Background to this inspection
Updated
21 January 2023
The inspection
We carried out this performance review and assessment under Section 46 of the Health and Social Care Act 2088 (the Act). We checked whether the provider was meting 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 telephone calls to engage with people using the service and staff.
Inspection team
The performance review and assessment 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 is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own homes.
Registered Manager
This provider is required to have a registered manager to oversee the delivery of regulated activities at this location. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Registered managers and providers are legally responsible for how the service is run, for the quality and safety of the care provided and compliance with regulations.
At the time of our performance review and assessment there was a registered manager in post.
Notice of inspection
This performance review and assessment was announced.
We gave short notice of our performance review and assessment on 3 January 2023 to the registered manager. This was to ensure they would be available to support the performance review and assessment.
Inspection activity started on 3 January 2023 and ended on 11 January 2023.
What we did before the inspection
We reviewed the information we had received about the service since registration. We contacted the Local Authority and asked for feedback from them. The provider was asked to complete a Provider Information Return (PIR) prior to this performance review and assessment. 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.
During the inspection
We used technology including telephone calls to enable us to engage with people, their relatives and staff. We used electronic file sharing to enable us to review some documentation.
During this time, we spoke with the registered manager and gained feedback from 7 care staff. We spoke with 10 people and 6 people’s relatives giving them the opportunity to share feedback with us.
We reviewed a range of records. This included 4 care plans and medication administering records, risk and health management records and daily notes. We reviewed 3 staff’s employment records and staff training and competency assessments. We reviewed policies and procedures and quality monitoring records the registered manager used to assure themselves people received a safe service.
Updated
21 January 2023
About the service
The Care Bureau Limited (Stratford-upon-Avon branch) is a domiciliary care agency which is registered to provide personal care and support to people in their own homes. The service offers daytime and night-time care and support. The service is registered to provide support to older people, people living with dementia and people with mental health support needs, a learning disability, a physical disability, those with a sensory impairment and to younger adults. At the time of our performance review and assessment, the service was supporting 48 older people, some of whom were living with dementia. 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 were satisfied with the care and support they received and told us they had no complaints.
There were sufficient staff employed to undertake care calls to people. People received their care calls during the agreed time slots and on occasions when staff were running late, people were advised of this by a phone call.
Staff were recruited in a safe way and had been trained. People described staff as caring and kind and felt they had the skills needed for the job role. Staff knew how to care for people in a safe way because risks had been assessed. Staff were trained to protect people from the risks of abuse. Staff knew how to report any concerns they might have.
People received their medicines as prescribed. People had individual plans of care and staff provided personalised care and support.
The provider had quality check systems in place to monitor the services provided.
We expect health and social care providers to guarantee people with a learning disability and autistic people respect, equality, dignity, choices and independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. ‘Right support, right care, right culture’ is the guidance CQC follows to make assessments and judgements about services supporting people with a learning disability and autistic people and providers must have regard to it.
Right Support: Model of Care and setting that maximises people’s choice, control and independence
People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff did support them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service did support least restrictive practices.
Right Care: Care was person-centred and did promote people’s dignity, privacy and human rights
Right Culture: The ethos, values, attitudes and behaviours of leaders and care staff did ensure people using services led confident, inclusive and empowered lives.
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.
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 13 August 2021 and this is the first inspection.
Why we inspected
This was a planned inspection of this newly registered service.
Follow up
We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.