'I trust my life with them' -- glowing praise for Louth care agency in CQC report
People who use a care agency based in Louth are “valued, listened to and supported by committed, compassionate staff”.
So said inspectors at the Care Quality Commission (CQC) after a thorough review of East Midlands Care Agency Services (EMCAS) Ltd, which has its headquarters at Woodlands on Grimsby Road.
Carried out between December and January, it was the CQC’s first inspection of EMCAS, which provides personal care and support for needy adults in their own homes, particularly across East Lindsey, including Horncastle and Woodhall Spa.
At the time of the review, 39 people were being given personal care – and the inspectors issued a glowing report, rating the service ‘Good’ overall and also in all five individual categories, which revealed that it was safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led.
The report said: “The assessment identified multiple areas of strong practice. People and relatives shared numerous positive examples of how care had improved their wellbeing, confidence, mental health and independence.
"People told us they felt safe, respected and treated as individuals. One person said: ‘I trust my life with my carer’.
"Another described their carer as a very nice person and added: ‘I feel happy and content’.”
The inspectors found that EMCAS staff were “safely recruited. well trained and generally competent in all their roles”.
Their report went on: "People reported strong relationships with staff, noting that they understood their routines, preferences and what mattered to them.
"They said they were involved in planning their care and felt listened to.
"Despite occasional delays, linked to staffing pressures, people praised the attitudes of staff, describing them as well-mannered, polite, chatty and friendly.
"Most people expressed high levels of satisfaction with reliability and continuity of care.”
EMCAS users also felt they could raise concerns and were confident the service would respond “quickly and effectively”. They valued this two-way communication.
The management team, led by Sadie-Ann Harness, was praised by the CQC too for promoting a ”supportive culture”, with staff describing “strong teamwork and accessible leadership”.
The report continued: "One staff member told us: ‘Management are always available and very supportive’.
"The provider demonstrated a commitment to continuous improvement.”
The only negatives found by the inspectors concerned the updating and oversight of “governance processes such as care-plan audits and archiving records”, which they felt could be more consistent.