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Code of Conduct
Our care homes are the places where many staff work to deliver care and life enrichment and where there are many visiting professionals who support the staff and residents. Most importantly however, they are homes to our residents who should be able to enjoy a peaceful and comfortable stay with us. For these reasons, it is essential that all who enter one of our care homes, whether that be residents, their relatives or other visitors, comply with this Code of Conduct which is in place for the benefit of all.
Although we hope never to be in this position, failure by you, your relatives or your visitors to comply with any aspect of this Code of Conduct could sadly jeopardise your placement, which may lead to the service of notice to terminate your placement in accordance with our Resident Contract Terms.
This Code of Conduct may be amended from time to time without notice and the applicable provisions will be in the most recent revisions.
The Code
- The care home or hospital in which you live (or are temporarily residing in on a respite basis) is also the home for many other residents. It is necessary, therefore, for you, your relatives and your visitors to behave with courtesy, respect and consideration for others at all times.
- Our care homes are also the workplace for our staff members who are entitled to work in a safe and pleasant environment. Any threats against or animosity towards them – whether verbal, physical, actual or implied – will be taken seriously and will not be tolerated. We will also not tolerate derogatory and/or abusive comments towards our staff members, or a refusal to engage with them owing to their gender, race, ethnicity, religion, disability or their physical appearance.
- Other residents, their relatives and their visitors are entitled to privacy and confidentiality and it is essential that we have an atmosphere of trust within our care homes. You, your relatives and your visitors must respect that privacy and confidentiality. You, your relatives and your visitors must refrain from making images (e.g. photographs or videos) or recordings (on your mobile phone or any other recording device) by which another resident, relative, visitor or staff member may be identified, unless you have sought their explicit, freely-given consent to doing so.
- You, your relatives and your visitors must comply with our mandatory policies, for example in respect of infection control, the use of recording or surveillance equipment, social media etc.
- Visiting hours are typically between 9:00hrs and 21:00hrs daily, however such times are illustrative only and are ultimately at the discretion of the General Manager. This is to ensure that all residents are able to rise and get prepared for their day with dignity and are settled and are able to enjoy a peaceful night. Where extended hours are required, these should be requested through the General Manager for consideration and will usually be supported, particularly at the end stages of life. Please note, in the event of a contagious illness, or outbreak of an infectious disease within the care home, visiting may be restricted or suspended for an undefined period for infection control purposes until the home determines it is safe to recommence visiting or the care home is directed to do so by the relevant public health authority.
- Whilst we encourage you to enjoy food and drinks brought in by your relatives and visitors, it is essential for your safety that your visitors understand your dietary requirements by firstly asking staff whether there are any restrictions on the items of food or drink they wish to bring in for you, for example because of a choking, allergy or other risk of which they may not be aware. If your relatives or visitors do bring in items which are unsuitable for you, unfortunately we will not be able to provide you with these and those items may be returned to your relatives or visitors or disposed of for safety and hygiene purposes.
- Staff hold your dignity in high regard and, as such, when staff are delivering personal care to you, your relatives and other visitors will be asked to leave the room until personal care is completed in order to protect this. This request must be respected by your relatives and visitors unless you have given permission to stay. Please remember that our staff are always on hand to help you, even when you have visitors, and should you require assistance during a visit, you or your relatives or visitors should always ask a member staff for help.
- Your relatives and visitors may not attend the home when under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
- Neither you nor your relatives or visitors may give gifts to individual care staff without the prior permission of the General Manager. You must also be aware that staff are not able to sign or witness any personal or legal documentation.
- While you may have an expectation that your relatives and friends may visit you, this expectation needs to be balanced against the rights of others (for example, for residents to feel comfortable in their home, or for staff to be feel comfortable in their place of work). As such, sadly, there may be times when a relative or visitor may have to be excluded or restricted where they have breached this Code of Conduct, to the extent that this is necessary to protect the safety or well-being of any other individual. Where you or a close relative or other significant person in your life wishes to appeal this, you/they should speak to the General Manager, who will discuss this with you.
- While we strive continually to improve our services and welcome indications of where our services can be improved, there are occasions where due to the nature and intensity of concerns, the channels through which they are raised/any other factors, this will lead us to the assumption that you or your representatives have lost trust and confidence in the service we are providing. In such cases, if we feel we cannot confidently continue to provide care to you, we may ask – both for your benefit, and ours – that the placement is terminated.