7 February 2014
During a routine inspection
People and relatives we spoke with confirmed they were very happy with the care and support that had been provided. One person informed us that, initially, they had been very reticent to accept help, but that the service had been very helpful in setting up an appropriate care package for them. They told us, "They really helped me to settle into it all, and now I have no problems with it ' it has helped enormously that I've had the same two regular girls throughout." Another person said, "I like to be independent, so I do as much as I can, and my carers understand that. They don't take over, or tell me what to do."
The expert by experience commented, 'Clearly, Catchers Care are providing a very reliable, professional standard of care to their customers. It was pleasing to discover such high levels of reliability, and punctuality with care delivered by friendly, caring, well-trained staff. Communication between service-users, carers and office staff seems to be very efficient, and often appears to be very proactive in informing people of delays or changes in circumstances. Complaints were almost non-existent, but where issues had arisen these had been addressed to people's satisfaction.'
We also spoke with three care workers by telephone. They demonstrated that they had a good understanding of their roles and responsibilities. They were also knowledgeable about the individual needs of each person they visited to provide care.
We also gathered evidence of people's experiences of the service by looking at a selection of records. They included care records and care workers' recruitment records. We found that the records we looked at were up to date and well maintained. They also ensured people received care that was safe, appropriate and in accordance with individual wishes and needs.
We asked about the agency's systems for monitoring the quality of the service provided. We were provided with evidence that people had been asked for their views about the service. The provider also provided us with documentary evidence that demonstrated how adverse events, incidents, missed calls, comments and complaints had been audited and monitored.