Hard working home care staff have been praised by the people they serve in a new report by Healthwatch.
Our survey found more than 85% of people receiving home care services said they were always treated with kindness, dignity and respect by their care worker and 71.3% reported feeling they
were always listened to and spoken to in a way they understood.
Nearly seven in ten respondents (69.3%) said the care and support received is always as agreed in their care and support plan.
More than half (52.0%) said their carer always stayed for the correct length of time detailed in their care plan and almost two-thirds (63.9%) said their carers always supported them to be independent.
However, many commented that there were regularly issues around timekeeping and changes to their carer without prior notice.
Only 37.3% said they always had the same carers and less than half (42.1%) said they were always told in advance if there would be a change in the carer or time of the visit. Less than half (48.0%) said their carer always arrived on time.
Typical comments included: “Receive good care from all the carers, sometimes they are late but always turn up” and “Carers do arrive late sometimes, but I understand how busy they are – I look forward to their visits”.
However, despite these issues, 83.6% said they were either very satisfied (47.0%) or satisfied (36.6%) with the overall service they receive from their care agency. More than three-quarters of respondents (78.2%) answered that they would recommend their care agency to a family member or friend.
Help to Live at Home is one of the four key priorities in Healthwatch South Tyneside’s 2024/26 Operational Plan.
Since 2020 home care provision has changed in South Tyneside, following the introduction of four zones within the local authority area – each served by a home care provider.
The staff view
Healthwatch heard from 13 members of staff working for the four providers who operate in the borough.
They were generally positive about their employers and their work, although four said travel time was not factored into their work day which could be linked to the timekeeping complaints made by service users.
Managers who were interviewed highlighted recruitment and retention of skilled care workers as a key issue, with competition with pay rates in the hospitality sector cited.
Delays in DBS checks coming back, staff who don’t drive and finding workers to cover Cleadon and Whitburn were all singled out.
Recommendations
Healthwatch has made a series of recommendations to South Tyneside Council in our report.
They include care providers needing to ensure an up to date, person-centred care plan is in place which reflects each person’s needs and wishes, and allocating the right care worker(s) to the person.
The care worker or provider should also inform the person in advance if a visit is going to be missed, with as much notice as possible.
The full report can be downloaded here.
