Mears, a leading provider of home care and support services to over 300 people living in Suffolk has been awarded full marks by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), the body that inspects and regulates care services in England.
In a routine inspection, the CQC assessed the local team of over 100 care workers providing home care services, rehabilitation care and supported living to people of all ages and abilities and found that they were providing a high level of person-centred individual care. The inspectors focused on six of the essential standards and found that people were happy with the care they received. Mears is providing care to meet the personal, emotional and healthcare needs of people who use the service.
Mears received full marks in six essential standards categories and it was noted that they had rigorous procedures in place for consenting to care and treatment and for the care and welfare of people who use services, adhering to safeguarding standards for vulnerable adults.
The thorough investigation found that people are supported by fully trained and knowledgeable staff who receive ongoing training and support from Mears to enable them to provide the highest levels of care to service users.
Further examinations found that Mears has a high level of health and safety standards and ensures the welfare of people who receive care. There are systems in place to assess and monitor the quality of service provision and deal with feedback.
One person said: "The staff are welcome into my home, they care for me and they cheer me up with a smile and joke."
Another said: "I am very happy with the support and care I received from the carers, always have been."
Service users and their families were interviewed and provided overwhelmingly positive feedback about the level and quality of home care they received. The inspection noted that the health, safety and welfare of those receiving care was a priority and that carers were well trained and provided top quality care.
There was an opportunity for people to provide feedback to the inspectors, and one person said: "My two carers are always very patient, show interest in me as a person and take pride in their job."
A relative of someone who uses the service said: "The carer is very kind and treats them with respect and always does the job well. Everything on the care plan is done and done very well."
Shelly Burridge, Manager of Mears, Suffolk, said: "The carers are working so hard in our community to ensure the highest quality of person-centred care. Supporting people in their own homes to lead independent lives is our priority and we are delighted to have passed this assessment, which is a testament to our staff."
For further information about home care, rehabilitation and supporting living services visit www.mearshomecare.co.uk or call 0800 121 6525.