24 April and 7, 9 May 2014
During a routine inspection
The inspection team was made up of one inspector. They visited the service, spoke with staff and people who used the service or others acting on their behalf. They answered our five questions; is the service caring? Is the service responsive? Is the service safe? Is the service effective? Is the service well led?
Is the service caring?
People were supported by kind and attentive staff. Staff we spoke with demonstrated a good knowledge and understanding of the people they supported. People who used the service said, "They are good girls, all do their best, I have no concerns."
Is the service responsive to people's needs?
People's care and support needs had been assessed and care plans developed that detailed the care and support that people needed. Staff we spoke with demonstrated a good understanding of the care and support needs of people who used the service. They were able to tell us the preferences of people who used the service and the current level of support provided.
We saw that the service had a complaints procedure in place and that was made widely available to people who used the service. We found that where complaints had arisen, investigations were conducted in line with the policy.
Is the service safe?
We saw that the service carried out a number of risk assessments to ensure the safety of people who used the service and staff. We saw that there were risk assessments considering potential hazards in the home environment. Care records were up to date and captured the current needs of the people who used the service. People who used the service told us that they were aware of the records that were maintained in relation to their care and support. Staff we spoke with told us that they had received appropriate training to enable them to deliver support safely.
Is the service effective?
People who used the service told us that overall they were happy with the service and that they had no concerns or issues. They told us, "Overall I am happy with them.'
We saw that the service had systems in place to monitor calls to ensure that no late or missed calls occurred. We spoke to people who used the service. One person told us that they did not experience missed calls but that they no longer received the same carer for their calls. This person also told us that they did not feel that this impacted greatly on the care and support they received as they had met all of the carers, but that it would be there preference to have the same carer where possible.
Is the service well led?
The service had mechanisms for identifying and addressing areas for improvement throughout. We found that the service had mechanisms in place to gather the views and opinions of people who use the service and that action was taken to address this feedback.