We carried out a themed inspection looking at domiciliary care services. We asked people to tell us what it was like to receive services from Carewatch Scarborough and Selby as part of a targeted inspection programme of domiciliary care agencies, with particular regard to how people's dignity was upheld and how they can make choices about their care. The inspection team was led by a CQC inspector joined by an "expert by experience", people who have experience of using services and who can provide that perspective.We used telephone interviews and home visits to people who use the service and to their main carers (a relative or friend) to gain views about the service. We contacted 29 people as part of this inspection, including four people who we visited in their own home.
People told us that staff respected their need for privacy and dignity. One person told us that staff would always ensure they were 'covered up' appropriately whilst they were being assisted with personal care. Another person said, 'The staff never embarrass me with anything, they are good to me.'
Everyone that we spoke with said staff used their preferred name. One person said, once they had got to know staff, they would tell them that they could use their first name, and that this had always been respected by staff. Another person told us that their relative had always been spoken with in a respectful manner.
People told us that they were satisfied with the support they received from care workers and from the agency. They said, 'All of the staff are very helpful', 'The staff are kind, they remind and encourage' and 'All of the staff do what I need but some do it better than others.'
People told us that they felt safe when care workers from the agency were in their home. They told us that care workers managed their money safely and in a way that protected them from the risk of financial abuse. One person who received a service from the agency spoke about the trust they had in the care workers who did the shopping for them.
People that we spoke with told us that most care workers displayed the skills needed to carry out their role effectively. One person said, 'I have had the carers for 5 years and I have never had a problem' and another person told us that their mobility had improved since receiving care from Carewatch due to encouragement from the staff.
One person who used the service said that they thought staff needed more training. They said, 'Staff know about caring but they do not know what it is like to be old and to be receiving care. We can't use our bodies like we did before and that is frustrating!' They suggested that it might be useful to involve people who used the service in staff training programmes.
One relative told us that the care workers were able to show understanding of a person's emotional needs by 'Being patient when people get frustrated with not being able to do things' and another relative said, 'They make dad feel important and that they care.'
Not everyone that we spoke with knew who to contact if they had a complaint but most people said they would speak to a care worker, a supervisor or someone at the agency office. Most people said that they had no need to complain as they were satisfied with the service. One person said, 'I would definitely ring the office if I had a complaint.'
A relative told us that on one occasion the person using the service had been unhappy about how a care worker had assisted them. The relative said they were able to speak to the care worker directly, their comments were listened to and the care worker had learnt from their feedback.