26 July 2012
During a themed inspection looking at Domiciliary Care Services
We carried out fifteen telephone interviews and four home visits to people who used the service and to their main care givers (a relative or friends) to gain views about the service. We also spoke with eight of the staff members who worked for the agency.
People told us that Home Instead provided good quality care and offered a reliable service. People spoke positively about their care givers [this is the job title given to the care workers by this agency] and that they fully supported their care needs. People also said that their care givers spoke with them in a calm and respectful way which respected their dignity.
People we spoke with told us they were given choices as to what they needed care givers to do for them. They said that they were involved in making decisions about their care and support package and they understood the choices available to them. Comments included, 'Yes, I know I am in charge of things', 'They (care givers) are polite and understand it is my home', 'They (care givers) give regard to our feelings and views', 'The girl who comes is very courteous', 'The girls are all very good, they do whatever I ask and will help me with anything.'
People told us that an assessment of their needs had been carried out when they started receiving support from the agency. This had then been used by the staff and with the person to produce a care plan and risk assessments for them to work to. Everyone we spoke with said they had a care folder with all the details of their assessments and plans. Comments included, 'They asked me what I wanted', 'I could tell them the types of things I needed help with and for how long.'
People confirmed that they felt safe with the care givers who were visiting them and did not feel in any way threatened or concerned when the care workers were around. During the home visits and telephone calls they told us they were respected and listened to. They knew they could speak with a senior or the manager and would have no problem doing so if they had any concerns.
All of the people we spoke with made positive comments about the staff members who supported them. Comments from the people we visited or contacted by telephone included, 'My carer is lovely, 10 out of 10', another person said, 'It is a lovely lady who visits.'
The people who spoke to us said they were confident that their care giver would recognise any significant change in their needs and would help arrange appropriate changes to their support.
People told us they were regularly asked if they were happy with the care and the service provided. They thought the agency was open to suggestions and actively sought views to help and improve the service provided. One person we visited said, 'The office phoned me regularly to ask if things are alright', another person said, 'I have no worries or concerns, everything has been fine.'