23 February 2011
During a routine inspection
A number of people told us that staff had missed calls, or the calls were very late. This was mainly at weekends, when some of the regular staff did not work. People understood that staff might sometimes be late because of public transport.
People told us that their personal care, or that provided to their relative, was carried out in a way which respected a person's privacy and dignity. People said that the care was gentle and they had no concerns. Two people told us that the short-term, Re-ablement service had been very good.
People told us that they had complained verbally to the agency when they had needed to and felt confident that they could let the agency know if there were any serious concerns. However, some people felt the agency's office was not well organised. Several people said that they had not been visited or contacted on a regular basis by the office staff, or had their support reviewed.
Overall, people had good support from their regular carers but the agency did not maintain good communication or provide an efficient weekend service.