Guardian Homecare (Preston)

People's experience of using this service: People told us they felt safe. Staff understood how to deal with any allegations of abuse. Systems were in place to record and act on any concerns. Risks were managed safely. Incidents and accidents were investigated and good evidence of the actions taken to ensure lessons learned was seen. Staff were recruited appropriately whist most people raise no concerns in relation to their visits, some felt staff were rushed and they were not always made aware when the staff changed.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice. Relevant consent had been recorded in people's records. People received support from health and social care professionals. The feedback about the skills of the staff team was on the whole positive. New staff received an induction on commencement to their role.

People were positive about their care and said they were treated with dignity and respect. Records confirmed people's choices were considered and most people said they had been involved in decisions about their care. Care plans had been developed and these reflected people's individual needs. The branch manager told us summary printouts were held in each persons home, however this was not consistently the case. The management team confirmed they would ensure all people had a summary printout of their needs in their home. Technology was used to good effect.

Complaints were managed appropriately, records were held that confirmed the outcomes of the concerns. People told us what they would do if they had any concerns.

The service was well managed. All grades of staff understood their roles and responsibilities and feedback about the management team was positive. Some feedback was that feedback had been sought from the service how not all people confirmed they had completed a survey. Audits were undertaken in the service and at senior level. These confirmed monitoring and observation of the service was ongoing.