10 February 2011
During a routine inspection
Staff were described as 'very obliging', 'very reliable, very gentle', 'cheerful and happy when they come in', 'pleasant, they joke with my husband to help keep his spirits up' and 'very friendly'. People also gave examples of how staff had catered to their individual needs, such as 'she respected my independence, but was very observant and picked up when I needed assistance'. One person commented that 'they seem to be a better type of staff than other agencies we've used'.
We were told that the service was reliable and well organised. People also said that the managers were accessible and professional. For example, 'very pleasant and professional at the same time', 'they put me at ease pretty much straight away' and 'it's nice to be able to get hold of someone, even out of hours, someone who's interested'.
Staff who work for the service felt that they were given good information about people's needs before they visited them. They also felt that they had received good training and support and that rotas were well organised, allowing them time to do their jobs properly. Staff comments included 'I've never been left to go into someone without knowing what they need' and 'it's a very, very good level of care'.
North Yorkshire County Council told us that they were not aware of any concerns about this service. They also told us that they had received good feedback from the council's brokerage staff about the service and had found the providers of Easby Healthcare to be enthusiastic and willing to make any improvements that were suggested.