We are delighted to announce we have set up a Care Quality Commission (CQC) registered care service!
Harbour Care and Support is specifically aimed at supporting individuals who have complex needs such as experience of homelessness, substance dependency and mental ill health alongside physical care requirements which would warrant a ‘traditional’ care package being commissioned.
Harbour Care and Support intends to provide holistic, unique, and comprehensive domiciliary care services, initially to individuals utilising the housing related services and accommodation of our parent charity. We have decided to do this as it has long been noticed, through the support and accommodation Harbour Housing provide, a significant proportion of the cohort of people we support also have associated health needs which often go unmet for various reasons. We have also identified there were significant difficulties in organising and maintaining a domiciliary care package for the majority of individuals Harbour Housing works with. Because of this, we decided to set up Harbour Care and Support to meet this growing need and provide a much-needed service for a large group of people living without the right care.
Alex Dean, Harbour Housing’s Head of Supported Living Services and Harbour Care and Support’s Registered Manager, explains, “Through Harbour Care and Support, we will provide a service which is specifically designed, promoted, and tailored to individuals with complex needs through bespoke training and drawing upon the trauma informed practice for which Harbour Housing is already known. We are so pleased to be getting this service up and running, to continue to help in people’s recovery from homelessness.”
Operations Director, Malcolm Putko, expands, “With our population growing and ageing, the need for domiciliary care services across Cornwall is expected to increase by over 50% between now and 2035. Not surprisingly since the pandemic we have seen the demand for domiciliary home care spike but with over 38% of staff leaving the care sector, the cracks are showing. Harbour Care and Support wants to make the point that while there are excellent care providers throughout Cornwall there has been a recognised under-investment across parts of the NHS resulting in the shortage of qualified staff. We are looking forward to working as a key partner in Cornwall and making a change to improve services further.”
Malcolm continues, “Our parent company as a charity is prepared to put in adequate investment in our new home care service, as well as our successful and nationally acclaimed Out of Hospital Discharge Services, which will help reduce the burden on the NHS and ultimately provide a positive return by reducing emergency department admissions and longer hospital stays. To do this, Alex and his team will grow and enable Harbour to fill the gaps which are out there. He will upskill by investing in care staff and recruit them based on fixed-hours flexible contracts providing financial stability, as well letting the carers do what they do best: look after people.”
Harbour Care and Support will be a supplementary arm to the work Harbour Housing undertakes, in terms of housing provision and housing related support. The care service will be a distinct separate entity from Harbour Housing; however, the two organisations will work alongside one another with the ultimate aim of providing more comprehensive and holistic support to the individuals with whom we work.
We are currently in the final stages of our timeline for mobilisation. We are in the process of setting up our domiciliary care office and finalising contracts with Cornwall Council, as well as recruiting brilliant and dedicated staff for our new team. Working for Harbour Care and Support will also be much more varied and challenging than a ‘traditional’ domiciliary care role.
If you are interested in applying for this exciting new position, head to our careers page to find out more and apply! Or, if you would like to discuss this with Alex and his team you can contact us via email alex.d@harbourhousing.com or ring 01726 74186. Keep an eye out for our open days later this year!
14th November
Thank you to the community in St Ervan!
19th May
Last year, Tim Styles, cycled from Land’s End to John o’ Groats unsupported in under five days. Next month, he is going one better: Land’s End to John o’ Groats AND back down to Land's End!
6th April
Over the last few months at Harbour, we have been putting together and distributing warm packs to help people on low income reduce their energy bills.
16th March
Harbour's trainee clinical psychologist placement student has started peer supervision sessions with Harbour staff.
8th November
It’s almost that time of year – Christmas. The time of year for the gift of giving.
This year, have you considered giving a gift to someone for whom Christmas might be a bit less merry than usual?
29th September
Harbour have received funding from Sport England after a successful application to their Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Activity Fund.
