'Exceptionally responsive' Market Drayton care company rated as 'Outstanding'
A care company based in Market Drayton is celebrating an Outstanding rating from the Care Quality Commission after inspectors praised its "exceptionally responsive" service.
Salopian Care of Cheshire Street is a domiciliary care agency which at the time of the inspection in July this year was supporting 50 people in their homes in areas including Market Drayton, Shawbury and Wem.
The report from the inspection said: "The service was effectively managed by a team who were committed to providing an exceptionally high standard of person-centred care. Comments from professionals, people who used the service and their relatives confirmed this.
"People received a service which was exceptionally responsive to their needs and preferences. Staff went above and beyond to ensure people’s needs and lifestyle choices were respected.
"Staff responded quickly to changes in people’s well-being and sought the advice of professionals which resulted in a positive outcome for people.
"People were supported by staff who were well trained and competent in their role. One person said: 'They certainly are very skilled and trained well in my opinion. I don’t know what I would do without them now.'"
'Warm and trusting'
Under CQC’s programme of inspections, adult social care services are rated on whether they are safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led.
In addition to its overall Outstanding rating, Salopian Care is rated Outstanding for being responsive and well-led. It is rated Good for being safe, effective and caring.
The company was last inspected in 2016, when it was rated Good overall.
Maggie Hannelly, CQC head of inspection for adult social care in the central region, said: “Our inspection team was very impressed by the level of care and support offered by Salopian Care.
“The service tailored care to meet people’s individual needs, offering flexibility so people could do what mattered to them. Staff built warm and trusting relationships with people, helping staff discern when people needed extra help or a change in support.
"A person experienced anxiety during long care visits, so the service used a team of staff to provide more frequent shorter visits, something this person greatly valued.
“Staff were exceptional advocates for people. They referred people to relevant healthcare professionals when their health or needs changed."
Complex needs
She went on: "One person with complex swallowing difficulties was supported to see specialists, leading to a dramatic improvement in their health.
“Underpinning Salopian Care’s success was a hands-on leadership team setting the right priorities. Managers recruited and trained staff to meet people’s individual needs. When required, this was done when people were preparing to use the service, meaning their needs were met from the start.
"This was particularly valuable for people with complex needs returning to their own home after a stay in hospital or a care home."
Director of Salopian Care Amy Davidson said: "A big thank you to all our hard working supportive and dedicated staff team in the Market Drayton, Wem and Shawbury areas of our county, alongside our amazing office team.
"Thank you also to our many service users who have supported us with their feedback and comments over the past years along with all the health professionals we work in partnership with.
"'Putting people first' certainly makes the difference.
"A lot of hard work is involved in gaining the Outstanding rating and only a small percentage of care providers registered with CQC actually achieve it."
