out a risk assessment, and:
• consider accessibility issues for people with disabilities; these may include:
a) physical access at the destination
b) getting around at the destination
c) sensory requirements, such as hearing loops for residents with hearing difficulties
d) availability of disabled toilet/Changing Places facilities
e) medication needs
f) need for rest
• arrange for appropriate dietary requirements
• arrange appropriate transport
• assess any risks to individuals or to the group and how they will be managed.
Staff should arrange for an adequate number of escorts for any day trip, including staff, volunteers and other helpers. Staffing levels should reflect the people’s dependence on staff, their ongoing care needs, any manual handling requirements and first-aid cover.
Staff should contact the destination as part of the planning process and discuss any special needs or access arrangements.
Plans should be made with {{org_field_name}} manager so that staff cover can be arranged and any necessary transport/medication/equipment/food arrangements made.
All arrangements should be fully discussed with the people going on the trip, or their representatives, and their consent be obtained.
Staff in the home are responsible for ensuring that people are prepared for their day trip in a timely manner and that appropriate arrangements have been made so they can enjoy their day without worry or concern.
Escorts
Staff or volunteers on escort duties should be provided with a mobile phone loaded with the number of the home in case of emergencies.
Where a single member of staff is escorting a person or people on an outing it must be remembered that they are functioning as a lone worker. They should be appropriately experienced and supported in line with the lone working policy.
Staff selected for escort duty should be competent to fulfil the role. They should know the person they are escorting and be fully aware of their care needs including any special needs or requirements.
Safety, the provision of effective care to meet the person’s needs, and good communication between all parties should be considered at all times before and during the escort period.
All care provided while on a day trip, as with care provided in the home, should be intended to support the person’s independence, dignity and choice.
Destinations
People should be encouraged to choose their own destinations or staff can notice a person’s interests and encourage them to think about day trips. For instance, a person might be interested in flowers and may consider a trip to local gardens or garden centres.
Where people are from the same locality as the home they should be enabled to continue contacts they have made previously in the community.
The home should maintain a knowledge bank of local facilities and resources as well as destinations and attractions further afield.
The home should develop and maintain its own links with local attractions and days out resources.
Spontaneous Trips
[Describe the service’s arrangements here, if applicable.]
Note:
Spontaneous ideas for trips should be supported wherever possible, but most day trips require some planning and arrangement because of staffing requirements.
Services should address the issue and support spontaneity as much as they feasibly can, particularly services where people’s care is already one (or more) to one, and so staffing is less of an issue — for example, by making a directory of known local attractions that are already risk assessed, known to be accessible and don’t require booking (or can be booked at short notice), as relevant for the people you support — eg parks, going out for meals and drinks locally, leisure centres, libraries, tourist spots, going on bus or train rides, etc.
Note:
Many people enjoy going out spontaneously and staff should be aware of this as a potentially unmet need for people in care homes who can’t communicate their frustrations. If this is relevant to your service, ensure you have addressed this potential need elsewhere — eg, a service for people with dementia might have carefully planned indoor spaces and accessible grounds which would give someone walking round the sense of having “been somewhere”.
Training
All staff will be offered training covering basic information about escort duties and the support of social activities. Staff on escort duty when away from the home should be trained in aspects of assessing risks, personal safety and security, especially those who may function as a lone worker.
Responsible Person: {{org_field_registered_manager_first_name}} {{org_field_registered_manager_last_name}}
Reviewed on: {{last_update_date}}
Next review date: this policy is reviewed annually (every 12 months). When needed, this policy is also updated in response to changes in legislation, regulation, best practices, or organisational changes.
Copyright ©2024 {{org_field_name}}. All rights reserved