Welcome to the Bath and North East Somerset Community Meals
Service. I hope this leaflet will assist you by
providing the information you will need if you become a user of our
service. It includes information on the kind of service we
provide and how we will decide with you what help meets your
particular needs. It will also inform you of the cost and
type of meals we provide.
Both our own and external surveys of service users who receive
home care or community meals show high levels of satisfaction with
the services.
However, if you are not happy with the service you are receiving
there is information on how to make a complaint.
Should you require any further information, please feel free to
contact the Community Meals Service. There is a telephone number
for you to ring at the end of the leaflet. I do hope you will
find this information useful.
George Evans
Assistant Team Manager Adult Duty Service
Who is able to receive this service?
The Community Meals Service, like other services that we
provide, is only available to people who have received an
assessment of their needs under the Community Care Act 1992 and are
deemed eligible. We have eligibility criteria which follow
government guidelines called Fair Access to Care. Only people
whose ability to live independently is under a critical or
substantial risk if they do not receive a service are
eligible. Where people are able to meet their own needs for
meals, for example by using a commercial frozen meals delivery
service and reheating the meal using a microwave oven or other
means, we would expect them to do so. We can provide
information on commercially available services.
Hot meals are only provided to people who are unable to heat up
a meal safely.
An assessment is really a conversation about your
situation. You can ask for an assessment by contacting the
Adult Duty Team on 01225 477000, or someone can do this on your
behalf. If you would like to know more about the assessment
process, please see our information sheet ‘A Handy
Guide to Community Care’.
Help Us to Help You
Cancellations
Please contact the Community
Meals Office on (01225) 394350 (answerphone out of office hours) or
the Adult Duty Team on (01225) 396292 or tell the driver if you
wish to cancel the delivery of meals either long or short
term. This will include any hospital /doctors/chiropody or
other appointments, or if you are going out with friends or family
for the day. We must be notified before 9.30am on the day you
wish to cancel. The Community Meals Office is open from 8.30am –
5pm Monday – Thursday and until 4.30pm on Friday.
Failure to notify the office may result in you being charged for
a wasted meal. In some circumstances it may be necessary for
us to take action if we think there is a possibility that you are
ill or unable to answer the door .
What we cannot do for you
To ensure both the quality and safety of the meal we deliver, we
are not able to leave a meal for you unless the delivery driver has
seen you personally
IMPORTANT Please do not ask the driver to leave
meals, or leave notes on your door.
What kind of meals can I receive?
The meals comprise of two courses. The main course is hot
and may consist of meat, fish with vegetables and a gravy or a
sauce. The sweet may be a hot or a cold one, such as a fruit
pie, or a sponge pudding both with custard, a trifle or
mousse. Alternatively we offer a variety of milk puddings, or
cheese and biscuits. An example from the daily menu:
- Roast beef or fish in parsley sauce with potato and
carrots
- Bakewell tart and custard
Each course is delivered in an aluminium foil container.
You can eat the meal directly from the container or you may prefer
to transfer the meal to your own plate, which should have been
warmed.
Weekend and Bank Holiday frozen meals can be supplied to
supplement your normal Monday to Friday meals service. These
are delivered by the driver at the same time as the Hot
Meals.
All meals are nutritionally balanced. We can supply
a range of meals to cater for all dietary requirements, such as
diabetic, gluten free, low fat, and soft food. We also have a
comprehensive range of vegetarian meals. A range of meals to take
account of cultural and religious requirements can be provided,
please talk to the person who assessed your needs about any
specific requirements you may have. We also have a range of
ethnic meals available.
If you receive hot meals it is best to eat the meal as soon as
you receive it. It is not recommended that any part of the
meal be retained for consumption later in the day. It should
never be reheated once it has got cold. It is best to enjoy
your meal whilst it is fresh.
Frozen Meals can be stored in a freezer for up to 3 months.
The Community Meals Service will:
- Respect your dignity, privacy and independence
- Respond promptly to your queries or complaints
- Not discriminate in respect to age, gender, race or
sexuality.
What will the service cost?
You will be charged for each meal you receive. The
current cost of the meals (Main course and Sweet ) is £3.80.
We will notify you of any changes to the cost in advance.
You can pay daily or weekly by cash or cheque, (made payable to
Bath & North East Somerset Council) or by a monthly
account.
If at any time you have any queries or need any advise about
paying for your meals then please telephone the Adult Duty desk on:
(01225) 396292.
What will happen on the days you receive a meal
The meals are normally delivered between 11.15 am and 1.30
pm. Our delivery staff carry an identification badge, if you
are in any doubt you can always check by telephoning
(01225) 394350. You should not allow anyone to enter
your home if you are unsure of their identity. Whilst a regular
delivery time cannot be guaranteed, we aim to deliver your meal at
approximately the same time each day.
Who to contact if you have an enquiry, concern or complaint
about the service
We aim to provide a quality service and we are committed to
resolving complaints as quickly as possible. If things go
wrong you can contact the Community Meals Office who will
investigate your complaint fully.
We expect our staff to respond to your concerns and to
investigate your complaints. If you are dissatisfied with the
response you have received you may wish to make a complaint
to an officer within the Adult Duty Team on:
(01225) 396292. A Duty Officer will speak to you and
will try and resolve the issues with you.
If at any stage you feel that your comments or complaints have not
been satisfactorily dealt, with you can contact the Departments
Complaints Procedure Manager, on (01225) 397931
We will occasionally send you out a Questionnaire about the
service which will help us to improve the service we give to
you.
What to do if your need for the service changes
Please inform the Community Meals Office on 01225 394350 or
the Adult Duty desk on (01225) 396292, if your needs for the
service change. This may include changes to days of the week,
or to dietary needs.
How to contact us:
- To cancel or change your meals: Community Meals Office -
01225 394350 or the Adult Duty team on 01225 396292.
- To request a reassessment of your needs - Adult Duty Team -
01225 396292.
