Belong at Home Domiciliary Care Agency - Macclesfield

People's experience of using this service: People felt safe and spoke of being supported by a consistent staff team who knew them well and took the time to chat with them on visits and were on time and never rushed.

Staff had travel time built into their rotas in order that they could get between visits and still arrive at each call on time. Where they noticed changes in people's health needs and people needed more time within visits, staff were able to raise this, and call times would be adjusted accordingly. Calls were monitored via a telephone system which activated the office staff if a member of staff had not turned up at a call and action could be taken to resolve this.

Risks were managed safely, and staff had clear instructions on how to keep people safe. They were aware of safeguarding policies and what steps to take if they suspected someone may be at risk of harm.

Medicines were managed safely, although we noted there was some written guidance on medication that is given when necessary in care plans, this could be clearer. The registered manager agreed to improve this guidance immediately.

Staff were recruited safely and given enough support to develop their knowledge and skills to do their job. They underwent a tailored induction into the company and ongoing training to do their job. They spoke with pride of working for Belong and felt that the provider invested in their development and supported them in their roles.

People and their relatives spoke of staff who were kind, patient and caring. They commented that staff knew them well, always asked permission before carrying out any tasks and often asked if there was anything else that they could do. Family members spoke of staff communicating well with them about any changes to their loved one's health or wellbeing, so they felt secure in the knowledge their loved one was receiving good care.

Care plans and documentation was clear, detailed and was regularly reviewed. People and their relatives felt involved in the care as regular reviews were held to discuss their care.

The service was responsive to people's needs and flexible. People and their relatives could request additional calls, and these were accommodated by the service.

People were clear on how to make a complaint and were confident that their concerns would be acted

upon.

People, relatives and staff were positive about the registered manager and felt that the service was well run. They considered that the service displayed the provider's values of 'putting customers at the heart of all we do'.

The provider had robust quality assurance systems that were effective at identifying areas for improvement and these were acted upon in a timely manner. Regular staff meetings were held so staff were kept up to date with any changes and good practice. The service worked well with other professionals and acted upon advice to support people's health and wellbeing.