Ethica Care West Sussex

Updated 16 September 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.

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.

What we did before inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We sought feedback from the local authority 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

We spoke with one person who used the service and one relative. We spoke with six staff. The registered manager, care manager, recruitment and compliance office, two care assistants and the nominated individual. The nominated individual is responsible for supervising the management of the service on behalf of the provider. We reviewed a range of records. This included two people’s care records. We looked at three staff files in relation to recruitment. A variety of records relating to the management of the service were reviewed, including various policies and procedures.

Updated 16 September 2022

About the service

Ethica Care Redbridge and Epping Forest is a domiciliary care agency providing the regulated activity of personal care. The service provides support to older adults and people with physical disabilities. At the time of our inspection there were three people using the service.

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

People expressed satisfaction with the service. This was summed up by one person who told us, “I would highly recommend them to anyone. I can’t fault them, they are excellent.”

Systems were in place to help safeguard people from abuse. Risk assessments were in place which set out the risks people faced and included information about how to mitigate those risks. There were enough staff to meet people's needs and robust staff recruitment practices were in place. Steps had been taken to help prevent the spread of infections. Systems were in place for investigating accidents and incidents.

Initial assessments were carried out of people's needs before they started using the service to see if the provider could meet them. Staff received training and supervision to support them in their role. People were able to make choices about what they ate and drank.

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 and relatives told us that staff were kind and caring and treated people well. People were supported to have control and choice over their daily lives. People's privacy was respected, and staff understood the importance of maintaining confidentiality.

Care plans were in place which set out how to meet the individual needs of people. People and relatives were involved in developing these plans, which meant they were able to reflect people's needs and preferences. People's communication needs were met. People and relatives told us they had confidence that any complaints raised would be addressed.

Quality assurance and monitoring systems were in place to help drive improvements at the service. There was an open and positive culture at the service, which meant people, relatives and staff could express their views. The provider worked with other agencies to develop best practice and share knowledge.

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 1 September 2018 and this is the first inspection.

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.