Hartley Home Care

At this inspection people told us they received their visits at the agreed times. No one reported having had a missed visit. People told us issues that had concerned them at the last inspection, such as inconsistent visits, had been resolved and the service had improved. People told us they were happy with the service they received and had regular staff who arrived on time. Comments included, "I know what time they are coming", "Very happy with the service", "The rota seems to work for me and my relative, they asked us what times we needed and worked it out with us" and "They turn up okay and stay for the right time. They let me know if they're going to be late."

The service had introduced new electronic rostering, call monitoring and care planning systems and this together with the more clearly defined management and office staff structure had improved the reliability and running of the service.

Staff told us rotas had improved, were available on their phones, and any changes were communicated to them in a timely manner. Some staff commented that travel time was not always included in their rotas. The manager said rotas were being reviewed to plan the appropriate amount of travel time between each visit, as it varied between areas.

Care plans were in place for everyone using the service. The service used an electronic care planning system and staff accessed this on their mobile phones. The information generated by this system was accurate, timely and gave staff enough detail to provide the right care and support for people.

Staff were recruited safely. The service had continued to recruit throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, to ensure there were enough staff to cover for sickness or for staff who needed to shield or self-isolate. Where the service had started to work in a new geographical area enough staff, local to that area, had been recruited.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the

least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

Systems were in place to ensure the effective management of medicines. Staff who were administering medication had been trained and had their competencies checked to ensure correct procedures were followed.

Staff were aware of the government guidance on the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) such as masks, gloves and aprons.

People, their relatives and staff told us management were approachable and they listened to them when they had any concerns or ideas. All feedback was used to make continuous improvements to the service.