Archived: Meritum Independent Living (Ashford)

People we spoke with told us they were generally satisfied with the service they received and that their care was personalised to their needs. One person said, “They are very good, they are friendly and chatty and treat me like a person rather than a number off their list”. Care was delivered by a team of care workers to ensure people had continuity. One person said, “I know them all now and they know how I like things done, so it works very well”. Some people felt that some care workers were at times rushed and felt this was due to a lack of travel time incorporated into their work schedules. One person said, that the relief care workers “are not always so good, often not being as punctual and sometimes too quick and too fast with me”. Most people were aware of their care plan folder, although not always of their care plan. We found that care plans contained information about people’s needs and preferences. People confirmed that they had given their consent and been involved in discussions about their care, sometimes with a family member, when the service had first started. One person said, “”They are very good, very kind and they don’t come in and take over”. People felt safe using the service and when staff were present in their home.

People felt that the service generally recruited the right calibre of staff. However people felt if staff were not up to standard the service was “good at letting the bad ones go”. One person said, “The good ones will always go the extra mile, asking me if I need anything else done before they go”. Most people said they had been asked for their views and feedback on the service provided.

People that used the service told us they were asked their views about their care. We saw that everyone had a clear plan of care that reflected their views and preferences. Where people needed help to take their medication this was only done by staff that had been trained. Staff told us that they were given the training they needed and were supported in their role.

People told us they were asked for feedback about how the service was run. There were effective systems in place for monitoring people’s care and making changes to their plan as needed. The provider of the service regularly reviewed all aspects of the service to check it was meeting the required standards.