New moves to boost standards of home care

12.00.00am GMT Wed 21st Mar 2007

New systems have been launched to boost standards of home care for the 1,600 people in the borough who receive the service each year.

Richmond Council has introduced new methods geared to assuring the quality of care delivered by independent contractors. Better, streamlined systems are in place to deal with issues raised by service users and to ensure increased feedback. More proactive consultation is being carried out with users. This includes telephone surveys and feedback surgeries at local day centres. The Council intends to extend these surgeries to sheltered accommodation shortly. There is also an improved system for monitoring concerns, as well as compliments, about the service, and the Council has been working in close partnership with Richmond Age Concern on this important aspect.

Richmond Council's Cabinet Member for Adult Services, Health and Housing, Cllr Denise Carr, said:

"The home care service is one of the most important that the Council provides and is prized by users with up to 1,000 people dependent upon it every week and many others throughout the year. Our aim is to continuously drive up standards to ensure quality services for residents, and the new systems we have implemented are key to ensuring that this happens. Feedback is vital. We want to know if service users or their carers have any concerns or worries about the services they receive. Systems now in place will ensure that there is every opportunity to tell us and we'll act fast to remedy any problems."