The challenge
Reed was commissioned through a local authority to source a team of carers who can provide support and care to a child with autism, visual stress, and other medical conditions. These circumstances regularly cause the individual to have migraines, headaches, light sensitivity, and episodes of vomiting, which can be restricting and debilitating.
The individual’s mother has also been diagnosed with autism and mental health issues which has resulted in the family needing intervention through health and social care. The family needed personal support with their daily activities to ensure their safety, wellbeing and both emotional and practical support with the child attending school.
One of the difficulties our recruitment specialists faced was sourcing a skilled workforce of carers who were able to support a child with autism, visual stress, and hypermobility. The carers would also need to deal with the individual's personal care and be capable of implementing a structured routine.
I would highly recommend Reed as a service. The support from the frontline has been outstanding, nothing is ever too much and having that support means so much to us.
The solution
The team began by co-producing a personal care plan with the service user and their parents. This plan aimed to support all the individual’s elements of care, including communication preferences, defining their likes and dislikes, and creating a positive handling plan.
The plan also encompassed goals that supported the individual’s life aspirations and choices and implemented regular reviews to ensure the family and service user were safe and their needs were met.
Once the plan was in place, Reed’s community care specialists began the process of sourcing skilled carers who could deliver it. When identifying a team, they had to make sure the professionals had previous experience in working with children and families. They also needed to commit to regular shifts so the service user could build trusted relationships with them, and ensure they felt comfortable in providing thorough feedback and updating records.
Throughout the process, the team involved the family by inviting them to assist with the selection process of the carers, while also engaging with the MDT and the family to set up regular communication. This allowed them to share appropriate issues, respond quickly to any changing needs, and support them in managing processes and risk assessments.
The results
Reed’s community care specialists have successfully provided care and support for the individual, meaning they can:
Be safe and well in their own home
Maintain personal care and hygiene to a high standard
Reassure the family that support is always available to them
Be able to realise their learning and development potential
Partake in the fun hobbies and tasks safely
Have access to support programmes that are responsive to their needs, such as routines and independent skills
By having a team of skilled carers who regularly support and care for the individual and make tailored decisions with the service user and their family in mind, the individual can now live in their own home and have access to the resources and support they require to live an independent and fulfilling life.
The service users’ mother was pleased with the service, saying: “I would highly recommend Reed as a service. The support from the frontline has been outstanding, nothing is ever too much and having that support means so much to us.”
