9 November 2011
During a routine inspection
All of the people we spoke to expressed very positive relations with the staff who provided support and care, and good relations with the agency's office based coordinator and management staff. They told us that staff worked sensitively and carefully and 'they all know what to do and are very careful in how they do it' and that 'everything is done to my satisfaction, some go the extra mile for me if I ask, and sometimes without asking'. We were also told about the flexibility of the arrangements being made and how the agency was responsive to requests to change things. Staff told us that 'all the carers have a good sense of responsibility; this comes from training and the expectations people have about the service to be delivered', that 'at the end of the day it's all about you and your client' and that 'we're part of the family, everybody puts a lot of trust in us'.
Patterns of care delivery worked well for the people being supported. A very small number commented on the high numbers of staff supporting them but not that this was a particular problem. Nobody expressed any major concerns with the timekeeping aspects of the service.
People told us in general terms about their confidence in the agency's staff to work safely and the staff that we spoke to all told us that they had received proper training about abuse of vulnerable people and they demonstrated an understanding about their responsibilities to report any concerns.