Archived: Allied Healthcare - Bridlington

We analysed the information we received from speaking with people and receiving their comments via our satisfaction surveys. Themes we identified from all of the information we received included: consistency with information and documentation, reliability of staff, hygiene standards, recording information accurately, seeking peoples' views and dealing with complaints.

There were mixed views about these themes with around half of respondents commenting that they were satisfied with the care and half commenting that they were not satisfied. People said, "I like the lady who comes", "The staff are very good, the girls who come are wonderful", "I have to tell the staff what to do and it's always a different person", "I have no problems with the care, at all", "Some of the carers are good", "I wouldn't want to change anything" and "Staff are polite and pleasant and very respectful".

There was a low survey response rate from service users and relatives, friends and advocates for the organisation: only eight surveys were returned within the timescales specified and one was received outside of it. Therefore we have been cautious with our interpretation. However, of those people that did return surveys people and relatives/friends seemed relatively satisfied with the service being provided by Allied Healthcare care workers. There were some negative comments made by people, which have been mentioned in each section of the report, which mainly relate to the organisational aspects of the service. We would like the provider to contemplate them and consider ways of improving the organisation's listening methods.

Before people received any care or treatment they were asked for their consent and the provider acted in accordance with their wishes.

Peoples' needs were assessed and care and treatment was planned and delivered in line with their individual care plan.

There were effective systems in place to reduce the risk and spread of infection.

Appropriate checks were undertaken before staff began work. There were effective recruitment and selection processes in place.

People that used the service, their representatives and staff were asked for their views about their care and treatment and they were acted on.

There was an effective complaints system available.

We did not speak to people who received a service during this inspection. When we spoke to people at the time of the last inspection most people told us they were happy with the service they received. Comments included, 'The carers are lovely, I can't fault them' and 'My regular care worker is delightful and goes out of her way to help'. However, some people mentioned concerns about inconsistency in the service they received.

At this inspection we concentrated on checking the new database that had been introduced by the agency. We saw that this had improved consistency and had ensured that people would get the opportunity to express their views about the service they received.

The database was designed so that care workers could not be allocated work if their spot check, supervision or mandatory training was overdue. Spot checks were designed to check that care workers had been carrying out their role effectively and also to ask people if they were satisfied with the service they had received. This ensured that people who received a service would be visited by agency staff at least once a year to ask them if they were satisfied with the service they received.