Relatives & Residents Association
We support, inform and speak on behalf of older people in care
We support, inform and speak on behalf of older people in care
The R&RA’s Groundbreaking New Tool for Care Workers
already in daily use in many care contexts
Practical, authoritative and jargon-free, the Keys come as a set of 12: each giving simple yet expert guidance on its own topic. The key things to Think about, Ask and Do if you are to care well for a dependent older person, in residential care or at home.
An aide memoire, a checklist, a reminder of what matters and a reassurance that you’re doing the right thing, the 12 topics the Keys open up are:
“A brilliant idea and so well executed.” Sharon Allen, CEO, Skills for Care
Why were they made? The Keys to Care were made in response to the concerns of callers to our Helpline and the demand for accessible training support for care workers in residential care and in home settings.
How were they made? The R&RA has produced the Keys to Care resources using specialist advice and the help of people who live and work in a range of care settings, with the support of Comic Relief and the endorsement of Skills for Care.
The Keys to Care are supplied as a set of 12 stylish and durable laminated cards mounted on a keyring, that slip easily into a pocket. The cost is £6.50 for each set plus post and packing, reduced for orders of 20 or more to £6.00 per set plus p&p. You can download an order form here to send for them by post or email and we will confirm the total cost with an invoice by return.
Or you can buy them at once online at the special rate of £6.25 per set (£5.25 to R&RA members) including p&p to any UK address – click on the button to order and pay by card. (Opens a secure link to paypal who process the payments for us – but any of the main cards can be used. For non-UK addresses please email.)
The Keys make an encouraging and confidence-building basis for any carer training programme: handy, attractive and very popular for carers to keep as a pocket reference or trigger to discussion.
“They are good for reminding people what they should be doing, particularly new or agency staff. It’s a good way to find out about the areas you don’t usually work in, such as End of Life Care.” – A Senior Care Assistant’s comment
“The keys to care are certainly very good indeed. They do just what you said they are intended to do. I can see them being very useful… …they’re something for carers, and most of all, for clients to have. So that the clients realise that these are the standards which the carers are trained to.” – A manager’s feedback
“sings to the tune of care staff…”
“I incorporated them into a new supervision template…. A section on Look at Keys to Care and choose a topic you would like to discuss… I would say there is something different about them, the content and the way they have been written is very applicable and engaging and… sings to the tune of care staff, I think.” – A staff trainer’s feedback
“I just wanted to say how delighted I am with the Keys to Care. Every member of my staff has been issued with a set and I have received very positive feedback from everyone. We also keep a set in the lounge so that residents and visitors can see if we measure up to what we hope to achieve.” – A Residential Home, Norfolk
To see Keys to Care in action, watch our recent video, made in a real care setting, which brings all their usefulness vividly to life – our thanks to the Order of St John Care Trust and all who took part.
How do you use Keys to Care? We welcome your feedback on how helpful you find them and their related Keynotes, so please email us at info@relres.org or use any of the other ways you can contact us.
We have no endowments or guaranteed funding so rely on the loyalty of our members and the support of our generous donors to continue our work.