Archived: Priory Home Care Service

People told us how good the service was and they were always treated with courtesy and respect. One person said "The carers always understand what I need and they always respect my privacy".

We observed that care plans were based around each person's individual care and support needs and were reviewed every six months. We noted that care plans contained risk assessments that were linked to people's care needs. For example, moving handling and transfer assessments to support people's mobility to ensure that care that was delivered, was safe.

We observed that safeguarding and whistleblowing policies were in place and we noted that staff had received training in safeguarding. Staff told us that safeguarding training had helped them to understand the different types of abuse and the action they would take if they suspected potential abuse had taken place.

Staff told us they attended a range of training courses and we saw this had been documented in the three staff files we reviewed. Staff received supervision and appraisals which were clearly documented. We identified that mandatory training was not up to date for all staff and suggested the provider should note the importance of regular mandatory training for all staff.

We noted people and their families had completed satisfaction surveys and had all rated the service as excellent or very good.

People we spoke with were very positive about the service they received. One person told us that he 'couldn't speak highly enough' of the care provided to his mother." We looked at two care plans and have asked the provider to note that care plans and assessments should be comprehensive and clearly identify assessed needs and actions agreed to support these needs.

Staff we spoke with told us the signs they would look for that may suggest possible abuse and told us what action they would take if they suspected that someone may be abused.

Staff told us that they felt well supported and had the necessary training to do the work but had not received supervision or appraisal in the last year. We suggested that the organisation should note that it is important that staff receive regular supervision and appraisals.

People we spoke with told us that they had been asked by the manager 'several times about the service they had received.' We could not find any record of this and we have suggested that the provider should note it is important to document these checks.