Frequently Asked Questions

• Our Services
• Details of how we provide care
• Making changes
• About our carers
• Financial questions
• Any complaints
• Our professional registrations

SERVICES

What is Domiciliary Care?

• Home care is sometimes called domiciliary care or home help. It is when support workers visit people in their own homes to give them help and support. These support workers can help with your personal care needs, such as washing and getting dressed, practical tasks. See the section on our ‘Services’ for more detail.

What geographic area do you cover?

• We predominately cover Hampshire and the surroundings borders.  We have clients as far as the Berkshire border, West Surrey, the New Forest and West Sussex.  Our customer services team can give you accurate availability when you call.

My Mum/Dad/friend needs a little extra help but I’m not sure exactly what they need?

• We can do as much or as little as needed, it may be you only need ½ hour on a weekend, right through to 24 hour a day care and everything in between.  
• When you contact Nobilis, a highly trained member of our management team will arrange to come and have a chat and do a full assessment of your/their needs to identify an appropriate level of support.  The final care plan will be fully discussed and agreed by the family or individual.

What services do you offer?

• Whatever support you or a loved one might need in their home or local community we can provide it, be it a quick pop in to ensure they are O.K, getting them up, dressed, meals made, taking them shopping, right through to care for end of life and palliative clients, 24 hours a day if needed.  Look under ‘Services’ on the home page for full details.

Can the support worker take me out into town?

• Accessing the local community is a vital service we provide to many clients, this will be discussed and agreed with the Team Manager at the initial assessment if it is a service you wish us to provide.

How quickly can support be provided?

• At Nobilis we aim to have a support worker available within 48-hours of the initial enquiry being received. This will vary in certain cases, or can be delayed, if it suits your plans.

PROVISION OF CARE

What paper work I must complete to set up my care plan with you? I have the paperwork/care plan available from my existing care agency?

• We can certainly take into account previous paperwork but in order to give the best possible support and to ensure we have everything covered we need, we would complete a new care plan at the initial assessment

Will I still receive care on Bank Holidays?

• We provide care 365 days per year, if your scheduled care visit falls on a Bank Holiday of any kind, i.e xmas, New Year, May bank holiday, we will ensure you still receive your support  unless you tell us it is not required.

What if my support worker is ill or on holiday?

• If for any reason your regular support worker is on holiday or unwell, we will find a suitable replacement to attend to your needs. You will be informed of who this person is and when they should be arriving to be with you, where possible it will be somebody who has shadowed you in the past.

What if my support worker has not turned up?

• If you have not received your scheduled support worker at the arranged time, then please contact 0845 680 0225, it is advisable to wait 15 minutes after the scheduled time before calling to allow for heavy traffic on a particular day.  We will be able to look into why this has happened and try to locate the scheduled care worker for you, or arrange for a replacement support worker to attend to you.

Will the agreed time of my visits be the same everyday?

• Yes – in most cases your support is scheduled so it should be at the same time each day/week.  You will be sent a roster by post or electronically for the week ahead.  This details the time and the support worker you should expect.  Sometimes small changes have to be made after the rosters are sent out but you will be spoken to about any changes we have to make.  If timings are essential, please stress this in your initial assessment. 

My current provider is always sending me different carers, I never know who is coming – would you be different?

• We send you a roster for the week ahead which details the time and the support worker.  As a rule at the beginning of a support package we would introduce your main support worker then anybody else would shadow a call with you so they know your routine.

I want to go away on holiday; can I put my care on hold for a period of time?

• If you want to take a holiday, as long as you inform the customer services team of your intentions, they will be able to put your care on hold for you. This will need to reviewed monthly if you plan on being away for more than a month and perhaps a care review will need to be carried out on your return in case anything has changed
• We can also provide care for you while you are away, so why not talk to us about these services.

What if I need to speak to somebody when the office is closed?

• Outside of office hours 08:30-17:00 we have a dedicated OUT-OF-HOURS SUPPORT SERVICE which can be contacted on the usual number 0845 680 0225. This is an on-call person to deal with any issues that may arise.  We do ask that the out-of-hours service is used for Emergency use only.

What happens to my care package if I move home?

• If you decide to move home but are staying within a reachable area of a Nobilis team, we will continue caring for you within your new home. We predominately cover Hampshire and the surroundings borders, so it is quite possible that even if you move outside Hampshire you may still be able to continue to use our services.

I have a pet – is that a problem?

• No, but we would appreciate being informed beforehand, so that we can put in place appropriate support workers without allergies.

Is there any chance I may be left without care?

• No - we will always try to cover a call.  There have been occasions in the snow where support workers have had to walk to clients so timings in extreme conditions can go out of the window but critical calls are covered and we will be in close contact with you if there are any issues in proving your support.

CHANGES

What if I need more or less support in the future?

• We can increase or decrease the amount of support given in consultation with your Team Manager. Just give them a call and they can come and review your needs.  For clients who are not self funding, your Council Care Manager will need to review your package with us and agree any increase or decreases that need to be made.

What if I need to make changes to the care you are providing?

• We review your care package annually even if nothing changes but you can ask your Nobilis Team Manager at any time for a review of the support you receive.

If I need to change my hours on a one off basis how much notice do you need?

• 24 hours if possible but always call if there is a problem and we can try and work around it.  If you are cancelling a call, if you give less than 24 hours notice you will be charged for the call.

I need to cancel a visit or change the time of my visit

• If you need to cancel or change the time of your visit, we do ask that you give the office at least 24-hours notice prior to this happening, as calls cancelled with less than 24-hours notice can be chargeable. We will always try to accommodate your requests.

How much notice do you need if I wish to cease the support?

• We ask that you give 4 weeks notice.

What happens if I am unwell?

• If you are feeling unwell, your planned support worker may still be able to attend to you needs. If you become unwell during a time when your support worker is with you and are unable to call for medical assistance, your support worker will be able to do this for you. If you are required to visit you local G.P or attend hospital, our support workers may also be able to attend with you if you require them to do so.

CARERS

Are your care/support workers qualified?

• Many of our support workers and customer service staff have years of support experience, however all Nobilis support workers undergo a strict 2-week training program before being able to support any of our clients. After this initial training all support workers undergo a period of shadowing and introductions into new clients.  All employees are required to attend ongoing training sessions and continual reviews to ensure their quality of work is excellent at all times.

How do we know your staff are honest and safe to come into our home?

• Before we employ anybody they undergo an extensive recruitment procedure which includes reference checking and completion of an enhanced Criminal Records Bureau check.  Our support workers are also checked against the Protection of Vulnerable Adults (POVA) list.

How many support workers do you employ?

• 80 support workers are currently out supporting our clients in their own homes and out in the community.  We are growing all the time and are always trying to recruit the very best support workers.

How long have you been operating?

• Nobilis started operating in 2008.  Now in our fourth year and we are growing from strength to strength in terms of the services we offer and our dedicated team of support workers.

FINANCIAL QUESTIONS

How much do you charge per hour?

• We only employ well trained and motivated staff both as support workers and customer service staff, we know we provide quality care that can be relied on day in day out.  We charge £19.50 per hour, £15.75 for a 45 min call, £12.50 for a 30 min or less call. We also provide domestic support (shopping, cleaning, ironing etc) for £17.00 per hour.
• We do not charge an uplift for evenings, weekends or Bank holidays.  This is a flat rate so you know exactly how to calculate the cost of the care you agree.
• We understand we charge more than some domiciliary providers.  The provision and reliability of high quality support by well trained, well remunerated and well motivated staff comes at a price which we believe is worth every penny to know your loved one is well looked after.   Meet our staff and know you can rely on us. 

How can I pay for my care?

• You can pay for your support by either bank transfer, direct debit or cheque payment.

How are we invoiced?

• We invoice all our private pay clients every 4 weeks, not by calendar months.  We are able to provide the invoicing dates for the year ahead. 

If I go out with a support worker, do I pay petrol?

• We charge 40p per mile when using a support workers vehicle to go out and about.  Any mileage and parking expenses will be detailed and charged back to you on your 4 weekly invoice. We ask that you do not pay your support worker directly.  All our support workers drive and their driving credentials are checked prior to starting with us.

Are there any other costs I will be expected to pay?

• If you wish to go somewhere special where there is an entrance fee, you will be expected to pay for your support worker and any parking charges you may incur.  You are not expected to provide refreshment for the support worker unless you wish for them to eat with you.

Do I pay ‘expenses’ per trip or is it added onto my invoice?

• Entrance fees and parking charges need to be paid for per trip, any mileage will be added to your 4 weekly invoice.

Do all your support workers drive?

• Yes we only employ support workers who have a full licence and all the relevant paperwork for their car.

If so, are they happy to carry me, my dog and wheelchair in their car?

• If you wish to go out and about, we will discuss this at your assessment then we can ensure we match the right support workers who have the right size car and ability to take you and all you need out.

Do I have to pay my support worker any money?

• We do ask that you do not give the support workers any money for the service you receive from them.  Support workers are able to assist you with shopping and paying bills etc, but should not be given money by you as a form of payment.

Is there a minimum amount I must use your agency each week in order to keep my ‘account’ active?

• No – we will need to ensure that we can continue to support you if the support you require is sporadic but if we agree the support then there is no minimum.

Is there a minimum amount of hours I must have a carer?

• No – the amount of support you need dictates the amount of support you receive.  If that is ½ hour every Thursday and we have the availability in that area we will support you.

Is there a minimum length of contract I must sign up with your company?

• No – it is for as long as you need the support.  If you no longer wish Nobilis to support you, we ask that you give 4 weeks notice.

COMPLAINTS

What if I am unhappy with the care I receive?

• If you need to speak to a member of our team about any issue or complaint you have then please do so, they will be only too happy to help. If you feel your issue has not been resolved to your satisfaction, ask to speak to the Operations Manager or ultimately the Managing Director – we will deal with issue.
• If you are a self funded client and you are not happy with the service you have received on a particular visit, tell us exactly what went wrong, and you will NOT BE CHARGED FOR THAT VISIT.  NO QUESTIONS ASKED, NO QUIBBLES.

Professional Bodies

Is Nobilis Care registered with professional associations or government bodies?

•  We are registered with the Care Quality Commission and have received a GOOD rating for the last two years – the highest awarding we could get for a new company.  We are also member of UKHCA (UK Home Care Association).