'Very good' rating for Highland home care company
A HOME carers company which works to help Highland people with disabilities in their own homes has scored a glowing report from inspectors.
Highland Home Carers Ltd, which operates in the Inverness, Nairn and Beauly areas, was rated as 'very good' or 'go
During their evaluations, the Care Inspectorate visited almost 30 people in their own homes, and also collected 34 digital surveys.
The company was rated as very good for its leadership and as good for the support its support of people's wellbeing.
Issuing their findings, the inspectors said: "We observed staff supporting people with warmth, respect, and kindness. There were strong, trusting relationships between staff and individuals they supported.
"People and their relatives described care and support that promoted their dignity and privacy."
They continued: "People who were supported by Highland Home Carers had confidence in the service. Care staff were described as reliable.
"Missed visits were rare. The majority of supported people said, that when staff were running late, they were notified. This meant people knew that a carer would come to provide their care and support. This was despite demanding visit schedules which meant staff felt under pressure at times.
"It was testament to the quality of the staff team that people we spoke with said they did not feel rushed."
Although the inspection report was full of praise for the service, it also identified some minor areas for improvement.
They said: "However, we identified the need for more regular communication about who would be supporting people. Not knowing who was coming to provide their care and support caused anxiety. This was due to staffing issues or changes in the staff team."
They added: "The support plans were of a good quality overall, providing good detail about a person's specific needs. However, there were examples where they could be more up to date. The provider was in the process of making improvements by introducing an electronic care planning system."
Summing up their key findings, the inspectors concluded: "Supported people and their families had formed strong, trusting relationships with care staff. Care staff knew people very well and supported them with care and sensitivity.
"People's independence was promoted, which gave them confidence to live at home."
