Archived: Comfort Call Durham

We saw people's care needs were properly assessed and plans of care were drawn up to suit their individual needs. People who used the service, the relatives or representatives were involved with the plan of care and were asked for their opinions on the level of care required. People who used the service were encouraged to carry out every day activities and staff employed by the agency were trained in re-ablement to assist people in doing this.

We saw staff employed by the agency were provided with appropriate training and equipment to prevent the spread of infection.

We looked at the provider’s quality assurance files and policy. We saw the provider carried out checks to ensure people were cared for appropriately. In addition we saw the provider carried out annual surveys to assess the quality of care. The provider also completed quality audits for other areas of the service being provided.

The relationships between staff and the people who they supported in the community were good and personal support was provided in a way that promoted and protected their privacy and dignity. This was confirmed when we visited and spoke with three people who used the service, two relatives and three staff.

Suitable arrangements were in place for handling complaints and for protecting people from abuse. There was a competent staff team who had the training, skills and experience to meet the specific conditions of the people who they supported.