30 April 2014
During a routine inspection
Is the service caring?
People told us that they received consistent and respectful support from care staff and felt able to make choices and changes when required. Care staff told us that they were well supported and supervised by the agency management team so that they could provide safe care and support to people.
Is the service responsive?
We saw that people's personal care and support needs were assessed and met. This also included people's individual choices and preferences as to how they liked their care and support to be provided. People we spoke with told us that they were involved in the reviewing of their care needs and were able to make changes to their care. It was noted that reviews of documentation had been made to more accurately reflect the support being provided by care staff.
Is the service safe?
Risk assessments regarding people's individual needs were carried out and measures were in place to minimise these. Carers understood their roles and responsibilities in making sure people were protected from the risk of abuse. The provider had ensured that care staff were kept up to date with safeguarding training and reporting procedures.
Is the service effective?
We found that carers were knowledgeable about people's individual care and support needs. People using the service that we spoke with, and two relatives, confirmed that their carers provided consistent support both in their own home and when accessing facilities in the wider community. The manager confirmed that care and support documentation had been updated and reviewed to accurately reflect people's needs.
Is the service well led?
Care staff that we spoke with told us that they felt supported and trained to safely provide care and support. People using the service and their relatives that we spoke with told us that they felt they were listened to and support was consistently and safely provided. Quality assurance systems were in place to audit the care and services provided. However, procedures regarding the storage and monitoring of staff training records need improvement.