Homecare services in one local authority: client and provider views

Abstract

An important issue for commissioners, providers and evaluators is the identification of the quality of services from the user perspective. In preparation for re-letting home care contracts Medway wanted to consult service users and their carers to establish their perceptions about, and the aspects they most value of home care services. This paper reports on the findings of a small-scale study that investigated the meaning and delivery of quality in home care in Medway from the perspective of users and providers and explored the views of users about proposed changes in Medway’s approach to commissioning.We start by outlining the method used and a description of the characteristics of the consulted provider agencies and the characteristics and needs of the service users. Section 5 describes users experience of the home care service and section 6 the important aspects of quality from the perspective of users and providers. Finally, the report addresses the future developments of home care provision in Medway and highlights the views of service users and home care organisers on those proposals for change