The Care Quality Commission

Archived: 47-49 Cyprus Road

Alyestone, Leicester, Leicestershire, LE2 8QT (0116) 283 9270

Provided and run by:
Guardian Homecare (Leicester) Limited

All Inspections

15 November 2012

During a routine inspection

As part of our inspection on this domiciliary care agency we spoke with four people who used the service, the friend of someone using the service, the registered manager of the service and four members of staff working at the service.

People using the service were generally happy with the care they received. One person told us, "I'm quite happy with it. It's improved a lot in recent times." Another person we spoke with commented that, "All my friends and acquaintances say I look much better since I've been in their care. It's wonderful."

Three out of the four members of staff we spoke with reported to be happy working at the service. They told us they felt supported by the management and said there was enough training offered to them. One staff member said, "If I've got any problems I phone the manager and she sorts it out." One senior carer told us they did not believe the service employed enough carers and that management often had to step in to cover any shortfalls. They told us, "There's not enough carers. Definitely not. I have to cover calls every weekend."

We reviewed the care plans at the service. These plans were well presented, easy to follow and contained adequate information. We found that there was enough staff employed by the agency and that the service was monitoring the quality of care being delivered.

16 November 2011

During an inspection in response to concerns

Service users and their relatives told us that they were satisfied with the quality of the care provided. On occasion, service users requiring 2:1 support were supported by only 1 carer. Most service users and relatives we spoke to told us that carers were often late and sometimes did not arrive at all. The manager and director told us that the effect of higher than expected sickness absence in the 6 weeks preceding our visit had been exacerbated by difficulties with recruiting carers in the Market Harborough area. Those difficulties had, the director told us, resulted in late and missed calls. The director believed that that the worst of the operational difficulties had passed by the time of our visit.