As an organisation that’s centred on providing the very best standards of personalised home care, we recognise how important it is to continually assess all elements of our service. Even though we try our best at all times, we recognise that there is always room for improvement. We realise that our service must constantly adapt and develop to meet changing needs and challenges.
We also know that the working environment and career development we provide for our employees is vital in helping us attract and retain experienced, skilled carers. They are the most important thing that enables us to deliver a consistent and exceptional service.
As part of our continuous assessment of our service, each year we send out three surveys: one to all the people who use our services, one to our staff members, and one to the professionals we work with. This covers our home care services in Harrogate and Knaresborough as well as Ripon, Boroughbridge and Thirsk. We ask respondents to rate us in various areas of our service, and give them the opportunity to tell us in their own words how they think we are doing.
While our surveys show us all the things we are doing right, they also help us identify areas we can work on and improve. It’s vital for us not just to carry out the surveys, but to act on the results. So we carry out a thorough analysis of the feedback we receive. Then we establish where improvements can be made to our systems and processes, and work with respondents to address individual concerns.
Home care survey
Our latest surveys examine our performance through 2023, and we are happy to say the feedback was overwhelmingly positive. Thank you to all those who took time to respond; it really does help inform the service we provide.
From the feedback we’ve received, we have been working on various areas of improvement and addressing specific requests from the people who use our services. We’re also enhancing staff training and increasing awareness of some of the additional services we provide, such as our Social Day Clubs. We’ll continue to conduct regular surveys and gather feedback throughout the year to further develop our services.
Here’s a summary of the feedback we received for our home care services during 2023:
People who use our services
• There was a high satisfaction rate with the care and support we provide as well as the staff that visit, with 97.5% of replies ‘extremely satisfied’ or ‘very satisfied’ on each count.
• The majority of service users feel safe in their home and said they were treated with respect by our staff, which made them feel good about themselves.
• 92.5% of respondents felt they received enough support, and the majority felt our staff gave them a better quality of life and helped them have more control.
• Everyone who responded to the question ‘Do you feel cared for by your carers?’ responded ‘Yes’.
• The majority said they are cared for with dignity and respect.
• There were multiple expressions of gratitude for specific carers and staff members, which was lovely to see as we always try to be consistent with the carers that visit.
• Comments include:
“The wonderful carers have restored my mother’s faith in human nature”
“Caring is a perfect description of what they do.”
“Mum receives excellent quality care… Staff understand how to manage the impact of dementia without patronising.”
“I look forward to their visits.”
The professionals
• There was high satisfaction with the referrals we make and the information we provide to our partner organisations.
• The survey indicated high satisfaction with management, communication, professionalism and care quality.
• All respondents reported a positive experience in working jointly with our carers and staff.
• Of the 11 people who answered the question ‘On a scale from 1 to 10, how likely are you to recommend our service to a friend or colleague? (10 being very likely)’, three of them gave a 9 and eight gave a 10.
• Comments include:
“From what I have seen, the team works tirelessly to provide person-centred support.”
“Management is very good, supportive, and proactive.”
“Going above and beyond the remit of your role to ensure the best care for your clients.”
“Very good communication and multi-agency working.”
“Always thinking/working in best interest of the person.”
“Exceptional – great communication with carers who go above and beyond with clients.”
“I think Continued Care is very committed to deliver good quality of support to vulnerable people in the community. Thank you for your professionalism, commitment and the positive impact you have on people’s lives.”
“The carers are brilliant, observant and efficient. They are very trained and professional.”
“Professional and compassionate.”
“Carers are highly trained, communicate well and care about those they support.”
Our team
• All staff who responded to our survey said they enjoyed their job, with 90% giving the top satisfaction scores of 5 and 4.
• All respondents felt “Very valued” or “Somewhat valued” by the management team.
• The vast majority felt they were given enough support and training to undertake their role. About a third of respondents expressed interest in pursuing NVQs in care, which we fund as part of their continuous professional development.
• Of those carers that have attended our monthly staff coffee mornings, the feedback was that they enjoyed meeting up with other carers and the management team.
• When asked what they like most about their job, a frequent response was “Making a difference to people’s lives.”
Get in touch
Thank you to all those who took time to respond to the survey and to all our staff for their hard work and dedication. And remember, you can contact us at any time with feedback about our service – you don’t have to wait for our annual home care survey to do so.
If you are looking for home care services in the Harrogate, Knaresborough, Ripon, Boroughbridge and Thirsk areas, please do get in touch with our team on 01423 871 003.
