Care UK told improvements must continue at Norfolk care home
A home care company criticised over its service has been told it has improved but that it must continue to get better or risk losing its contract.
Last month Care UK brought in extra staff following complaints about its work in the Broadland area of Norfolk.
Norfolk County Council said care had improved but that it would continue to monitor standards.
Care UK said it was investing in staff and technology and was committed to making further improvements.
The company took over home visits to 300 elderly people in Broadland in July.
But in a survey a third of users said services had declined under the new provider and the county council said its service had "not been good enough".
The company was given four weeks to make improvements.
Sue Whitaker, cabinet member for adult social services at Norfolk County Council, said quality and reliability of care was now significantly better.
"We have therefore agreed to continue with the contract on the clear expectation that these improvements are sustained and further ones are made," she said.
She said she was "cautiously reassured but not complacent" about the service provided.
"While most people who had concerns about the home care they received from Care UK in the Broadland area are much more satisfied with the service now, we have identified a very small number of people who aren't happy still and we will be talking to them about other possible options to get this sorted," she said.
Libby Eastley, a spokeswoman for Care UK, said the company was pleased that the council had recognised its improvement.
"The number of complaints has dramatically reduced and during the past seven days there have been no missed calls," she said.
"We acknowledge there is more work to be done and are committed to doing everything we can to ensure people receive the service they deserve."
She said the company would be investing in a new GPS system to monitor performance, enabling workers to access information more quickly and identify potential problems before they happened.