Guide #3: Creating a Staff Guide for your Supported Living Service

Having staff who carry out your services is at the core of your Supported Living business’s success.   Creating a guide for your supported living service involves several key steps. Below is a comprehensive outline to help your staff understand what you do and complete the guide effectively:

1. Introduction
   • Service Overview: Staff should be able to confidently talk about the organisation and what it is that you do. Start your guide by providing a brief description of your supported living service(s), including its mission, vision, and values. These should be embedded into all of your per
   • Purpose of the Guide: Explain the purpose of the guide and how it will help service users, their families, and staff. Staff should understand that a guide or operating procedure will help them deliver consistent and quality care and support. This doesn’t replace the policies and procedures. Instead it complements it and helps them understand the ‘why’.
2. Eligibility Criteria
   • Eligibility should be discussed with staff as well as exclusions. This will help to avoid lengthy processes when support needs can’t be met. Detail the criteria required for someone to be eligible for your supported living services.
   • Include any assessments or referrals needed for people to come into the service. This should be clear to all staff even if they aren’t responsible for managing assessments and referrals. They are your front line and will likely take enquiries from officers, social workers and family looking to make placements.
3. Admission Process
   • Application Process: Staff need to be able to signpost people to any application process you have. This may be an internal process or signposting them back to the local authority.  Outline the steps for applying, including necessary documentation and links. This prevents people being sent around the organisation looking for answers.
   • Assessment: Explain how you assess applicants’ needs. Staff need to understand how an assessment works in order to deliver on the care and support plans for service users.
   • Service Agreement: This is often overlooking or something that is done at head office but front line support staff need to be aware of the service agreement and potential breaches. Describe what is included in the service agreement, such as terms and conditions and explain how they need to incorporate this into their care and support plan.
4. Services Offered
   • Types of Support: List the types of support provided (e.g., personal care, specialist support such as dual diagnosis, tenancy sustainment or housing support, health or clinical services).
   • Individual Care and Support Plans: Explain how you develop and implement personalised care and support plans for each service user. If possible involve support workers in the development of these plans. They will be keeping them updating and making changes to the care and support as required.
   • Staff Support: Core care is important as it keeps both service users and the staff safe. So it is good for staff to understand the staffing levels needed across the week and the types of staff available (e.g., carers, nurses, therapists) and how they individual assist service users.
5. Rights and Responsibilities
   • Service User Rights: Staff need to ensure that they protect the rights and dignity of the service users they’re responsible for. It is easy to slip into treating service users as children as opposed to adults no matter what level of mental capacity a person has. The guide needs to highlight the rights of service users, such as the right to privacy, dignity, and choice.
   • Responsibilities of Service Users: The guide should include expectations for behavior and cooperation with the service. This will need to be explained at the beginning of the service but some service users will need to be reminded.  This is important where there are communal or shared spaces.
   • Responsibilities of the Service: This is best using I and We statements. Staff need to detail what your service commits to providing and maintaining. Families will sometimes expect staff to address issues which aren’t related to care and support e.g. repairs. Whilst staff have some responsibility to support service users in reporting and chasing these the landlord is responsible.
6. Daily Living Arrangements
   • Accommodation: Whether self-contained or shared the accommodation is a vital part of the service. Describe the living arrangements, including room layouts, communal areas, and any amenities.
   • House Rules: Supported living will vary on this as most will have a tenancy. Your guide should include rules regarding visitors, quiet hours, and communal living expectations. There may be a rota for cleaning for example.
   • Meals and Nutrition: The majority of Supported Living will promote service users managing their own meal budgets and preparation but some may require additional support, prompting or skills training to live independently. Depending on the service it will be necessary to explain how meals are provided, ensure that dietary and cultural needs are taken into consideration and that mealtimes are clear if these are communal. This should be clear in the care and support plan.
7. Health and Safety
   • Emergency Procedures: Staff need to know what to do if there are any emergencies and know what the rules are for managing individual and group safety. Your guide must outline what to do in case of emergencies (e.g., fire, medical emergencies). This should be reiterated at the front of all documents such as care and support plans as well.
   • Health Services: Some services will have very specific instructions if there is a medical issue. Describe how health services are accessed, including Dentist, GP and emergency care.
   • Medication Management: Explain the process for managing and administering medications. Regulated services will have a medication policy and all staff will have undergone medication training even if they aren’t managing the process. However this should be explained throughout your guide and reiterated in your care and support plans.
8. Financial Information
   • Costs and Fees: Managers should be aware of the care costs associated with each service agreement as they will need to plan for hours of support and flexi hours out in the community. Provide details on the costs associated with your services, including any additional charges.
   • Funding Options: Some service users may access additional services that aren’t provided for by your organisation. Staff should be able to sign post service users to these services. Staff will also be supporting service users in maximising their benefits. Discuss potential funding sources or benefits that may cover service costs.
   • Handling Finances: The risk of financial abuse is very high in the care and support industry. It is important to be vigilant as this may be family or friends who take advantage of them. Staff need to ensure that they account for all money spent by or for the service user. Explain how finances are managed, especially if your service handles service users’ money. This is known as appointeeship.
9. Complaints and Feedback
   • Complaint Procedure: The complaints procedure should be well publicised to all stakeholders involved with the service. Staff should be able to sign post anyone to the complaints process. Outline the steps to take if someone has a complaint about your service. Service users may need to be supported to make a complaint.
   • Feedback Mechanism: Staff will need to be aware of how feedback will be given on the service. Provide ways for service users and their families to give feedback, such as surveys or suggestion boxes. This should be easily accessible and regular enough to be meaningful.
10. Termination of Service
    • Exit Process: Detail the process for ending the service, whether it’s by choice, natural move on or due to other factors. Ensure that your guide manages the engagement with all stakeholders during this period.
    • Notice Periods: Explain the required notice periods for terminating the service agreement. This will need to be clearly communicated with all stakeholders and any moves managed with the least disruption possible.
    • Transition Support: Change is a difficult time for service users and their family so you can anticipate that there will be challenges. Your guide should describe any support provided for transitioning to a new service or independent living. This may include a staggered transition and working with other organisations to mitigate any anxieties during this period.
11. Contact Information
    • Service Contact Details: Include phone numbers, emails, and addresses for key contacts within your service.
    • External Support Services: Provide contacts for external organisations that might assist service users, such as advocacy groups or social services.
    • Emergency Services: Provide phone numbers for emergency services including family / friends.
12. Appendices
    • Forms and Templates: Include any relevant forms, such as application forms, Health and safety policies, complaints forms, service agreements, or consent forms.
    • Additional Resources: Attach any extra resources that might be useful, like brochures or informational pamphlets. e.g. A list of local opportunities is handy to have for staff for them to share with service users.
13. Review and Updates
    • Updating the Guide: Explain how and when the guide will be reviewed and updated. The recommendation is annually or when there is a legislative change to ensure that it is adequately updated.
    • Version Control: Please include a section indicating the version of the guide and the date it was last updated. This will help track any necessary changes. A guide controller should also be assigned so that a responsible person keeps this updated.

Tips for Filling the Guide:
Assume the staff member reading the guide has not worked at this service before and is covering. (This could be agency staff or staff from another one of your services)

• Use Clear Language: Ensure that the information is accessible to all readers, avoiding jargon or overly complex terms. An easy read format should be available if you choose to share this with service users
• Be Comprehensive but Concise: Provide all necessary details without overwhelming the reader with too much information. Important information should be at the top of documents for ease of accessibility. We recommend a front page in big font with the key pertinent information to avoid human error.
• Involve Stakeholders: Co-production and co-design of guides is a good way of ensuring that the guide is remembered and actively used. Get input from service users, staff, and families to ensure the guide meets everyone’s needs.
• Ensure Compliance: Make sure the guide aligns with relevant regulations, legislation and standards for supported living services in your area.

This guide can be tailored to the specific needs of your supported living service as well as your organisation, ensuring that it serves as a useful resource for everyone involved.

© Caretilt 2024