Clients give service a thumbs up

Published by keeley for Longhurst Group in Care and Support and also in Communities

Housing support workers from L&H Homes in Skegness have been given a thumbs up from their clients for their service delivery.

On 30th January, staff from L&H Homes welcomed their supported housing clients and residents of Longhurst Lodge to an afternoon of quizzes and hot food to give them a chance to talk face-to-face with the Quality Assurance Framework (QAF) inspectors about the services they receive.

The inspection has been carried out as part of an annual review process by Lincolnshire County Council to make sure the services, which support some of the most vulnerable adults in the community across the East Lindsey District, are being delivered in an effective way that works well for the clients.

Fiona and Lisa, who both work with the same support worker have been very impressed, “Kerry is a great support worker, you can tell it’s more than a job to her,” said Fiona, who is taking a year out from university and struggled to find appropriate accommodation. “I don’t get treated any differently because of my mental health condition. Kerry has helped me to find the right accommodation, make sure I’m getting the right benefits and sort out my priorities so I can go back to University in November.”

Lisa was referred to L&H Homes by the local council after she and her husband struggled to manage their tenancy, “I was really struggling to budget and sort out my benefits. I’ve had different support workers in the past but with Kerry it was as if we ‘clicked’. She’s really patient and takes the time to get to know you on her visits; it’s not just about the paperwork.”

Feedback across the board emphasised staff’s ability to connect with service users, help them prioritise their needs, and effectively support them to achieve their aspirations. 

Kerry Stables, one of the three Housing Support Workers based at Longhurst Lodge, explained the motivation behind making the inspection about customers, “It’s really important that clients get the chance to talk with the assessors – they need to know what we do well and where we can improve from the people these services are designed to help. It also gives clients a chance to give an honest review of their services to someone other than their support worker, which makes it a lot easier.”

The results of the assessment will be given to the Housing Support team in Skegness in mid-February.