Simply Carers Ltd

Updated 29 June 2022

The inspection

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act) as part of our regulatory functions. We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act. We looked at the overall quality of the service and provided a rating for the service under the Health and Social Care Act 2008.

Inspection team

The inspection was undertaken by an 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 48 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because it is a small service and we needed to be sure that the provider or registered manager would be in the office to support the inspection.

Inspection activity started on 23 May 2022 and ended on 6 June 2022. We visited the location’s office on 27 May 2022.

What we did before the inspection

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 reviewed information we had received about the service, including statutory notifications. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with five people and six relatives about their experience of the service. We spoke with the registered manager, the office administrator and two care staff.

We reviewed a range of records including four care plans. We looked at two staff files in relation to recruitment and supervision. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures were reviewed.

Updated 29 June 2022

About the service

Simply Carers LTD is a domiciliary care agency that provides personal care to people in their own homes. At the time of our inspection there were 18 people using the service who had a variety of health needs, including dementia. 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.

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

People and their relatives felt safe using the service. One relative told us, “Carers come in four times a day. I feel she is safe with the carers. I have met four of them and they are charming young ladies”. People’s risks were identified and assessed, and staff supported people to be as independent as possible. People received their medicines as prescribed.

People were supported by staff to access healthcare professionals and services. One person said, “Staff call four times a day. I feel very safe with the carers as I can’t walk without my Zimmer frame. I can’t get around on my own, but the physio came today … I hope I will be able to manage on my own and will no longer need care”. People were encouraged by staff to eat a healthy diet and received support to do so. 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.

People were supported by kind and caring staff. One person said, “They are trained well enough to meet my needs. I think they are good and would recommend them to others”. People were encouraged to be as independent as possible, and they were treated with dignity and respect.

Personalised care was provided and care plans reflected people’s choices and preferences which staff followed. Information was provided in an accessible format if required and to suit people’s communication needs. The provider had a complaints policy, a copy of which was given to everyone receiving a service.

The service was well led and the management team knew every person who received support. One person said, “There is nothing they need to improve about the care I am given”. The system for monitoring the service to drive continuous improvement included obtaining feedback from people and their relatives, reviews of their care, and spot checks to observe staff delivering care to people in their own homes.

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

Rating at last inspection

The service was registered with us on 20 January 2021 and this is the first inspection.

Follow up

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