Can you imagine receiving a call that you’re going to get inspected and within a few days, receiving a full report on how you manage every aspect of your service? This is what happened to Audrey, our care manager, who received that dreaded phone call from the Care Inspectorate one day in August. 

The Care Inspectorate does not carry out these random inspections simply because they have a flair for drama, but because this is how they can ensure that care providers across the country are providing the highest standard of care for vulnerable people at all times, and don’t just get everything quickly in order for a short while, (which might happen if they could prepare for a visit from the Inspectorate).

So how did we at The No.1 Care Agency fare against these high standards?

Here is what the Care Inspectorate said:

We gathered the views of people using the service and their relatives. We heard that staff were courteous, always arrived on time and communication throughout was to a high standard. People praised the service for making a difference in their life. The following are some of the comments made: 

"They really do go above and beyond. There's many examples where they do more than expected". 

"I trust them and it feels good being reassured that [person's name] is safe and happy". 

"They ask what we want to achieve, what skills we want to develop, and our needs and wants are seen as important". 

[...] 

Relatives told us about the kindness and commitment of staff. There was also praise for staff knowledge of people's health needs, which were varied and complex. [...] Each person that used the service had a care plan. These plans were well balanced, capturing people's health needs as well as their personal interests and goals.

In all of the Care Inspectorate’s standards, we improved on our rating, and we met all improvement needs recommended to us in the last inspection. 

Overall, we are feeling pretty chuffed. And in the true No.1 style, we celebrated with cake, baked and decorated by one of our staff members. Going above and beyond? I’ll say!