Four areas of improvement for home care services

Healthwatch has found four areas of improvement for home care services following new research.

The new report, Home care services: what people told Healthwatch about their experiences analyses the experiences of 3,415 people, their families and front line staff across 52 local areas between August 2015 and June 2017.

The report found that most people had positive things to say about their home care, and that services are invaluable to many people - both for the quality of care provided and the support and company of care workers.

Older people in particular said that one of the most positive things about home care is that it enables them to remain in their home and maintain as much independence as possible.

Healthwatch did, however, identify four areas where people’s experiences with home care could be improved. The first is care planning. Respondents spoke a lot about staff who were unfamiliar with clients’ care plans, and in cases where it was a staff member’s first visit to the client, they often didn’t have enough time to read the care plan in advance.

Improvements could also be made in skills and qualifications. Many people said they valued the dedication and experience of staff sent to care for them. However, people said that some workers lacked experience and basic tools, such as the ability to wash someone or make them breakfast.

Consistency and continuity could also be improved. All local Healthwatch found issues with staff coming at different times and even missing appointments.

Finally, Healthwatch says there could be improvements in communication and feedback. It says providers need to make greater and more regular use of feedback to address problems early and prevent minor issues turning into complaints. Several people said they only had communication with the organisations providing their care.

Neil Tester, deputy director of Healthcare England, said: “It’s often incredibly important to people to be able to stay in the familiar surroundings of their own home. One of the most positive aspects of home care is that it enables people to hold on to as much independence as possible.

“We listened to people using home support services and those delivering care and they have given us a clearer picture of how the system works for them. We heard examples of compassionate care from dedicated staff, but people also talked about care that doesn’t meet even basic standards.

“Given the challenges facing the social care sector, it is more important than ever that people’s voices are heard. So if anyone has a story they want to share or an idea they think might help, I urge them to get involved and speak to their local Healthwatch.”