Ladies in Waiting is family run business, which is based in Ilkley, West Yorkshire and has operated successfully since 2008. During this time Ladies in Waiting has expanded its delivery of outstanding care service to the surrounding areas of Ilkley, and currently provides services for over 80 private clients.
Ladies In Waiting has a well earnt reputation locally for our attention to detail and ensuring that our private clients receive a service from a team of consistent companions that they know by name.
Due to the consistency of always having the same companion/s who visit, we are able to develop a truly meaningful relationship with our clients, becoming instinctively proactive in meeting the needs, and wishes of our clients.
Ladies in Waiting employs highly motivated, and mature minded members of staff from Ilkley and surrounding areas. The age range of our staff members is from 48 through to 72, with the vast percentage of our ladies being in their late 40’s to 50’s. As a result, Ladies in Waiting has a mature, consistently dependable, flexible, and level-headed team.
One of the many positive benefits of our mature minded team is that they have the ability and desire to naturally converse about wide ranging topics our clients wish to have conversations about, and the ability to (should it be requested) prepare and cook well-presented and throughout meals to ensure the very best ‘mealtime experience’.
Organisational Structure
Mr D Crabtree – Managing Director
Mr A Crabtree – Registered Manager – Director
Mrs Sarah Crabtree – Administrator – Director
Mrs Anne Haythorne – Care Manager
Mrs Claire Holmes – Office Administrator
Our Aims and Objectives
To promote the physical, social and psychological wellbeing of our clients.
To protect and maintain client privacy, autonomy, and importantly independence.
To promote and deliver consistent high standards of care & companionship.
To accomplish these objectives, we are committed to training and developing all our team to have understanding skills and competencies to carry out their roles successfully and happily.
Ladies in Waiting provide our service in the Ilkley and surrounding areas. Our delivery of care and companionship depends on team members levels against your requirements at the time of enquiry. Every effort will be made to deliver a request in these areas. Requests for care outside these areas will be assessed on an individual basis.
Our team at Ladies in Waiting are predominantly female, which is solely due to demand rather than design, and all fulfil a role as care-companions, as we do not deliver nursing care.
All our team have varied experience in professional careers either directly in care, or other professional backgrounds such as teaching, or social work. They bring a range of qualifications from nursing qualifications (retired nurses), NVQ training and general experience in the care sector & of course vast life experience.
This service is for elderly clients only; we do not intend to deliver care to any client under the age of 65, or with acute/ severe mental health problems. We can deliver care on a short- or long-term basis, for post- operative care or to convalesce.
Ladies in Waiting strive to be dependable and reliable, to arrive at the specified time requested by our clients and work for the full amount of time requested by the client.
There is always one member of the management team available to deal with emergencies 7 days a week as we operate an on-call system during the weekends.
A member of the management team interviews applicants applying for employment within Ladies in Waiting, references are applied for, and a Disclosure and Barring Service check is carried out. Carers are not able to start work until three satisfactory references have been received.
Staff are required to complete an application form and obtain an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service certificate which demonstrates their suitability and safe employment.
Ladies in Waiting are contactable 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, always on the same phone number which is 01943 817082. We would however ask you to ring between the hours of 8am – 4pm, Monday to Friday – On a weekend the office is closed.
We do operate an emergency out of hours line for our clients & relatives.
Prior to delivering care to a new client, all prospective clients are assessed in his or her own home, by a member of the management team. Their current situation, needs, wishes and requirements would be talked through with the prospective client and often a member of their family or close friend.
A Care Plan & risk assessment would be completed with the full involvement of the client and / or any relevant 3rd party, covering potential risks to the client and to the team member. This Care Plan would cover personal care, physical abilities, mealtime experience, and levels of general cognition.
This information would be studied by management, who would decide whether we could provide the required level and amount of care by team members qualified for the length of time needed.
If we felt we could competently commit to providing the required service, then the information relevant to the care of the client would be documented in a care plan, which would be duplicated, so that one copy would be safely stored with Ladies in Waiting and the second copy would remain at the client’s own home, accessible to the client and their family and the allocated member/s of the team could adhere to this and make a report after each visit.
We have a folder which with the client’s consent would remain at the client’s home, to allow team members to fully document activities, duties, and interactions with food and drink could be documented.
This allows the client and their family to be kept fully informed and review each visits report about the care the client is receiving.
Our care plans are continually reviewed, and the views and wishes of our clients are consistently sought by management, and their consistent team.
Clients or their relatives/representatives (with express permission of the client) are able to review their personal files kept at Ladies in Waiting in accordance with the Data Protection / GDPR Act 2018. These files may be reviewed as part of the inspection and regulation process of the Care Quality Commission.
Clients are free to arrange a personal visit with management to discuss any changes they may wish to make or any queries or concerns they may have.
Ladies in Waiting strive to be flexible; we would aim to install any alterations as quickly as possible. Questionnaires are sent out Bi-Annually to fill in anonymously if desired so that we can actively strive to deliver a high quality of care by acting on any concerns or compliments received.
Ladies in Waiting has affected a Public and Employers Liability insurance policy to indemnify against costs incurred in respect of proven acts for which Ladies in Waiting can be held liable for in law.
Two copies of the Terms and Conditions would be issued to the client for them to sign, or whoever was legally (Power of Attorney) acting on their behalf. One copy would be sent back to Ladies in Waiting and stored in their file. To see an example of our Terms and Conditions of Service please contact Ladies in Waiting.
All our policies and procedures are held at the Ladies in Waiting office, and are available for anyone to read.
Ladies in Waiting encourage our clients and their families to discuss any queries or concerns with the management, without hesitation, so therefore we can strive to provide a high level of care which enhances and compliments our client’s individual needs.
Latest News
Ladies In Waiting would like to promote our long standing relationship with ‘Lets sing together’ at The Clarke Foley Centre. Janet Austin and Jan Millard have been recognised for their role setting up Let’s Sing Together, a group for people with memory loss and their carers.
Ladies In Waiting became involved in the funding of Lets sing together because we recognised that there was a genuine need for individuals with Dementia and their carers to have a place of safety where they are able to sing and play musical instruments from a variety of music genre.
This event also performs a valuable network / support group for all carers of individuals who have dementia. All welcome.
This group meets on the first Tuesday of every month please contact The Clarke Foley Centre directly on 01943 607016 for details on how to join or to be a volunteer.
