We visited the registered office of the service on 18 and 20 January 2012. We saw that a copy of the statement of purpose was part of a sample folder of documents that was completed for every person who used the service. This was kept at their home. The statement of purpose described the service as a reablement service. It offered adults care and support for up to six weeks in their own home to regain some independence after illness or injury.We followed the care of three people. Each person was at a different stage in their six week programme of service.
We saw that each person had complete and up to date records individual to them. Reablement support plans matched their assessed needs. The reablement support plan and the service grid for frequency and duration of visits matched the individual service agreement from social services. The reablement agreement was signed by the person or their relative.
We saw weekly progress and goals records on file for each week. One person was at week three in their six week programme of reablement. We saw that the person had made sufficient progress for their afternoon visit to stop and their morning visit was adjusted in length.
We talked to care workers who had regularly visited the people whose care we followed. We found that each worker knew the needs of the person they supported.
Each worker was also able to describe the risks that the person's condition presented and the agreed plan for managing those risks. Workers told us that they were involved in the process of weekly assessment of each person's reablement programme. They talked about people with respect. They were clearly interested in people's ability to regain skills that helped them to stay in their own home safely. We saw that each worker had the up to date training necessary to meet the needs of the person who they regularly visited.
Workers were very clear about their responsibilities for safeguarding people from abuse and from the risk of abuse. They gave us examples of when and how they had done this in the recent past. They knew the provider organisation's procedures. They confirmed that their managers acted on any concern that they raised with them about people who used the service.
The provider organisation had service quality audit systems. This included quality audit questionnaires completed by people at the end of their six week reablement programme. These were signed off by the registered manager as seen by her.
We saw a sample of five questionnaires completed in October and November 2011. To the question 'did staff arrive at the agreed time or notified you of change?' four out the five people answered 'yes' and one said 'not sure'. Four people rated the service as very good and one person rated it as excellent. Some people wrote additional comments:
One person wrote, 'I had a very good service all the time and after, very happy with all the service for the 6 weeks, would have liked it longer, staff very good to me'
Another person added, 'a big thank you to all carers for their help and guidance a special thank you to ..and.. for their happy and positive start to my day'
And one person concluded with, 'service excellent.'