01
Talk to Us
Tell us about the person, their circumstances and the type of support being considered.
Finding the right care and support can involve important questions. Here you can find straightforward information about our approach, arranging support, referrals, quality, service areas and what you can expect from Earlston & Doune.
Contact us directly. We can discuss your enquiry and, where appropriate, help identify the next step.
Good decisions begin with understanding the options, asking questions and having open conversations.
Choosing care or arranging support for yourself or someone important to you can feel like a significant decision.
We believe people should be able to ask questions, understand how support is arranged and know what to expect before making decisions.
These frequently asked questions provide general information. Individual circumstances differ, so the most appropriate answer may depend on a person's assessed needs, preferences, location and proposed support arrangements.
If your question is not answered here, please contact us. We would be pleased to discuss your enquiry.
General questions about what we do, how support is personalised and who may benefit.
Earlston & Doune Care Services Ltd provides person-centred care and support designed around individual needs, strengths, preferences, routines and personal outcomes.
Depending on assessment and agreed arrangements, support may include assistance with everyday routines, personal care, independent living, companionship, community participation and wider everyday wellbeing.
The precise nature of support depends on the individual's circumstances and the scope of the service we can safely and appropriately provide.
We consider enquiries involving adults who require care or support in their home or community, subject to assessment and the scope of our registered service.
This can include people with different support needs, including older adults and people with learning disabilities, autism, physical disabilities or mental-health support needs.
Every enquiry is considered individually rather than assuming that one model of support is suitable for everyone.
Yes. Our approach starts with the person rather than simply a list of care tasks.
We consider individual preferences, communication, routines, strengths, abilities, relationships and desired outcomes when appropriate support is assessed and planned.
Individual routines and preferences are important considerations when planning support.
Where reasonably possible and consistent with assessed needs, safety, staffing and agreed arrangements, support is planned to fit appropriately into the person's everyday life.
Yes. Receiving support should not mean unnecessarily taking control away from someone.
We aim to recognise existing abilities and support people to remain appropriately involved in everyday activities and decisions wherever possible.
Where appropriate to assessed needs and agreed arrangements, support may include companionship, meaningful social contact and assistance with accessing community activities or maintaining important connections.
Questions about assessments, care planning, flexibility, funding and starting a service.
Start by contacting us by telephone, email or through our website. We can discuss the enquiry and obtain initial information about the support being considered.
Where the enquiry appears suitable, the next stage is to consider the person's needs, preferences, circumstances, relevant risks and desired outcomes in greater detail.
This helps determine whether Earlston & Doune can appropriately meet the identified needs.
There is no single start time that applies to every enquiry. Commencement depends on factors such as assessment, the nature of the person's needs, agreed arrangements, location and suitable staffing capacity.
Where an enquiry is time-sensitive, please tell us when you first make contact so that this can be considered as part of the discussion.
We aim to consider support arrangements flexibly rather than assuming every person requires the same pattern of care.
The timing, frequency and nature of support depend on assessed needs, agreed arrangements, staffing capacity and whether the proposed service can be provided safely and appropriately.
The cost of support depends on the individual arrangement. Factors may include the type of support, duration and frequency of visits and other requirements associated with the agreed service.
We therefore recommend discussing your circumstances with us rather than relying on a general price that may not reflect the support required.
Please contact us to discuss private care enquiries. We can explain the enquiry and assessment process and provide information relevant to the proposed support arrangement.
Funding arrangements can vary according to the person's circumstances and decisions made by the relevant local authority or commissioning body.
If you already have an assessed care arrangement, budget or Self-Directed Support information, you can discuss this with us when making your enquiry.
Questions about eligibility for public funding should be directed to the relevant local authority or health and social care service.
Support arrangements should remain relevant to the person. Appropriate review helps consider whether needs, circumstances, risks or desired outcomes have changed.
Where changes are identified, this can inform whether the agreed support arrangements also need to be reconsidered.
Every situation is individual, but the process generally begins with a conversation and develops through assessment, planning and appropriate review.
Tell us about the person, their circumstances and the type of support being considered.
We consider needs, preferences, abilities, circumstances, relevant risks and outcomes.
Where appropriate, agreed information is used to help guide how support should be provided.
Support begins according to agreed arrangements and is reviewed appropriately as circumstances change.
Questions about registration, staffing, continuity, information security, feedback and governance.
Yes. Earlston & Doune Care Services Ltd is registered with the Care Inspectorate.
Our Care Inspectorate registration number is CS2025000424.
Recruitment for care and support roles should consider suitability, relevant checks, references, right-to-work requirements, competence and the responsibilities of the role.
Staff should also receive appropriate induction, training, supervision and ongoing support in relation to their responsibilities.
We recognise that familiarity and continuity can be important. Where reasonably possible, support arrangements should seek to promote appropriate consistency.
However, it would not be responsible to guarantee that the same individual member of staff will attend every visit because staffing circumstances can change.
Good handovers, communication and accurate information are therefore also important parts of continuity.
Personal information should be handled responsibly, confidentially and only for appropriate purposes.
Our wider management systems include information security arrangements, and the organisation holds ISO/IEC 27001 certification for information security management.
Further information about website data can be found in our Privacy Policy.
Our organisational management systems include certification in the following areas:
We encourage people to raise concerns, complaints or feedback so that matters can be considered appropriately.
If you have a concern about support, please contact Earlston & Doune so that we can explain the appropriate route for raising it.
People also retain any rights they may have to contact relevant external bodies, including the Care Inspectorate, where applicable.
For social work, health and social care professionals and others involved in arranging or coordinating support.
We welcome appropriate enquiries and referrals from professionals involved in assessing, arranging or coordinating care and support.
Referral suitability is considered individually and remains subject to assessment, staffing capacity, location and the scope of our registered service.
The information required will depend on the circumstances, but useful initial information may include:
Information should be shared through appropriate and lawful routes.
Time-sensitive enquiries can be discussed with us. Please make the required timescale clear when contacting the service.
Whether support can commence within a particular timeframe depends on assessment, the nature of identified needs, location, suitable staffing capacity and our ability to provide the service safely and appropriately.
Our service development and referral activity focuses on:
Availability in a particular location remains subject to the proposed support arrangement, assessment and staffing capacity.
Yes. Professionals are welcome to make an initial enquiry to discuss whether a proposed referral may fall within our service scope.
Any initial discussion does not itself confirm acceptance of a referral or availability of a care package.
We welcome appropriate communication from professionals involved in assessing, commissioning, arranging, coordinating or reviewing care and support.
An initial conversation can help establish the nature of the proposed support, location, required outcomes and relevant timescale.
Formal acceptance remains subject to appropriate assessment, service suitability and capacity.
Earlston & Doune Care Services Ltd is registered with the Care Inspectorate. Our wider organisational management systems address quality, environmental management, information security, anti-bribery management and occupational health and safety.
Every person's circumstances are different. If you cannot find the answer you need here, contact us and we can discuss your enquiry.
Contact Earlston & Doune
Contact us and we can discuss your enquiry and,
where appropriate, help identify the next step.
