31 October 2012
During a themed inspection looking at Domiciliary Care Services
We used telephone interviews to people who use the service and to their main carers (a relative or friend) to gain views about the service. Overall we spoke with six people using the service. We visited the office to look at records and talk to the person in charge. We also talked to two members of staff.
People using the service said care workers always treated them with respect and called
them by their preferred name. One person said, "They (the care workers) are very respectful and all lovely girls". Another said, "All the carers are very polite and very professional".
People also told us they felt they had sufficient choices in the care provided. They had
been involved in the setting up of their care, and had been offered choices in the times of the visits. There was also some flexibility in the support given according to need. Someone using the service said, "They go more than the extra mile".
People had also been given information about the agency and generally knew what to do if there were problems or changes to be made to their service. Some people we spoke with recalled completing a questionnaire as part of the agency's own quality monitoring system.
Overall people using the service told us they were satisfied with the service. All the people we spoke with praised the care workers. They were described as 'very kind', 'very good' and 'brilliant'. One person using the service said, "They (the agency) have really nice carers". Another said, "They (the care workers) couldn't do any more than they do". One relative said, "They look after her (the person using the service) really well; I can't fault it". Another relative said, "On the whole we are very satisfied, it (the service) covers our needs".
People also told us the service was reliable and they had never experienced a 'missed call'. Some said they had good continuity and consistency of care with a group of care
workers who were known to them. One person said, "I have quite a lot of carers but I know them all". A relative said, "We have a team of carers and know them all". However four people told us they had periods were there were frequent changes of carers and they did not always know who was coming. Three said this had improved following making a complaint, but that senior 'office staff' had not always taken them seriously until a formal complaint was made. This was discussed fully with the manager. She assured us improvements would be made in the continuity of staff teams as recently recruited staff completed their induction, and also that she would address the concerns of people regarding the responses given by office staff.
Staff spoken with told us they felt properly trained and supported. One said, "There is good support, always some one to ring for help and support" and "Everyone was very helpful when I first started". Staff also said communication within the agency was good and that there was an 'open door' attitude to staff contact and support.