Avante Home Care and Support Service

Additional Information

• The Eden Alternative We have adopted the Eden Alternative as our philosophy of care at Avante Care & Support. The philosophy provides a framework for staff to consider ‘care’ differently, taking a positive approach and seeing the move to homecare as the start of a vibrant new chapter. The philosophy is about moving away from stereotypical home care, eliminating loneliness, helplessness and boredom. It works on the principle of getting to know each service user well and building a tailored care plan around their specific needs and how they feel. Bexley Home Care & Support provides care and wellbeing support in peoples’ homes around the Bexley area of Kent which is a London borough. This care and support is tailored around a person’s individual needs; for example, providing assistance for daily living, enabling individuals to maintain independence and lead active lives. Avante values developing supportive communities and services, individualised care and support and nurturing individual needs. It strives to develop important relationships through kindness, selflessness and effective listening thereby enabling people to reach their full potential. The Eden Alternative is a modern Philosophy of Care Avante has applied over many years. The Eden Alternative means thinking about ‘care’ in a different way, e.g. with a focus on positivity and possibility. It works on the principle of knowing each person really well and building the care a person receives around that knowledge, always asking ‘how would that feel’ for the person. The revalidation looked at evidence against the Key Principles of reducing loneliness, helplessness and boredom; the 7 Domains of Wellbeing (Identity, Growth, Security, Connectedness, Autonomy, Meaning and Joy); and the three Eden transformational change areas: Personal; Environmental and Organisational. Personal Transformation was assessed in relation to staff understanding; the organisational culture was assessed In relation to how Eden flows through policies and practice with the organisation from the bottom up and how transformational the leadership was seen to be in accordance with Eden Principles; and the extent to which care and support focuses on a person's quality of life, living independently and beyond the immediate demands of the care and support visit. The evidence used within the Eden revalidation process included: • 4 relatives were interviewed over the phone. • 3 people receiving care delivered by Bexley Home Care and Support were spoken with over the phone, • 3 team members and the manager were interviewed virtually. • Evidence from Care Plans. • Photographs showing various activities and engagement with individuals. • The manager’s completed pre-validation self-evaluation report. As a result of this validation, Bexley Homecare has been granted SILVER award status. A SILVER award means: • There is significant evidence of several aspects of each Domain of wellbeing being implemented on a daily basis • There is significant evidence of several aspects of each of the Eden Principles being implemented on a daily basis • There is evidence in the client care plans of how all Domains of Wellbeing are being met or considered for each individual who uses the service • A significant number of team, volunteers, clients and relatives are able to explain Eden Principles and how they are implemented. Team success is regularly acknowledged, and team empowerment is encouraged • A significant number of the team in care and non-care roles have completed the Eden training and leadership within the Home is in accordance with Eden principles. Many aspects of the care setting have been adapted in line with Eden principles of Environmental and Organisational transformation.