18 June 2011
During a routine inspection
People told us they were involved in drawing up their support plans and making decisions about how and when their support was delivered.
People were generally satisfied that support was provided in a way and at times that suited them. We spoke with all five people whose records we looked at. They told us that they were in agreement with the content of their care plans and these generally reflected how they wanted their care needs to be met. However, one support plan had not been updated to reflect a change in the person's needs. Although the person did tell us that the staff had met their needs despite this.
One person commented that the agency had been flexible and changed the times of their support when they requested it.
We were told by people who use the service that the staff speak with other professionals, for instance social workers, and invite them to meetings on their behalf.
People told us the manager contacted and visited them regularly to discuss their satisfaction with the service. They told us they felt they were able to raise concerns and they felt they would be listened too by both the manager and staff. One person said, 'If I'm not happy I will tell the staff'. Another said that their support worker was nice and listened to their problems.
Overall, people told us that they were happy with the staff that supported them. They said they had a small number of staff providing their support which meant they got to know each other well. One person said, 'They treat me good. They do what I want'. Another person told us told us, 'It's changed for the better since the manager took over the agency.'