4 July 2013
During an inspection looking at part of the service
Feedback from people using the service and their relatives was mixed. Some people told us they were very happy with the service but others had concerns about the care provided and felt there were still improvements needed.
People's main concerns were about care workers not arriving at the agreed visit time and/or not always staying for the agreed length of time. One person told us "They usually let us know if they are running late. It can't be helped sometimes.'
Everyone we spoke with told us they knew how to complain. Seven of the twelve people we spoke with said they had never needed to complain about the service. The two care staff we spoke with both told us they thought people using the service knew how to complain, and felt most would do if anything wasn't right.
People who had raised issues or made complaints told us these were not always acted on. One person said their daughter was going to write a complaint letter on their behalf.
Most people told us they always had the same carers and preferred that. Others said they did not always get the same carers and never knew who was going to turn up.
The two care workers we spoke with told us Croft Care Services was a good company to work for and felt the service they provided was good. They also told us they were up to date with their training and felt well supported by their managers.
Their comments included -
'Things are better now; we have more managers and less people using the service.'
'Staffing is more settled now. Before people were often leaving after a week or two.'
'We're not rushing around like we used to. It's nice to have more time for people.'
'I'm quite happy working here - no concerns.'