Ten things commissioners need to know about YOUchoose!
1. We are a consortium of specialist care & community support providers
Established in April 2016, YOUchoose is a cooperative consortium.
2. We are ISO accredited
YOUchoose has acquired ISO 9001 in Quality Management Standard, ISO 27001 in Information & Security and Cyber Essentials Plus standards.
3. We care about the deaf and hard of hearing community
YOUchoose is committed to providing accessible, safe and specialist support to the members of the deaf and hard of hearing community. Our objective is to promote independence so deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing people can maintain and improve their quality of life.
4. We value feedback
Service clients and their carers/families are encouraged to give feedback about our services. We ask our staff team how likely they are to recommend the organisation to friends and family. This feedback is used directly to improve services.
5. Our services are meeting Care Quality Commission (CQC) national standards
Service users/clients and their carers/families are encouraged to give feedback about our services. We ask our staff team how likely they are to recommend the organisation to friends and family. This feedback is used directly to improve services.
6. We are a fully inclusive community and personal care provider
YOUchoose provides community support and personal care services for adults irrespective of their age, gender, religion, sexuality or disability.
7. Our services receive local recognition
Service users, clients, families and commissioners value local delivery by local providers who know the community. We attract specialist PAs from the locality in order that service users receive the best support.
8. We value our staff
We maintain a fair level of pay for our PAs, above the minimum wage. We provide regular supervision and team meetings to support staff undertaking an often difficult job.
9. We are proud to be based in the heart of the deaf and hard of hearing communities we serve
YOUchoose delivers services from regional locations including the Midlands, Gloucestershire, Greater Manchester and Sussex. We meet clients in cafés and libraries to encourage community involvement. We meet clients in their homes or in meetings rooms (often located in our service buildings) to provide support where confidentiality is required.
10. We reinvest in the deaf and hard of hearing community
90% of YOUchoose staff team are deaf or hard of hearing. All YOUchoose partners are charities or social enterprises, aiming to reinvest surpluses into services for deaf and hard of hearing people.