Archived: Hartfields Domiciliary Care Agency

At the last inspection, the service was rated Good.

At this inspection we found the service remained Good.

People said they felt safe and comfortable with the care workers who visited them. Staff were trained in safeguarding people and knew how to report any concerns. There were enough staff to make sure people received their allocated visits at the right times. The provider had robust recruitment and selection procedures in place so staff were thoroughly vetted before they started working for the service.

The service had made improvements to how medicines were overseen to make sure this was safe for the people who needed support with their medicines.

Staff were well-trained and supervised to provide the right care and support to people who used the service. People said they received help to manage their meals and nutrition where this was required. Staff worked with health and social care professionals to make sure people’s health was maintained.

People and relatives said care staff were caring, kind and thoughtful. They had good relationships, especially with regular care workers. People were treated with dignity and respect. They told us their privacy and confidentiality was protected and staff went the “extra mile” to help them.

People’s care records were personalised about their needs and preferences, so staff had information about how to provide individualised support in the way that people wanted it. People were given clear information about how to make a complaint. They told us any issues they had raised had been dealt with in a quick and professional way.

People and relatives felt the service was well-managed, the registered manager was approachable and the morale of staff was very good. Staff and health and social care professionals said the service was well-run, efficient and worked very well with other agencies in the community.

People were regularly asked for their feedback about the service. They said the service was very well-run and they

Further information is in the detailed findings below

The five health professionals spoken to said that the staff worked in partnership with them to provide the best possible care to people using the service. One health professional said, 'We have a good working relationship with the staff.'

We found that the management of medicines was suitable to protect people using the service.

The provider had recruitment and performance management procedures in place to ensure that people using the service were safe and their needs were met by suitable and qualified staff. One staff member told us, 'We complete a full induction program when we start work.'

Staff told us that they felt supported within the service and had opportunities to develop their skills with additional training opportunities. One staff member said, 'We are encouraged to do training.'

From the care records that were checked we saw that they were relevant and up to date. All personal documentation, including people and staff information was kept securely.

People also told us, 'I get on well with all of them [the staff]. Never had any problems.' 'I feel safe with staff coming in here.' People told us if they were concerned about anything, they would talk to staff. One person who used the service told us, 'There are forms downstairs if you are concerned about abuse. If anyone bullies you; you tell staff.'

We found that staff received appropriate professional development.

People told us that they had no complaints about the service, for example 'I don't have any complaints, but if I made one I know they would take it seriously.' People had their comments and complaints listened to and acted on, without the fear that they would be discriminated against for making a complaint.