Archived: HM Care
All Inspections
4 July 2012
During a routine inspection
We spent part of a day at the H M Care office where we spoke with the provider and looked at records. We also spoke by telephone with seven people who used the service, three relatives and six care workers.
The people we spoke with told us that their care needs were being met by the care workers. They were satisfied that staff gave them the care and support that they needed and that had been agreed. People said that they felt safe and that their care workers were polite and respectful towards them. However, several people commented that they felt that some of the younger staff needed more supervision. People said they usually had a regular group of care workers and liked the continuity this gave them. One person told us that their care workers were 'very considerate and do their best to accommodate me'. Another person commented 'they do a fab job, they come in smiling'. All the people we spoke to said they found the service reliable and that their care workers arrived on time except in exceptional circumstances.
The staff we spoke to were generally positive and said they thought H M Care provided people with good care. Staff had varying views on the quality of communication within the agency. Some felt this was good but others said that the provider was busy and therefore not always available to speak to.
We found that the provider had carried out the required checks when they had recruited staff to work at the agency. However, they had not always considered the implications of information obtained when making decisions to employ staff.
The arrangements for the initial training of new staff were informal and did not follow national guidance from Skills for Care. This meant that although they were 'shadowing' more experienced staff, care workers with H M Care were starting work without having had suitable training to make sure they were competent to do so.
The provider was not managing some aspects of the service effectively.