We spoke to a total of ten people who use the agency about the care they receive. Most people were very satisfied with the way they were treated by their care workers and described them as respectful, courteous and kind. The majority of people also reported that care workers were mindful of their privacy and dignity when helping them with their personal care. They told us that they felt that their regular care workers understood their needs well and were aware of their preferences. People knew who they needed to talk to if they wanted to change any aspect of their care.People who use the service told us that the agency had liaised with their respective care managers in order to review how their needs could be met. We did not receive any concerns about the way the agency has worked with other professionals.
People who use the service told us that care workers always wore gloves and aprons when providing their personal care. People were very satisfied that care workers were conscientious in this area although they were not clear that all care workers washed their hands when visiting them.
We visited five people who use the service, all of whom required some support with medication or the administration of creams. All five people told us that they received the assistance they needed to take their medication and that care workers always remembered to apply their creams. People told us that they had confidence in care workers' ability to use equipment safely, for example, where they needed a hoist to be able to transfer. They reported that they always received visits from two care workers where this was required for them to be able to mobilise safely.
Most people with whom we had contact during our review reported that they felt their care workers were suitable for the work they were employed to do. Comments we received indicated that the service people received from the agency was reliable and generally very punctual. People told us that they had never experienced missed visits and had confidence that someone from the agency would always turn up to provide their care. Some individuals felt the service could improve by ensuring that they were informed of the names of care workers who were due to visit them where visits were marked as 'unallocated' on their weekly rotas.
Some people commented that their care was not as good when their regular care workers were not working or were on leave because the carers supplied on these occasions were not as familiar with their needs. They felt that the agency needed to make improvements in this area to promote continuity of care.
Three people we talked to commented that at times care workers appeared to be in a rush when providing their care. Two people told us that this had impacted on them in a negative way because care workers had not completed tasks as thoroughly as they should.
Nine out of ten people who we made contact with as part of our review told us that they felt confident about reporting any concerns to the manager and would not hesitate to do so. Some people gave us examples of situations where they felt their comments had been listened to and changes made as a result.
People who use the service did not voice any concerns about the way their personal information and records were handled by the agency.