The Care Quality Commission

Archived: Carewatch Reading and West Berkshire

Unit 5 The Chambers, East Street, Reading, Berkshire, RG1 4JF (0118) 957 2844

Provided and run by:
Regional Care Services (Winchester) Limited

All Inspections

2 May 2013

During a routine inspection

We spoke with nine people who use the service and/or their relatives. They told us they were fully involved in planning their care and support. They said their needs were assessed at the first visit and a plan of care was drawn up that met their needs. They said their individual preferences and wishes were recorded in their care plan.

The people we spoke with were very positive about the quality of service provided by the service and the kindness and approachability of the staff. One person commented "the staff are always kind and helpful and they usually arrive on time". One person said "I always have the same care staff; they know what I need and will often do other little jobs around the house to help me". A relative told us "I can't fault them the staff from Carewatch seem very caring and well trained".

We heard people answering the telephone in the agency's office during our visit. The staff were courteous and respectful to people on the telephone. Staff were knowledgeable about people's individual needs and were responsive to requests and changes. People confirmed the service was good at contacting them if there were any unexpected changes to the times of visits or the staff visiting. The service effectively monitored the quality of services provided.

At the time of our inspection the service did not have a registered manager in post. However, we were informed by the Regional Manager that a new manager had been recruited and was to start in June 2013.