Aberdeenshire Health and Social Care Partnership’s care at home service has received a positive report following an inspection in January.
The report said that users of the service found staff to be highly responsive, reliable and provided many opportunities to adjust their support plans when needed.
When it came to an overall evaluation, the service received a five out of six score for how well it supports people’s wellbeing.
They also received a four out of six for their care and support during the pandemic.
These results came from an inspection of the service itself as well as feedback from people using the service, their representatives and staff.
A representative of someone using the service is quoted in the report as saying: “We wouldn’t manage without this service, it’s very good and all the staff are very nice.”
‘Our communities remain at the heart of everything we do’
The service aims to improve their users’ level of independence by providing care in the comfort of their own homes.
It provides four key areas of care; critical/complex, rehabilitation/enablement, end of life and rural.
The Care Inspectorate has adapted in the last year to not only look at the service as a whole, but also to look at its response to the pandemic.
Chairwoman of the Integration Joint Board, Rhona Atkinson, said: “We are delighted to see our central teams recognised for their hard work in the Care Inspectorate’s recent inspection report.
“Our communities remain at the heart of everything we do, and despite the challenges Covid-19 presented, we have not wavered in our commitment to providing high quality care and support to those who need it.”
‘Dedicated and hardworking teams’
Inspectors looked at how staff felt working for the service and found they were content with the level of support they receive from senior management.
One staff member quoted in the report said: “We get good support from our managers, who we can contact at any time if we are worried about anything.”
Tracey Loakes, home care manager for Central Aberdeenshire, praised the staff following the positive report.
She said: “The results of this inspection highlight the exceptional quality of service our staff has maintained during the course of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Our high scores are a testament to the dedicated and hardworking teams who have put in many hours to ensure our service users receive the care they deserve.”
‘Continue to work on improving’
There was only one area for improvement highlighted in the report, which states: “To promote a safe environment for individuals there should be a system in place to regularly refresh and assess staff knowledge and understanding on how to keep people safe from infection.”
This is in reference to some staff members being unsure about correct storage of waste, management of staff uniforms and the Covid-19 screening questions that should always be asked when entering a person’s house.
Vice chairwoman of the Integration Joint Board, Councillor Anne Stirling, said the service will continue to improve based on guidance provided by the inspection.
“Well done to all teams involved in the care at home service who have continued to provide excellent care and support during challenging times,” she said.
“We are pleased to receive positive feedback from service users and staff and will continue to work on improving our services with the guidance provided by the Care Inspectorate.”
