People whose care we looked at were unable to speak to us themselves but we spoke with their relatives to find out their views and experience of using the agency. People we spoke with said that they were consulted and involved in the care provided to their relative and had given their consent for the agency to provide the support required.
The files we looked at contained care plans and risk assessments. Plans we looked at provided staff with sufficient information about the care support required. We saw that assessments and support plans were being reviewed and updated as needed. People we spoke with said they had copies of care plans in their homes.
People we spoke with told us that staff are always polite and treated their relative with respect. We were told carers are helpful and friendly, one person told us, 'I know my son looks forward to seeing his carer in the morning'.
We looked at a sample of staff work schedules. These showed calls are allocated consistently and that staff were given sufficient time to carry out all the tasks required. People told us carers stayed long enough to do everything they needed and that staff take their time and do not rush. One person said "My mother needs a lot of support the staff work at her pace and never rush her".
Staff we spoke with said they had regular training and felt supported to do their job well. We were told that staff in the office keeps them updated of any changes in their work schedules or with the clients they visit.
Staff we spoke with knew what they would do to keep people safe. Staff spoken with knew about the whistle blowing procedure and said that they would have no hesitation reporting poor practice to the office.
People we spoke with said the agency asked them if they were happy with the service. People told us 'I am more than happy with the care my mother receives', and 'I have no complaints at all about my sons care, actually I am very satisfied.'
People we spoke with said that they would contact the office if they had any concerns but had never had cause to do this. Care staff we spoke with said they had confidence that any concerns they reported to the staff in the office would be dealt with promptly.