Archived: Caremark (Luton and South Bedfordshire)

People told us that the managers had checked regularly that they were satisfied with the care they received. Where people had raised concerns, they said these had been addressed.

During this review we found that improvements had been made in key areas such as care planning, staff training and quality assurance since our last visit. However, shortfalls remained relating to the system for ensuring medication was administered safely. Since our visit, the manager has provided us with a report detailing how this has been addressed. The impact of this will be assessed during our next review.

People told us that staff treated them and their homes with respect. They said that staff listened to what they told them and took on board their comments. One person told us, 'We do have a laugh. The staff are very nice.' People told us they felt the agency tried to send the same care workers so that they got to know their needs and preferences well.

People told us that new staff always visit with an experienced care worker before providing care on their own.

The people we spoke with told us that the staff who visit them generally meet their needs when they visited. They said that staff consulted them about how to deliver the care and generally did this in a way that suited them. One person told us that, 'Staff do everything I ask them to do'.

People told us they were involved in writing their care plans. However, when we discussed these with three people, we found that only the care plan completed most recently, in August 2011, accurately reflected the person's current needs. The two other people told us that their needs had changed since their plans were written. People told us that staff generally provided the care that they needed and in the way they preferred. One person commented that two care workers who visit them were, 'Very efficient'.

Everyone we spoke with told us that care workers stay for the full amount of time unless they request them not too. People told us that there were generally fewer missed calls than when we concluded our last review in July 2011.

We saw one person's medication being administered and talked with some of the staff who provided care to this person. We were concerned that the practice was unsafe and there was no audit trail of the medication that had been given to the person.

People told us that they had been asked if they were satisfied with the service provided by the agency in a various ways. People generally said that they felt the agency takes on board what they say. For instance, one person told us that the provider addressed a concern about the way a member of staff dressed when they visited.

One person told us that they felt that the provider liked to receive feedback about the things the agency are not getting right so they can improve things.

People told us that they had seen improvements in staffing levels and invoicing since our last review was concluded in July 2011.

In general, comments about the care and support provided by care workers were positive. One person told us, 'The carers we have got are brilliant. They are doing everything they can to help.' People told us that they felt the agency tried to send in the same care workers so that they got to know their needs and preferences well.

We were told that people felt they were treated with respect by the care workers and that care workers were mindful of their dignity when assisting them with intimate tasks.

Everyone we asked said they trusted the care workers to carry out the support and care they required when they visited. Two people said they had raised concerns about the competency of specific care workers to carry out particular tasks, such as cooking a lunch time meal. They told us the agency had listened to them and addressed these issues.

Some people raised concerns about how the care was organised and whether the agency had sufficient staff to deliver the care they required. One person told us, 'I'm basically satisfied and happy with the carers, but I am worried about the organisation in the office. I think they are having staffing problems.' Three of the seven people we spoke with told us that at least one visit has been missed in the month leading up to this review. People told us that the provider had apologised and acknowledged there had been some staffing problems which they were addressing.