5 to dos for Caregivers during COVID-19 Crisis

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Everyone throughout the entire country is potentially at risk of catching the COVID-19 virus. So it’s essential for all of us to understand how to keep ourselves, and our loved ones, safe. But this is even more important for support workers, who are looking after some of the most vulnerable members of society. So we’ve put together a list of five things every support worker needs to be aware of during these uncertain times.

1. Wash your hands

Yes, we know it’s been said repeatedly, but this is such an important point that it simply can’t be overstated. We’re most likely to pass on the virus through physical contact, so washing hands frequently, for at least two minutes at a time, is the single best preventative measure against its spread.

2. Clean your phone regularly

Whether you’re looking out for care home jobs for learning disabilities in Basingstoke, or you’re just scrolling through the latest news reports, or even chatting with friends and family, the chances are it’s happening on your mobile handset. We’re all relying on our phones more than ever before during lockdown and social distancing.

Yet although we can be scrupulous about cleaning our hands and surfaces that we’ve touched, the majority of us neglect to disinfect our mobile phones and tablets regularly. But they’re potential hot-spots for viruses and bacteria to thrive, so clean your mobile regularly, as well as any physical telephone handsets in use.

3. Tell service users as much as is appropriate

The age and capacity of your individual service users should determine how much information you pass on about the coronavirus pandemic. Many people living with the advanced stages of dementia, or with severe learning disabilities, for example, may not understand the concept of staying at home to stay safe.

It’s important not to frighten anyone with information that they’re unable to process fully. Yet most service users will be aware that life is in some way different from usual. So think before you speak, and plan in advance how you’ll approach the subject of coronavirus.

4. Keep boredom at bay

Boredom is a tiresome state for any of us, but for those with autism or learning difficulties, it can be particularly challenging. So plan lots of activities, as well as some quiet pursuits that encourage calm and relaxation.

5. Make time for yourself

It can be all too easy to neglect your own personal needs during times of crisis. But burning out won’t do you, or the people who depend on you, any favours. So take time to relax and unwind away from work. Whether that’s spending time chilling out in front of the TV, or treating yourself to a takeaway, remember that you need to be kind to yourself. The more relaxed and calm that you are, the better you will be able to support others during your working hours.

Liaise Loddon – The Place Where You Can Find Rewarding Careers

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The experts say that COVID-19 will change our lives forever, even when the virus is defeated. Care work in Basingstoke is more important ever right now, which is not going to change in the future. Do you have what it takes to be a support worker in Basingstoke with Liaise Loddon?

Who will you be looking after?

Our service users have severe learning disabilities  and autism, but we always remember that they are also brothers and sisters, sons and daughters, friends and neighbours. Some of our service users have other medical issues, such as epilepsy, so we will also teach you how to support people with these needs. We currently support 49 people in our homes and are proud of the support we provide.

We aim to help our service users to live rich and fulfilling lives within their communities and to play to their individual strengths; in short, we want our  service users to reach their full potential.

Where will you work?

We have a number of small care homes in and around the Basingstoke and Romsey areas, with the emphasis on homes. We don’t run large institutions – our homes really are homes where a few people can live together in a supportive and friendly environment. Some are self-contained flats; others are shared houses.

What’s in it for you?

We ensure that all our co-workers are suitably qualified, which means getting a mandatory care certificate. As part of our ongoing learning and development programme, we will support you in getting this if you are new to a caring career. We provide training by way of classroom training, online training and one-to-one support.

In addition to the opportunity for ongoing career development, we offer an employee assistance programme, an occupational health service, sick pay (dependant on your length of service), shared parental leave, emergency dependants’ leave, and adoption leave.

We have been awarded the Investors in People accreditation, which is the international standard for people management. We think it is important that our people know what is going on, which is why we publish a weekly newsletter. We also hold two internal conferences every year, which many of our people attend. We use these conferences to share our business objectives and ask our colleagues to help us to develop these and to continually deliver our superb support.

In addition, we run an annual co-worker survey. Combined with regular conversations with your manager, this enables you to provide us with feedback to help us work together in a cycle of continuous improvement.

We also offer an excellent benefits package for our co-workers, which includes a good pension scheme, seven weeks’ holiday (including bank holidays) pro-rata, a refer a friend scheme, and an annual awards night where we can dress up and celebrate our successes.

If this sounds like something you would like to be part of, contact us for further information.

Intensive Interaction and Challenging Behaviour – A case study

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The following is a case study of a female client, SA, who has diagnosis of severe learning disabilities, autism and associated communication difficulties. SA is non-verbal and communicates through objects of reference, body language and challenging behaviour, in form of self injury behaviour or aggression to others. Some of the challenging behaviours include banging her head, biting and scratching areas of her body, hitting, biting and hair pulling and or head butting others.   A pattern emerged over time where the reduction in one form of self injury behaviour was often replaced by other high risk behaviours (e.g. acrobatics).  SA experiences periods of extremely distressed and unsettled behaviour- defined as amber and red arousal states. These periods last from few hours to couple of days, followed by period of time when SA is settled.

At times over the last twelve years these periods would sustain for up to several months, with little respite from her distress.  Numerous investigations into possible underlying health issues were undertaken but no problems were ever identified which would explain the situation.  The close supervision often needed to support SA in all her activities e.g. personal care, eating and drinking, and bathing after frequent smearing behaviour meant that she experienced regular demands throughout the day, that resulted in challenging behaviour that subsequently reduced the opportunities for positive staff interactions.

Despite these challenging episodes, SA is still very sociable, and one of her strengths is her ability to develop close and lasting relationships with co-workers.  Close contact with and support from co-workers is extremely important to SA but during extended periods of challenging behaviour these relationships came under severe stress.  Despite these challenges, the whole team of co-workers would persevere in working with her, and try to work out why SA was feeling so distressed.

In June 2015, SA presentation suddenly deteriorated, where she exhibited high level of self injury behaviour (biting self and banging head on hard surfaces) and aggression directed to others. Due to high frequency and severity of presented behaviours she was referred to Learning Disability Team and Intensive Support Team. Both teams, carried extensive work (functional assessment of challenging behaviour including observation, staff systematic sessions, communication assessment and medical investigations, including dental treatment, blood test undertaken under general anaesthetic) to find causes of sudden onset of the self injury behaviour. No new information about the causes or functions of SA’s stressed behaviours was identified during this process, although it was already understood that her stress was linked to communication needs, attention and interaction.

New strategies were implemented by the positive support co-ordinator and teams at the home to reduce level of SA’s anxiety such as: small circle of support (only few co-workers were supporting SA), changes in the environment (she moved from main building, which she shared with 5 other service users, to annex in the garden).  In addition medical interventions (Olanzapine) were applied. New strategies reduced SA self injury behaviour but aggression directed to others remains on the same level.

The change of living area for SA was accompanied by a reduction in the SIB as she was able to spend time away from noisy and unpredictable environments, but her stress remained high whenever she saw non-preferred co-workers.

During this period, work was also done by the teams to identify the key characteristics of the co-workers that SA would accept, which included a calm, quiet demeanour and an ability to support SA at her own pace and without a perception of demands.  Being highly responsive and supporting SA to take the lead proved a successful approach when carried out by this small team, and challenging behaviours gradually reduced.

Small circle of co-workers, who worked with SA over last 18 months. From left: Alex, Emma, Katy, Zoe, Lorraine (behind), Diana, Maria and Emma B (not at the picture)

In May 2016, co-workers received extensive Intensive Interaction training from Mr Jules McKim from Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust.  The aim of training was to encourage staff to interact at an appropriate developmental level for SA, and to demonstrate to SA that interactions are not all demands based, and provide her with opportunities to learn fundamental communication skills and enjoy her time with others.

After the intensive interaction training, there were three scheduled follow-up meeting with Mr McKim, where co-workers was able to reflect and discuss what was working. Intensive Interaction session recording forms and videos of SA and co-workers were available for review and discussion, where different intensive interactions techniques were discussed. During second meeting in December 2016, co-workers reported that interactions with SA were ‘amazing’ and SA is more seeking out face to face contact and interactions. At this time SA was still supported by a small core team of female co-workers with whom she had close and trusting relationships, but would also by now seek out and accept support from less preferred co-workers in the wider teams. The last follow-up meeting took place in February 2017, where co-workers again shared their experiences and how they felt about intensive interactions. Here are few quotes from the session and Intensive interaction session recording forms:

‘I am happy that I and SA had a good session… that SA led the session.’

‘Really happy and proud that SA was laughing and looked so relaxed’

Katy

‘Staff were happy as she allowed them to interact with her…even for the staff she targets.’

Maria

‘I felt happy seeing her calm and change in her behaviour’

Lorraine

Since co-workers have been using the Intensive Interactions approach, SA learned that interactions did not have to be based on demands and she gained control over interactions and to a lesser extent, the environment. Currently she presents herself in calm and settled mood with occasional days where is more anxious, but level of challenging behaviour directed at others is much less frequent and severe.

Figure 1, shows SA’s arousal level from June 2015 to April 2017. Amber arousal level- unsettled, anxious not able participate in offered activities, red arousal level- distressed, highly anxious.

Katarzyna Kowalska

Positive Support Coordinator

The new homes at Oakley are currently being modernised and updated to the high level standards that we expect in all of our homes

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5 Kennet5 Kennet rear

They are smaller than normal homes and are bungalows ideal for one or two people depending on needs.

We were told about them by Dave and Andy, our usual builders, and one of the attractions was that they are adjacent to each other and it is rare that the opportunity to purchase two properties like this arises.

The other attraction was that one was empty and the other had a tenant whose lease was ending and so this made the purchasing process easier – although it never seems to be as smooth as you think it should be.

Almost inevitably though any new property requires some alteration and refurbishment to bring it up to the standard to give the right environment for the people who will be living there. Windows often do not meet the required safety standard and the kitchen, flooring, heating and electrics need improving. For these properties we are replacing windows and doors, kitchens and boilers.

In one, we are installing a second bathroom which meant altering drainage to suit. Both will also have nearly all new flooring too. The windows will have integral blinds to give better privacy and remove the need for curtains.

We need to make the properties safe and installing fire doors and smoke detectors even though the properties will be staffed 24 hours per day.

We are also making improvements to the boundary fencing to improve security, so that the individuals living there can safely use the garden unaccompanied, and give some additional privacy. Initially there will be a low fence between the two rear gardens but in time we hope to be able to remove this to open the space up and provide a good area for everyone to get outside and share the space.

Both properties have garages and one is being converted to an office and the other a laundry room. There is on-site parking for both properties and with adequate other parking facilities nearby if required.

Fortunately we have already secured agreement for two new people to come to and live in these properties and hope to secure a third soon which would mean we will have filled the available places ahead of them being ready.

One person is going to have one of the bungalows to themselves so that they can have the space that they need to have a great live with us at Liaise. We are already starting the transition process for one of their new neighbours.

These new properties are being managed by Andy Key, who currently manages Baytrees, and recruitment is underway to have staff in place for when new people move in.

We are in the process of purchasing another property near Southampton and there will be more on that in the future.