Archived: Advantage Healthcare - Farnborough

People who used the service or others acting on their behalf who paid the provider for the services they received, knew how much they were expected to pay and understood their obligations and responsibilities.

People told us that on most occasions they were cared for by the same members of staff. One person said 'Oh yes I have the same staff every day most of the time apart from when they are on holiday.' People told us staff were very never late for a call. One person told us 'The carers always arrive when they are supposed to.' Another person told us 'If staff were going to be delayed we would be informed by office staff.'

People knew senior staff well and received regular visits from them and they kept in contact by phone. One person said "X turns up to help the girls out sometimes."

People were able to feed back on the quality of the services provided by staff. They talked about the performance review questionnaires they had been asked to complete. One person said 'Oh yes I regularly get asked to fill one of these in.' Another person said 'I often get a call from the girls at the office to find out how things are going.'

Local authority and health care professionals told us the agency staff were proactive regarding identifying people's changing care needs and involved them as required. They told us people's needs were looked after well.

Staff recruitment practices and procedures were robust and ensured that people were cared for by staff that were fit to do their jobs.

One person told us "I have been having care from the agency for a long time and I have never had to complain". Another person told us " If I had any concerns I would contact the office staff". Relatives spoken with told us that that on occasions where they had minor concerns, they discussed them with staff and they were dealt with immediately.