A HAGLEY care agency that supports people living in their own homes has been rated 'outstanding' by the industry watchdog.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspected Home Instead Stourbridge, in Hagley, over two days in February and March when 68 people were using the service.

Home Instead provides personal care and support to people in their own property in the community, and was rated 'good' when previously inspected in 2015.

The inspection of the service – which is owned by Fiftytwo 7 Care Ltd, a franchise of Home Instead – found that people benefitted from safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led care.

Home Instead Stourbridge was rated 'outstanding' for being caring and well-led, and 'good' for being effective, safe and responsive.

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 Home Instead Stourbridge.

“People who used the service and their relatives were extremely positive about the care they received.

“We were told of numerous examples where staff – who are known as caregivers in the service - had ‘gone the extra mile’ to ensure people received high quality, person centred care. They often went ‘above and beyond’ their expected job role.

“We saw that links within the local community were excellent and the service had won a number of awards. There was an exceptional open and inclusive culture and positive relationships had been formed between caregivers and people using the service.

“Caregivers knew people well and were kind and sensitive to their needs, ensuring people's privacy and dignity was respected at all times.

"A ‘matching’ process was used so that people could receive care and support from caregivers with similar interests to themselves. And people did not receive visits from caregivers who had not previously been introduced to them, unless there were exceptional circumstances.

“We also found that people were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and were supported in the least restrictive way possible.

“All of this meant people received a high standard of care, which is why it has been rated outstanding.”

Agency co-owner Peter Bath said: "We are so proud of our whole team, from the office to our amazing caregivers.

"The report is very much based on client feedback - the inspectors make a lot of phone calls to people we provide care for. So it says a lot for us that our clients are very pleased with the care they get.

"Only three per cent of home care organisations manage to achieve an 'outstanding' rating so it really makes you feel special."