First Care Healthcare Ltd

Updated 25 January 2023

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 team consisted of 1 inspector.

Service and service type

This service 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 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 registered manager would be in the office to support the inspection.

What we did before the inspection

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 reviewed the information we had received about the service since it registered with us. This included information gathered as part of a monitoring activity that took place in April 2022 to help plan the inspection and inform our judgements. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with 2 people’s relatives via the telephone about their experiences of the care provided. We spoke with 5 members of staff including the registered manager, the recruitment and administration manager and 3 care workers. We reviewed a range of records, including 4 people's care records. We reviewed a range of records relating to how the service operated and we reviewed the recruitment records for 2 staff to check they had been recruited safely.

Updated 25 January 2023

About the service

First Care healthcare Ltd is a domiciliary care agency which provides personal care to people in their own

homes. The service is registered to provide support to adults. At the time of our inspection 6 people were receiving personal care. CQC only inspects the service being received by people provided with 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 the service and what we found

People received safe care and support. Risks associated had been assessed and staff provided examples of how they managed those risks with positive effect. If any accidents or incidents occurred, or if complaints were received about the service, the registered manager told us they would take action to prevent recurrence and learn lessons. The management of medicines was safe, and staff followed safe infection prevention control practices. Staff had been recruited safely, and enough of them were available to meet people’s needs. People received their care calls from reliable staff at the agreed time.

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’s needs had been assessed before they had started to use the service. People and their relatives had been involved in care planning to make sure their care and support met their needs and was delivered in line with their lifestyle choices and cultural needs.

People were treated kindly by caring staff. People's dignity was maintained and their right to privacy was respected. Support from the service enabled people to remain living in their own homes in line with their wishes. People received responsive care from a small staff team who they knew and trusted. Care records contained enough information to help staff provide personalised care and support.

The service was well-led. Effective systems were in place to monitor and review the quality and safety of the service provided. Relatives spoke positively about the leadership of the service and the registered manager who demonstrated their commitment to continually improving outcomes for people and their families. People had opportunities to feedback about the service they received. All feedback we reviewed was positive. Staff felt supported and told us they enjoyed their jobs.

Staff worked in partnership with other healthcare professionals and followed their specialist advice to ensure their needs were met.

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 16 August 2021 and this was their 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.