In this issue of Healthcare Matters we have featured Sunday Care Therapy as our Care Company of the Month.
Inspired by Founder Derek Sleater’s Aunt Gladys and her journey through the care system after a series of falls, Derek realised that to see a real impact on care delivery, it needed to be from the bottom up. Using his almost 20 years’ experience as an Occupational Therapist, Derek founded Sunday Care Therapy to deliver that impact.
Based in Hackney, London, the company covers North East London for home care, as well as an 80 mile catchment area for its unique live-in rehab service and works across both the private and statutory market.
At its heart Sunday Care Therapy is a CQC registered home care provider. It works with local authorities to deliver domiciliary care, ICB for complex live-in care and private individuals for rehabilitation and facilitating hospital discharge. The core focus of the company is care.
Its guiding philosophy is based on supporting self-reliance, working with people to rebuild their skills and confidence. Its collaborative clinical expertise is occupational therapy (OT) led and its multidisciplinary team (MDT) approach means it can create holistic evidence-based care plans that address the whole person, not just a time and task list.
What makes Sunday Care Therapy so unique is its company structure. Being founded by occupational therapists with physios and nurses on staff, the company has a full MDT approach to care. This dramatically improves clients’ quality of life, increasing their independence and reducing hospital admissions as well as being cost-effective. Derek told us, “Having completed NHS projects saving services and clients over £1M in care costs our biggest competitive edge is our frame of reference. With over 40 years clinical experience in the team, when we get super complex cases that other health professionals say it can’t be done, we look at it differently, knowing with the right support what actually can be achieved.”
“From cases with long term historical double handed care being right sized to single handed care in a smarter care provision approach and getting clients who were told they would never stand again walking up stairs; when we look at care we see it as an opportunity.” says Derek, “Having a rehab assistant live with you 24/7 for eight weeks while an OT and Physio do out person centered goals give us a unique position that no other service in the market is close to achieving.”
This focus on people centred goals has led to some extraordinary cases where Sunday Care Therapy has been able to turn a patient’s life around with its innovative approach. Derek shared a story of one client who had been in hospitals and rehab units for over a year but, on discharge, they were still unable to reposition themselves in bed.
However with continual support from Sunday Care Therapy, they thrived, becoming independent again. Derek explained, “Not only did we dramatically promote their independence, but with our daily health checks we picked up on heart arrhythmia, getting them seen by a cardiologist who recommended new medication. Essentially reducing the risk of heart attack.”
Another highlight for the company has been being asked to present at different conferences. This year Sunday Care Therapy is at the Occupational Therapy Show as the only CQC registered home care provider present to discuss the importance of OT to support people on their dementia journey.
Sunday Care Therapy’s unique approach to care is paying dividends. Currently the company is looking at opening an additional private rehab unit in Reading. A first of its kind in England, this unit will accept cases that traditional rehab units would not take on. Enhancing the company’s service while also increasing its catchment area for live-in rehab pathways.
When asked about the future of Sunday Care Therapy, Derek told us, “We want Sunday Care Therapy’s unique approach to be something that is available to all people in England regardless of where they live. Our goal is to continually expand until all of England is covered by an SCT approach to care. We also want to continue to grow our mindset, looking at international practice and taking the best from different countries and bringing it here.”
Sunday Care Therapy is a care company doing things differently. It brings occupational therapy into the care industry, ensuring care is set up to succeed from day one and serves as a reminder that people don’t need to settle for care that’s not right for them.
Its focus on self-reliance and rehabilitation is changing the landscape of the care environment and Sunday Care Therapy’s philosophy on sustainable wellbeing, equips individuals with the strategies and support they need to live healthier, safer and more independent lives.
For more on Sunday Care Therapy, please see below:
T 02034 887388
hello@sundaycaretherapy.com
www.sundaycaretherapy.com