CARE FARNHAM HANDBOOK

INTRODUCTION

CARE Farnham was established in 1986 as a result of an elderly couple, finding themselves in a sudden crisis, asking their friends for help. It became operational on 1st May 1987 as a “good neighbours’” scheme providing transport to doctor and hospital appointments, help with shopping and collecting prescriptions, doing small D.I.Y. and gardening tasks and making home visits to the housebound. However since inception situations evolve such that our primary function is now focused on providing transport to health related appointment only.

CARE Farnham is a registered Charity run by an elected Management Committee who are also Trustees of the Charity. Contact details can be found on the website www.carefarnham.org.uk on the Volunteers page (if you have forgotten the password contact the Duty Officer). The Constitution of CARE Farnham can be seen on the website. Our Safeguarding and Data Protection policies are also available on the website. Please look at the website from time to time for new and updated information.

After initial fund raising and a grant from Surrey County Council to set up the scheme, CARE Farnham has been entirely financed by donations from Clients and the generosity of its Volunteers – it has even been able to make donations to other other local good causes in recent years.

The success of the operation is entirely dependent on you, our Volunteer Drivers and Duty Officers. We are always in need of new recruits (at its launch there were 100 Drivers and 60 Duty Officers!), so do please suggest to friends and acquaintances who may have a little time to spare that they become Volunteers. They can find out more information and a contact form on our website.

I hope that you will find this handbook useful and I particularly ask all Drivers to read carefully the RULES AND PROTOCOL FOR DRIVERS and INSURANCE sections.

With my renewed thanks to all Volunteer Drivers and Duty Officers for their continued commitment to CARE Farnham.

David Ashby    Chairman     March 2019

RULES AND PROTOCOL FOR VOLUNTEER DRIVERS GENERAL

1. It is the responsibility of Volunteer Drivers to ensure that they have a valid driving licence and fully comprehensive insurance (and the approval of their insurer to do volunteer driving with passengers).
   Your car must be taxed, MOT tested if relevant and be in a roadworthy condition. Drivers must be assessed by our appointed assessor when they reach the age of 80 and thereafter every 2 Years.All Volunteer Drivers are required to have Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks.
2. Your general health and ability to drive:
   We hope that this will not apply to you but if you have been advised not to or feel unable to drive for any reason, please let the Duty Office know immediately so that this information can be noted. This includes your general health, mobility, eyesight and whether you are on medication where driving is inadvisable or precautions may be necessary. This might, of course, only be a temporary measure but it is important that CARE Farnham is aware if this applies to you. Please let us know as soon as you are able to drive again.
3. It is for Drivers to decide if the weather conditions are suitable – if they feel it is inadvisable to drive they should advise their Client and the Duty Officer.
4. Always drive with extra care and within speed limits – Clients may be nervous passengers. No smoking is allowed when carrying Clients.
5. Volunteers should not go into the homes of Clients unless specifically invited.
6. Please be aware of the personal space of Clients: always ask if you need to touch them in any way, e.g. getting legs into car, stretching over them to put seat belt on, helping into a wheelchair.
7. If the mobility of a Client is different to what you had been advised when accepting the job, please notify the Duty Officer so that it can be marked on the Client’s card.
   If there is something of a confidential nature, please contact the appropriate Committee Member.
8. Fortunately accidents and incidents involving CARE Farnham Drivers and Clients are extremely rare: if one should occur, you should report same immediately to the Transport Officer, Information Coordinator or another Committee Member and fill in an INCIDENT/ACCIDENT REPORT FORM (downloaded from the Website) and give it to the TRANSPORT OFFICER.
9. ANONYMITY If asked, the DO may give a drivers forename to a client. Likewise, a driver may give their forename if asked by a client. This action retains anonymity and prevents Clients by-passing the system and contacting Volunteers direct.
10. CONFIDENTIALITY We ask you not to discuss with people outside CARE Farnham anything you may learn or hear about Clients.

Please telephone the Duty Officer (716655) if you need more information about a Client you have been asked to help, or if after accepting a job you find you are unable to do it.

Please report back to the Duty Officer or Organiser if you find the needs or circumstances of the Client very different from that which you expected, or if you learn something which might help another Volunteer going to help that Client.

INSURANCE

CARE Farnham has Public and Employee Liability Insurance (cover maximum as per insurance details) which provides financial compensation (amount according to our insurance cover) in the event of death or injury to a Volunteer while carrying out duties for CARE, and indemnity for death or injury to any person, or damage to property, caused by the fault or negligence of a Volunteer while carrying out duties for CARE. Only listed Volunteers of CARE are covered, so please do not pass on any CARE jobs to friends or family.

This policy does not cover car accidents of Volunteers while on CARE business – this is normally covered by your own car insurance. The Association of British Insurers (ABI) has produced a list of Insurers who cover Volunteer Drivers at no extra charge (virtually all Insurance Companies). Some Companies ask that the Volunteer let them know, others that it is not necessary. Volunteer Drivers should check their Insurance Company online at www.abi.org.uk/information and then click on consumer/general/volunteer driving and follow instructions applicable to their Policy. Alternatively a standard letter is available from the Volunteer Secretary for you to notify your Insurance Company that your vehicle is being used to carry passengers in your capacity as a CARE Farnham Volunteer. It is the Volunteer’s responsibility to ensure that their cover is adequate and up to date.

Oxygen cylinders: if Drivers are advised by the Duty Officer that a Client travels with a portable oxygen cylinder they are advised to let their insurance company know that they are doing a one-off volunteer driving job involving this. Clients should be asked to sit in the back of the car.

DONATIONS

Although we do not make a fixed charge for our services CARE Farnham encourages a donation – please offer Clients a brown envelope, write the relevant details on it and drop it back through the letter box at 5 Southern Way. More envelopes may be taken from the box outside as required.

Receipts for donations: very occasionally Clients can reclaim their donation to us from the Hospital they are visiting – the Hospital cash office will require a receipt. Receipt forms can be downloaded from the website and are also available in the box at 5 Southern Way.

The Duty officer has a list of “suggested” donations for the various destinations.

IDENTITY BADGES

Drivers must always wear their I.D. badge when on duty – this may give their Client priority at some clinics.

Drivers are also issued with a yellow Surrey Community Action “DRIVER ON DUTY” badge. This gives parking privileges at various Surrey Hospitals (see Hospitals and Directions section for details) and should only be used when on official Care Farnham duty.

Please note that it has no validity for street parking or public car parks, except at our “RESERVED PARKING” space in the Waggon Yard car park in Farnham at the back of the ticket machine at the entrance.

EXPENSES

Volunteer Drivers may claim mileage expenses at the agreed rate per mile. There are claim forms with the brown envelopes in the box at 5 Southern Way, claim forms can also be downloaded from the website. Please put any claim in the letter box there, along with donation envelopes, by the 1st day of the following month. CARE Farnham prefers to make payments direct to bank accounts on line – a fast convenient and secure system. Please contact the Treasurer for details. Telephone costs are reimbursed only in exceptional circumstances (most telephone contracts have free local calls).

MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS

It is suggested that Drivers telephone Clients the day before their appointment (or in the morning before afternoon appointments) particularly for longer or unusual assignments. This can be a useful reminder to the client who may be forgetful and also enable the driver to ascertain more specific house location if necessary; e.g. position within a street or whether on left or right.

Please tell the Duty Officer if your normal availability or circumstances change or if you change car, so that your record card can be kept up to date.

It is useful also if you telephone to advise of holiday dates.

On “retiring” from driving Volunteers should return their identity badge and yellow Surrey Community Action badge to the Volunteer Secretary.

We are always in need of new volunteer Drivers. If you know of anyone who might be interested ask them to call the DO for more information or look on the website where they can contact the Volunteer Secretary directly.

HOSPITALS AND DIRECTIONS

The information that follows is correct at time of going to press (March 2019). See Volunteers page of Website for updates.

THE FOLLOWING ADVICE ASSUMES THAT THE SURREY COMMUNITY TRANSPORT DRIVER ON DUTY YELLOW CARD IS DISPLAYED IN YOUR WINDSCREEN.

WAGGON YARD CAR PARK FOR DOWNING STREET SURGERY

CARE Farnham have their own parking bay at this car park. It is at the back of the entrance ticket machine and is marked “RESERVED PARKING” on the ground and is signed “contract parking only.”

It is NOT necessary to pay for a ticket or have blue badges but YOU MUST PUT YOUR YELLOW SGA BADGE ON THE DASH BOARD. They intend to patrol this space and any vehicle without our badge will be booked and they will not cancel a ticket if you forget. Try to use this bay when you can so that we can show we need and appreciate their help.

FARNHAM HOSPITAL – Drivers may leave cars at the entrance roundabout only while they take Clients through to their appointment. Parking is free in the main Car Park.

DENTIST EAST STREET – Farnham

Drivers may park in the Vale Furnishings car park just beyond the Dental Surgery – please display yellow SCA badge.

If you park in the Lidl car park you must buy something and give the registration number of your car at the check-out.

FRIMLEY PARK HOSPITAL GU16 7UJ
Clients can be dropped off at the set down point opposite the main entrance – cars should not be left unattended – but in exceptional circumstances ask at the Security Office, showing CARE ID badge and they will try to cooperate for you to wait not more than 10 minutes to take in or collect a Client.

After dropping off Client, go to main car park (no right turn into entrance, you have to go back to the Portsmouth Road roundabout). When leaving, take tickets to the Security Office adjacent to the main entrance and they will give you a free exit ticket when you show your CARE ID badge. There is a wheelchair bay in the main car park (4 donated by CARE Farnham).

EARLY MORNING APPOINTMENTS

If your Client needs a wheelchair with a hospital porter, the main reception is open from 8.00am. For earlier appointments the hospital suggests that you ask in A and E (just past the main entrance).

ENTRANCE B – Eye Department/Eye Ward

Go into main car park, follow signs to “ENTRANCE B” to the outside section, go right down to the fence opposite Entrance B where there are 6 spaces marked Children in wheelchairs – these we may use if displaying yellow SCA badge. There is a pedestrian exit here. And there should be wheelchairs at the entrance.

If you do not wish/need to go into the car park, carry straight on past the entrance, exit and the new A & E/helipad and there is a set down point for Entrance B on the left, after the ambulance bays.

AMBULANCE ENTRANCE

Since October 2014 Drivers may use the Ambulance and Authorised Vehicle Entrance (i.e. in Portsmouth Road before Main Entrance roundabout) to set Patients down at Entrance B. Please display yellow SCA badge and do not abuse this privilege.

ALDERSHOT CENTRE FOR HEALTH GU11 1AY

Display your yellow SCA badge on your dashboard. Go to Reception where you will be given a visitor pass with your registration number on it. This pass will be valid for three months. Display it on your dashboard alongside your yellow SCA badge.

You may also use DISABLED BAYS – when displaying yellow SCA badge. You may leave your car at the main entrance set down for 20 minutes if you need to take a Client through to their appointment.

Directions: Take the Farnborough Road and turn right at roundabout to Aldershot into Wellington Avenue, A323. 2nd exit at next roundabout (signed Station) then left at lights up Hospital Hill. The Centre for Health is at the top on right.

ROYAL SURREY COUNTY HOSPITAL GU2 7XX

When dropping off Clients at Main Entrance you may wait there for 20 minutes, but must take a (free) ticket from the dispenser. Then park in any public BUT NOT staff car park – FREE but display yellow SCA badge.
To get to the main car park, after set down at main entrance, take left fork to exit/parking – there are then public car parks on both left and right.

There is also a set down point at the far end of the Hospital (straight on past the main entrance and round to the right). This may be convenient for Maxillo-Facial, Outpatients 2 & 3, Eye Clinic, Audiology, ENT etc…(but no wheelchairs there normally).

Volunteer Drivers may also park in ambulance car bays around the hospital while they take Clients in to their appointments then moving their car to a car park.

There are usually wheelchairs just inside the main entrance – if not ask at the window on left just inside and they will try to get one (or a porter if needed).

St. Luke’s Cancer Centre

For radiotherapy patients going to Level B at the rear of the main RSCH building, drivers may now park in the Cancer Patients parking and also in the Ambulance car bays if displaying the yellow SCA badge

FARNHAM ROAD HOSPITAL, Guildford GU2 7LX
Parking: No charge when displaying yellow SCA badge.
The entrance to the Hospital is in the far corner from the car park entrance.
Directions: Going down Farnham Road towards Guildford turn left into Agraria Road just before the Hospital. Take first right into Poltimore Road and turn left at end – the car park entrance is a few yards on the right.
For Clients with poor mobility drive into the front entrance and drop them off at the appropriate department.

FLEET HOSPITAL Church Road Fleet GU51 4LZ
Parking: No charge for parking.
Directions: Coming from Farnham on the B3013 at Fleet turn right into Fleet Road signed Town Centre and Hospital. After about 300 yards turn left into Church Road (signed Hospital). Fleet Hospital is about 1⁄2 mile on left.

St. PETER’S HOSPITAL, Chertsey KT16 0PZ

Park in any visitor’s car park – these are now barrier operated. To get a free exit ticket, take the ticket and your yellow SCA badge to the parking office (at the main entrance take escalator to level 3, turn left and it is facing you at the end of a short corridor).

Directions: A31 Hog’s Back and A3 to M25. Take M25 towards Heathrow and leave at Junction 11 Chertsey. Hospital then clearly signed. Or take M3 from Frimley, then M25 towards Gatwick and leave at J11 Chertsey (same distance so why not go A3 and return M3).

St. GEORGE’S HOSPITAL Tooting SW17 0QT
Parking: Take ticket at the barrier going into the car park in Blackshaw Road. When ready to leave, take the ticket and your blue CARE Farnham identity badge to the Security Office in the main entrance in the Grosvenor Wing who will validate it to allow free exit.

Directions: Take A3. On Kingston by-pass turn off immediately after the large B & Q on left signed A298 Wimbledon. Then follow A238 signed Merton, Colliers Wood, Tooting, passing South Wimbledon and Colliers Wood underground stations. Clearly signed at Tooting.

ROYAL MARSDEN HOSPITAL, Downs Road, Sutton SM2 5PT
Parking: No charge when you show yellow SCA badge at exit.
Directions: Recommended route is A31, A3 on to M25 towards Gatwick. Take J8 on M25 To A217 towards Sutton. Continue 8 miles to roundabout. Follow sign B2230 Brighton Road to Sutton. First right into Downs Road (just after small hump back bridge and immediately before pedestrian crossing). Continue over crossroads. The Royal Marsden is second on left.

THE HAMPSHIRE CLINIC Basing Road, Old Basing RG24 7AL
Parking: No charge for parking.
Directions: Take A287 Odiham Road. Follow signs towards M3, Hook, Reading. At M3 junction take 2nd exit signed A287 Newnham. After 1 mile left at lights onto A30 Basingstoke and Old Basing. After 3 miles turn right into Hatch Lane signed Old Basing (immediately after Martins’ VW and Renault Garage). Straight over at lights into Crown Lane. Follow sign to Basing House and follow road round and at mini roundabout turn left into Basing Road (signed Hampshire Clinic). Clinic is 300 yards on right.

BASINGSTOKE AND NORTH HAMPSHIRE HOSPITAL, Aldermaston Road

Basingstoke RG24 9NA
Parking: Show your identity or yellow SCA badge at the HELP DESK (next to Costa Coffee Bar at main entrance) to get a free exit ticket.
Directions: Take A339 direction Basingstoke/Newbury from the M3. The Hospital is clearly signed.

FARNBOROUGH DIALYSIS UNIT
Unit 14 Armstrong Mall, Southwood Business Park GU14 0NR
Telephone 01252 359 770
Directions: From Farnham on A325 towards Farnborough turn left at large roundabout (Rushmoor Council Offices) and follow A327 direction Reading, Southampton. Continue on A327, passing Airport to your left, over two or three roundabouts. When you see MORRISONS petrol station just ahead of you on your right, turn right into THE CRESCENT (large sign). Armstrong Mall is second on left. Suggestion donation: £12 – £15.

DON’T FORGET TO LOOK AT THE WEBSITE www.carefarnham.org.uk FOR NEW INFORMATION/CHANGES.

THE ROLE OF THE DUTY OFFICER

The Duty Officer role is fundamental to the service provided by CARE Farnham; taking incoming calls from Clients requesting help and finding Volunteer Drivers who are willing and able to fulfil those jobs.

Operating from their own home (the records move from house to house each day), they receive incoming calls from 9.30am to 3.00pm seven days a week (but with flexible timing at weekends and bank holidays). In order that Drivers who are not also Duty Officers can appreciate the system, you will find below the INTRODUCTORY NOTES FOR DUTY OFFICERS.

INTRODUCTORY NOTES FOR DUTY OFFICERS

1. Calls are received from 9.30am to 3.00pm. But you may need to make calls after 3.00pm to find drivers.
2. Usually, the D.O of the day delivers the files etc at the end of that day to the next day’s D.O.
3. D.Os use their own land line phone or mobile phone. They change the welcome message on the CARE answering machine before 9.30am. At or soon after 3.00pm put the “line closed for today” message on. The line may be closed earlier than 3.00PM at the D.Os discretion should the volume of calls be exceptionally high. Instructions are in the WHITE Loose Leaflet folder.
4. This folder also contains: addresses of Committee members, detailed guidance notes for Duty Officers, directions and parking instructions for various hospitals, phone numbers of neighbouring schemes (we only take clients who live within Farnham town boundary), suggested donations, provisional duty rosters for several months ahead, map showing the CARE Farnham client boundary and lots of other information.
5. INCOMING CALLS: Use the notepad provided to note name, address and telephone number of caller. Check if existing Client – white cards in transparent box files. Record request – day, date, destination and time of appointment. If new Client, make out a new card.
6. Enter these details in the DAYBOOK.
7. Find a suitable Volunteer from the appropriate box files or What’sApp. Enter details of the job number, date and Volunteer number on the WHITE CLIENT CARD and job number and date on the GREEN VOLUNTEER CARD.
8. Enter details of the job in the DIARY for the day of the job.
9. Call back Client to confirm pick-up time by driver.
10. Tick off the four check boxes on the right hand side of the DAY BOOK: CONFIRMED TO CLIENT, details entered on CLIENT CARD, in DIARY and on VOLUNTEER CARD.
11. At the end of the day tear off top copy(ies) of DAY BOOK page(s) and put in the folder provided.
12. If unsure of any request take details, say you will check and call back and refer to a Committee Member.
13. Fill in Duty Days for future months in provisional rosters at the back of LOOSE LEAF FOLDER.
14. We now have a group of DO’s and Drivers using WhatsApp to communicate. This usually results in a significant reduction of phone calls. If you (DO or Driver) would like to be included in our WhatsApp group, contact the DO who will refer you to the WhatsApp administrator.

A combined meeting of Drivers and Duty Officers is held annually to provide a forum for discussion from both perspectives and to enable points of issue to be raised with the Committee. Meeting minutes are posted on the Website.

We are continually looking to increase the team of Duty Officers: if any Drivers would like to join up or if you know of anyone who might like to do this crucial role (usually once a month on a day of their choosing) please contact the Duty Roster Organiser.