The main priority mentioned in the report was around dementia. A particular success in Torbay has been the co-design of a dementia carers’ training programme in partnership with a carer / carers’ group / carers’ services and Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust’s education team. This was launched in February and has had extremely good feedback.
We recently progressed the Amplifying People’s Voices engagement project led by Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust, which was designed to help us better understand the experiences of people who live in care homes, their families, and representatives. We contacted more than 500 people. A third of people responded. As a result, work is underway to develop a co design approach to the development of a care home toolkit that people said they wanted; two workshops have been held with families and the contract team to co design the new specification for our care homes.
During the past 12 months, ASC received 45 complaints and concerns. These comprised 60% concerns, 29% formal complaints, 10% MP enquiries, and 1% no further action. Key themes identified included finance and billing (41%), communication (22%), and service delivery (16%).
In response, we have taken targeted action:
All feedback is tracked using a digital tool, with learning outcomes and actions monitored by the Quality Assurance (QA) Lead. This ensures that staff training and service improvements are directly informed by lived experiences.
Recent carer surveys highlighted concerns around communication, lack of respite care, and barriers to accessing support. In response, we are:
We are committed to a continuous cycle of feedback, learning, and improvement. By reducing crisis interventions, increasing carer support, and embedding reflective practice across teams, we aim to provide responsive, transparent, and person-centred care for all.