Coastal Homecare (Worthing)

Updated 22 July 2022

The inspection

We carried out this performance review and assessment under Section 46 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act). We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements of the regulations associated with the Act and looked at the quality of the service to provide a rating.

Unlike our standard approach to assessing performance, we did not physically visit the office of the location. This is a new approach we have introduced to reviewing and assessing performance of some care at home providers. Instead of visiting the office location we use technology such as electronic file sharing and video or phone calls to engage with people using the service and staff.

Inspection team

This inspection was completed by one inspector and an Expert by Experience. An Expert by Experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.

Service and service type

This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats.

Registered Manager

This service is required to have a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided. At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post.

Notice of inspection

We gave the service 24 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because we needed to be sure that someone would be in the office to support the inspection. Inspection activity started on 5 July and ended on 6 July 2022.

What we did before inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service. We sought feedback from the local authority and professionals who work with the service. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return (PIR). This is information providers are required to send us annually with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

This performance review and assessment was carried out without a visit to the location’s office. We used technology such as video and telephone calls to enable us to engage with people using the service and staff, and electronic file sharing to enable us to review documentation.

We spoke with 11 people who used the service and five relatives about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with six members of staff including the registered manager and nominated individual. The nominated individual is responsible for supervising the management of the service on behalf of the provider. We pathway tracked the care of five people. Pathway tracking is where we check that the care detailed in individual plans matches the experience of the person receiving care. We reviewed staff training / recruitment documentation and a variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures.

Updated 22 July 2022

About the service

Coastal Homecare (Worthing) provides personal care for people in their own homes, most of whom were older people with associated health needs. Not everyone who used the service received personal care. CQC only inspects where people receive personal care. This is help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do, we also consider any wider social care provided. At the time of this inspection the service was providing personal care to 34 people.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

People were protected from the risk of abuse and felt safe. Staff understood what their responsibilities were in relation to keeping people safe. People had risks associated with their health, wellbeing and home environment, assessed and managed to ensure they received personal care and support safely. A relative said, “I have never felt anything but safe with the carers.”

Staff administered people's medicines safely and prevented people from the risk of cross infection. A person said, “I am and have always been confident that they follow good infection control procedures.”

Staff were recruited safely, were trained and their competency was checked by the management team following an induction into the role to ensure they had the skills to do their job well and effectively meet people's needs.

People said staff were always on time, they had not had any missed visits and stayed for their allocated time. A person said, “I really can say, hand on heart, I never feel rushed by staff, they do everything that needs doing and more.” Another person said, “I have never had a missed call. I have a group of carers but have never been sent a stranger.”

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice. A person said, “I didn’t feel in control when on my own as so much could go wrong. It was a blessed relief to have the back up of such a good team. They do all they are required to do and a lot more, they’re just fantastic.”

Staff supported people to have enough to eat and drink and to make choices about what they ate and drank. A person said, “I always have a nice cup of tea and a glass of water left before they leave.” A relative said, “I’m impressed by their subtle methods of encouraging [person] to eat and drink it really is very effective and shows their training is good.” People received a service which was personalised and met their individual needs and preferences. People were involved in decisions about their care and people and relatives were communicated with effectively.

People spoke highly of the staff who looked after them and said they were treated with dignity and respect. People and relatives told us they had support from regular staff who were kind, understood their needs and were competent in providing personalised care. A person said, “They are so very caring and kind, it’s humbling to see. They are most respectful at all times and make sure I don’t get embarrassed or worried about what they’re doing to care for me.” A relative said, “It’s a game changer having them, I can relax and not have the constant guilt and worry that I carried before they started to help. I trust them to stay longer if needed and I know they get everything done to keep her safe and comfortable.” Another relative said, “I know that each and every member or staff know her very well.”

People and their relatives spoke highly of the service and had opportunities to provide feedback and action was taken to address issues which were raised. A person said, “I know the manager and feel listened to and cared for. They are just pretty good all round and I would recommend them. I can tell you they are all cheery, chatty and helpful whatever the weather.”

Systems were in place to assess and monitor the quality and delivery of care to people. The registered manager was committed to providing good care to support people to achieve the best possible outcomes. A relative said, “I do know the manager and the supervisor, they are more than helpful at all times. The communication is great, they’re brilliant and very organised. We simply couldn’t do without them and their fantastic team.” A staff member said, “We are all friendly and everyone is helpful. We have a good team.”

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

Rating at last inspection

This service was registered with us on 31 December 2020 and this is the first inspection. The last rating for the service at the previous premises was Good, published on 4 September 2019.

Why we inspected

This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.