Archived: Advantage Healthcare - Colchester

We spoke with several people who used the service and they told us that the staff took good care of them. One relative told us, "On the whole we are really satisfied, I feel safe when they are there. Everything is running smoothly and [my relative] is happy which is the main thing."

People who used the service, their representatives and staff were asked for their views about their care and treatment and they were acted on. We saw performance feedback forms which had been completed by people who used the service. These provided feedback on how well the nursing and care staff understood people's needs, provided the services they wanted and listened to their concerns.

There was a system in place to ensure that people had their comments and complaints listened to and acted on, without the fear that they would be discriminated against for making a complaint.

People who used the service told us they were treated with dignity and respect and staff always worked to the best of their abilities. We saw evidence that showed staff were recruited properly to ensure that they were suitable to carry out their role. We saw that staff were properly skilled, supervised and updated to develop and maintain their skills. Relatives of people using the service told us that staff went through a rigorous training programme and were very professional in their work. The provider had effective systems in place to monitor the quality and safety of the service provided and make improvements where necessary.