OUR CQC STATUS
First Light Independent Care ltd is defined by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) as an introductory agency in line with the Health & Social Care Act 2008. We have no ongoing involvement with regulated health and social care activities.
OVERVIEW OF OUR BUSINESS
Here at First Light we supply service users with the provision of self-employed professionals, who work directly for them.
So rather manage care on an ongoing basis, we match and introduce candidates to our clients.
Our third-party network of self-employed nurses and wider health care professionals also work directly with the service users, whom of which have their own regulatory bodies they are registered with.
We support our clients by providing, collating, and verifying candidates are competent and have the necessary practicing privileges in their respective duties as well as providing payroll services for them and yourselves.
WHAT IS AN INTRODUCTORY AGENCY
We do not employ carers, nurses, or any of the third parties within our circle. We as First Light Independent Care ltd simply match service users with the appropriate self-employed professional(s) from the First Light network.
All the self-employed professionals who work with the service user are contracted directly with the service user and their families as per outlined in the – terms of engagements.
The self-employed professionals, service users and their respective families are the primary contacts, as with the local authorities and relevant subdivisions manage the day-to-day care of the recipient (The Service User). Their duties include.
managing personal care, risk assessment, continuation of care assessments and anything else required to ensure the recipient is safe, content and comfortable within their own home.
Our business as First Light is to ensure you are happy with the referrals and so we make regular check-ins throughout, we are providing a stress-free in between liaison service and if required source another professional on a adhoc basis.
WHAT SERVICES DOES FIRSTLIGHT PROVIDE ?
SELF EMPLOYED CARERS WORKING WITH DRUGS AND MEDICATION
It is ‘ First Light s position that the self-employed worker/carer who use our collective platforms to find placements with prospective service users / care recipients can only* prompt the care recipient to take their medication, as we do not assess or regulate the self-employed worker/carer’s skill base/qualification for the administration of medication(s) or drug(s) or treatments.
At present it is the CQC’s regulatory position that a self-employed worker / carer, who is not a healthcare professional, or a healthcare professional working in their professional capacity can provide assistance with medication/drug administration or treatment to another individual if they are working for them directly, without the need to be registered for the regulated activity for the ‘Treatment of disease, disorder or injury’ including diagnosis where.
A) the treatment/drug/medicine has been prescribed by a qualified clinician and dispensed for the index care recipient or is a ‘homely remedy’ including over-the-counter drugs/medicines
and
B) the individual using the service would normally be able to administer their medication for themselves, but due to personal choice, the individual has consented for the medicine or drug or treatment to be administered/given to them
or
C) the individual would usually be able to take their medication for themselves but due to circumstances and if applicable where arranged and agreed by the LPA (Lasting Power of Attorney) or where advance care directives are in-situ, or where the person is unable to make a decision in relation to taking their medication, and it has been officially identified that it has been agreed in advance that it is in the individual’s best interest for the drugs/medicines/treatments to be administered/given to them.
First Light can only suggest to the self-employed worker(s) / carer(s) to obtain the necessary training to enable them to provide or perform medication/treatment support to our service user(s).
As an introductory agency, we have no power to insist or to enforce that this particular type of care and the necessary training that comes with the nature of work to be carried out must be completed by the self-employed worker(s) / carer(s). It is the sole responsibility of the service user(s) / care recipient to acknowledge if they wish to proceed with the self-employed worker(s) / carers for such task(s) to be carried out, do so at their own risk with the understanding that First Light Independent Care ltd and its management team(s) have no oversight, control or supervision of this aspect of care giving.
Any ongoing requirement(s) that surround this premise to provide medication/drug/treatment support is therefore a matter to be discussed between the care recipient (service user), their families and the self-employed carer / professional directly, First Light Independent Care ltd. and its staff therefore cannot be held to account or be in any way responsible for any medication/drug/treatment errors, actions or omissions – even in the extreme event which results in the death of the care recipient / service user.
Please ‘click’ onto the following link for additional advice and guidance that has been gathered from the NMC standards and sources in relation to the safe administration and handling of drugs and medicines when assisting another individual.