Clarity Homecare (Bolton)

Updated 10 May 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 carried out by one inspector.

Service and service type

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

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 not a registered manager in post. However, the manager of the service was in the process of registering with CQC.

Notice of inspection

Inspection activity started on 12 April 2022 and ended on 25 April 2022. We visited the location’s office on 14 April 2022.

We gave the service 48 hours’ notice of the site visit. 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.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We sought feedback from the local authority and professionals who work with the service. The provider was not asked to complete a Provider Information Return (PIR) prior to this inspection. A PIR is information providers send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We used information gathered as part of monitoring activity that took place on 22 February 2022 to help plan the inspection and inform our judgements. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with one person who used the service and four relatives about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with four members of staff, including the manager, a care coordinator, a care assistant and the Nominated Individual. A nominated individual is responsible for supervising the management of the service on behalf of the provider.

We reviewed a range of records. This included three people’s care records and medication records. We looked at electronic staff files in relation to recruitment. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures were reviewed.

Updated 10 May 2022

Clarity Homecare (Bolton) is a domiciliary care agency providing personal care to people living in their own homes.

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 our inspection there were 27 people using the service, 25 of whom were receiving the regulated service.

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

The service had systems in place to help safeguard people from the risk of abuse. Individual and general risks were assessed and managed by the service. Medicines were managed safely. The service ensured appropriate infection control and prevention measures were in place.

Staff were recruited safely. Staff received a thorough induction and sufficient on-going training to ensure their skills were appropriate to meet people’s needs.

People’s needs were thoroughly assessed and care plans included appropriate health and personal information. Nutritional and hydration needs, such as special diets were adhered to. Referrals were made to other professionals and agencies as required.

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 said they were well treated and supported and were encouraged to be as involved as possible in their care delivery. People’s privacy and dignity were respected. People were encouraged to be as independent as possible. People’s communication requirements were adhered to.

People were aware of how to make a complaint. The management team were open and honest in their responses to concerns and suggestions. People felt the management team and staff were accessible to talk to them any time.

Auditing systems and regular staff checks provided a way for the service to learn, address issues and improve service delivery. The service worked well with other professionals and agencies.

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 4 March 2021 this is the first inspection.

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection to look at all five domains and to rate the service.

Follow up

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