Rustington care company praised for ‘exemplary service’

INSPECTORS have praised a care company in Rustington for providing exemplary service for the patients it supports.

An evaluation by independent health regulator, the Care Quality Commission (CQC), found that the Inter-County Nursing & Care Services, in The Street, managed to meet all five key criteria assessed by the monitory body.

The privately-owned agency provides essential assistance for elderly residents across the area with dementia and those suffering from loneliness. It also offers end-of-life care.

Gill Wicks, manager of the Rustington branch, admitted she was thrilled with the results of the CQC’s report.

She said: “I’m delighted that the hard work of the staff here have been recognised. It’s a wonderful achievement.

“Right now there has been a lot of negative press with care services nationally and locally providing just 15 minutes of care.

“Well, that is something we never do. We don’t visit for anything less than an hour. We do our best to do everything we can to help our clients and it’s nice to be recognised for it.”

During the inspection, last month, the CQC did a detailed evaluation of the level of care provided by the agency.

Monitors found the key standard of care and welfare for the people who use the service was met by the team at Inter-County.

The report noted: “We looked at five people’s care records during our visit. We saw that care plans were personalised and described the background and care needs of each individual.

“The care records we viewed included detailed descriptions of how the person liked to be supported.

“They emphasised the importance of encouraging people to continue to do tasks around their home that they had identified that they would like to continue to do.

“The care records we viewed included detailed step by step instructions about the individual’s daily routine and information of personal care requirements. For example, ‘X’s preference is to have their shower before tea, but they can choose to do this later if they wish to’.”

The findings also reported that relatives were pleased with the support the agency offered.

Gill said her team actively tried to learn about the people they cared for and that a strong bond developed between carer and client because of this.