13 June 2011
During a routine inspection
People told us they were very happy with the care they received. One person said 'you can't fault the carers, they are wonderful', another person said 'my regular carer is wonderful and goes the extra mile'. A third person said 'I can't speak highly enough of the carers'. Another person said that on the whole the carers were good but added 'you always get the odd one that doesn't seem to care as much; they do what they have to then leave'.
A relative told us that the carers were very helpful and always asked if they needed anything else in addition to the care they provided.
People receive a rota from the agency providing the name of the staff and the time they will be coming. However, the many of the people we spoke with told us they receive a rota that has 'unallocated' recorded where a carers name should be. This meant they did not know in advance who their carer would be on that date. Some people found this very frustrating. One person said 'it's like waiting for a stranger to come to your house'. People told us they usually have the same carer which they like. One person said 'I have a great relationship with my regular carer, although all the carers are lovely it is much harder when it is someone who doesn't know me'.
People told us that, on the whole, carers arrived on time but occasionally they did not. They said that although they had the contact details of the agency when this happened it was harder when they did not know who the carer was.
People and relatives told us that carers were always kind, caring and respectful. They felt that staff were very helpful, skilled and competent to do their work. They said that carers used appropriate protective clothing when delivering care.
People confirmed they were involved in the content of their care plans and said they were reviewed regularly. They told us they were asked by the agency for feedback on the services they received and felt listened to and said that action was taken when they raised concerns.
People told us they were provided with information about the agency which included contact numbers of the agency and the out of hours team. During visits to people's homes we read people's folders and found they contained this information.
People and relatives told us they are provided with information about how to raise concerns and complain. People said that usually they tell their carer who will then raise it with the agency. Other people said they phone the agency to raise an issue. Everyone said that they felt listened to and said the agency acts quickly to resolve the issue.