ROCHESTER-based homecare specialist Scott Care has been honoured with a top grading from a local authority.
Medway Council in Kent has changed the way it awards new suppliers and grades them bronze, silver or gold status depending on the cost and quality of their services.
The overhaul aimed to improve services to help people to stay in their homes for longer and hugely reduce costs – around £1.9m is hoped to be saved, with Scott Care being one of the new gold status providers.
Existing service providers were approached to see what savings they could offer and as contracts expired, stringent new tendering processes were put in place.
One of the ways Scott Care will make savings is by assigning carers who live nearest to the homes of their clients.
Under the old system, the company was only able to provide care to people in rural homes but their new contract means they can provide care across Medway, so can assign carers who are the closest – cutting down on mileage costs.
Scott Care was founded in director Julie Scott’s dining room when the then nurse was looking to solve her parents’ care needs which she felt weren’t being addressed by the service providers available at that time. The business grew from there as word spread that she was able to tailor packages for individual care needs.
She said:
“We are absolutely delighted to have been awarded a gold status as we have worked hard to achieve it.
“The old system could be very restrictive at times and this new one will enable us to provide a much more cost-effective service in certain areas – savings which will be passed on.
“The new system is very fair and gives providers the opportunity to achieve higher or a motivation to maintain already high standards which is excellent for the people we look after each day.
“Having achieved this gold status, we now have to maintain high standards to achieve it and this will be the challenge under the new guidelines which we are confident of being able to do.”
Scott Care has major contracts with both Medway Council and Kent County Council.
Scott Care
Scott Care was founded in 2004.
Scott Care is a Primary Care Provider for Medway Council and an Approved Provider for Kent County Council.
The company provides home care, day care and assisting living services across Kent.
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