Home Instead Thurrock

Updated 15 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

One inspector carried out the inspection.

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 not a registered manager in post. However, the nominated individual told us they were in the process of applying to become the registered manager.

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 nominated individual would be in the office to support the inspection.

Inspection activity started on 18 August 2022 and ended on 24 August 2022. We visited the location’s office on 22 August 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 used information gathered as part of monitoring activity that took place on 9 June 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 three people using the service, one relative and six staff including 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 three people’s care records and medicine records. We looked at three staff files in relation to recruitment and a variety of records relating to the management of the service.

Updated 15 September 2022

About the service

Home Instead Thurrock is a domiciliary care agency providing the regulated activity of personal care to people in their own homes. The service provides support to older people, people living with dementia, young adults and people with a physical disability. At the time of our inspection, eight people were receiving personal care. 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 received safe care from staff who knew them well. There was a safeguarding policy in place and the nominated individual and staff knew how to identify and report any concerns.

The service had enough staff to meet the needs of the people using the service. Staff had been safely recruited and pre employment checks carried out.

Staff supported people with their medicines. People told us they received their medicines on time.

Staff had received an induction and training to enable them to meet people’s needs. We saw that supervisions and spot check meetings for staff were carried out and staff told us they felt supported by the nominated individual to perform their role.

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.

The service carried out an assessment of each person’s needs and how they liked to be cared for and care plans included guidance for staff on how to meet those needs.

Staff had access to personal protective equipment (PPE) and there were effective infection prevention and control measures in place.

People’s nutritional needs were met. They received support to eat and drink enough to maintain a balanced diet.

The nominated individual sought support and liaised with other health and social care professionals when needed. As a result, staff safely and effectively met people's needs.

Most people, relatives and staff spoke positively about the management; One person said, “They mean very well, if I ask them to do something, they do it without question.” There were systems in place to monitor, maintain and improve the quality of the service.

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 12 July 2021 and this is the first inspection.

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on the registration date.

Follow up

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