Archived: North Tyneside Home Care Associates Limited

We looked at 10 care records of people who used the service, visited four people in their homes and our expert by experience interviewed 21 people over the telephone about the care they received. People told us that the service had improved in the last few months, although there were still times that regular carers did not always visit. People who used the service told us, 'They are guys who I like and trust and that is important', 'I am very happy with the service provided. There is nothing they could do to make it better.' People our expert by experience spoke with told us, 'Delighted with the service, it is very flexible and the carers are good at what they do'; 'The carers are very pleasant and are careful to protect my dignity when they are washing and dressing me.'

The deputy manager told us that there had been a concerted effort to recruit staff over the past few months. She said that they currently had a rolling advert in the local paper to try and recruit staff into the service. Two relatives told our expert by experience they had had problems with timekeeping and carers not turning up. They each had made a complaint and met with a manager and said that the situation had improved. One person told our expert by experience, 'I am very happy with the carers but they are always pushed to the limit.'

People we spoke with told us that overall they were happy with the staff. They said that staff were not usually late or if they were then they were made aware that things were running late. People told us, 'They always tell me if they might be a bit late, but I know they are always going to turn up' and 'They have never been late or not turned up. They always turn up.'

The deputy manager told us that since the previous inspection she had now introduced a system to ensure that any comments or concerns were brought to her attention. We looked at the provider's formal complaints records. We noted that there was a record of the nature of the complaint, evidence that the complaint had been fully investigated and a record of the response to the person who had complained.

Care and treatment was not always planned and delivered in a way that was intended to ensure people's safety and welfare. One person Said, 'When X (regular carer) doesn't come I always have to ring up and ask them to send somebody. It means that I don't get a shower.'

We found that staff worked with other professionals to ensure that care was delivered in a coordinated way.

There were not always enough qualified, skilled and experienced staff to meet people's needs. People told us, 'Girls at weekends, never regular people, are late and usually rushed' and 'The girls get calls all the time asking them to fit in other calls.'

We found staff were supported to gain appropriate qualifications and provided with training to effectively undertake their work.

People's complaints were not always fully resolved, where possible, to their satisfaction. Comments received included, 'I rang once because a carer told him (relative) to stay in bed. They said someone would ring back but they never did' and 'I rang them once. They said someone would be there shortly but they never did. I never heard from them.'

People's care records and staff personal records were maintained and updated regularly. Records were kept securely and could be located promptly when needed.

We viewed care records for six people. We found that care needs were assessed, planned and delivered in a way which met people's individual needs. We found that people had knowledge of, and had consented to, their care plans.

We found there were appropriate arrangements in place to assist people with their medication in a safe and suitable manner.

Whilst a comprehensive induction was given to new staff, we found that long standing members of staff were not always supported or developed in their roles.

We found the provider had systems in place to assess and monitor the quality of the service. People told us they felt comfortable discussing any concerns they had with the manager or with staff, and most people told us their concerns were always acted upon.