A HEREFORDSHIRE care agency has recently been rated ‘outstanding’ overall by CQC inspectors.

Abel Care and Support, which is based in New Street, Leominster, was visited by inspectors on January 4 a recently published report has revealed.

The domiciliary care agency provides personal care and support to people with learning disabilities, autism and other complex needs who are living in their own homes, with inspectors rating the service as 'outstanding' in the categories of ‘caring’ and ‘well-lead’, whilst listing it as ‘good’ in the category of ‘safe’.

People and relatives were delighted with the kindness and thoughtfulness of staff, which exceeded their expectations of how they would be cared for and supported, the report stated.

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People were said to have explained to the inspectors how staff went over and above what they expected from them and they couldn't ask for anything more.

The report said that staff went over and above the call of duty and people said this made a difference to their lives, with clients receiving kind and compassionate care.

Staff were said to be protected and respected people's privacy and dignity. They understood and responded to their individual needs, as well as how to protect people from poor care and abuse with the service working well with other agencies to do so.

Relatives told inspectors that staff helped them to put their minds at ease and get through difficult times.

Abel Care’s philosophy, vision and values were understood and shared within the staff team, the report said, with clients leading inclusive and empowered lives because of the ethos, values, attitudes and behaviours of the management and staff. This meant people received compassionate and empowering care that was tailored to their needs.

The inspectors were satisfied that the staff knew and understood people well and were responsive, supporting their aspirations to live a quality life of their choosing, and that turnover was very low, which helped to ensure people receive consistent care from staff who knew them well.

The report stated that staff placed people's wishes, needs and rights at the heart of everything they did.