Tamar Care Services

Updated 3 February 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 2014.

Inspection team

The inspection team consisted of one inspector, an assistant 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. The Expert by Experience gathered feedback about the service from people and their relatives via the telephone.

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 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 24 hours' notice of the inspection. This was because we needed to be sure that the registered manager would be in the office to support the inspection.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed the information we had received about the service. We sought feedback from local authority who work with the service. We reviewed the information the provider sent to us in their Provider Information Return (PIR. 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 met with five people in their homes and spoke with four people and eight relatives by telephone about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with ten members of staff including the registered manager, supervisors and care workers. We reviewed a range of records, including five people's care records and medicines records. We looked at three staff files in relation to recruitment and staff support and a range of records relating to how the service operated and was managed. We received feedback from a healthcare professional who works closely with the service and reviewed the provider's policies and procedures.

Updated 3 February 2023

About the service

Tamar care Services are a domiciliary care agency providing the regulated activity of personal care to people 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 72 people receiving the regulated activity of personal care.

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

People received personalised care from caring staff who had the knowledge and skills to carry out their roles and responsibilities. People and their relatives described staff as friendly, polite, and respectful. People were treated with kindness and compassion.

Risks associated with people's care, support and environment had been identified and assessed. However, risk assessments lacked detailed information about how the risk was being managed and mitigated. We made a recommendation about this.

People's needs were assessed before the service began to ensure they could be met by the service. Care plans were written in partnership with people and their relatives. However, whilst some care plans were detailed and person centred, others contained minimal information. This was being addressed by the registered manager at the time of the inspection.

People and relatives told us the service was well-led and they spoke positively of the registered manager. The culture of the service was open and transparent, and staff told us they felt supported and motivated by managers to provide the best care for people they supported.

The provider and staff strove to continuously learn and improve care. This had led to the service winning a prestigious award of excellence in the provision of personal care in a home setting.

People and relatives felt safe with staff. Safeguarding procedures were followed, and staff knew the signs to look for if they suspected abuse and how to report concerns.

Safe recruitment practices ensured that people were supported by staff of suitable character. People told us there were enough staff available to support them and meet their care needs. Staff were punctual and stayed for the expected length of time.

People were supported to have the maximum possible choice, control and independence. 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 their relatives told us they were happy with how they were supported with their medicines. Systems were in place to ensure medicines were administered safely and as prescribed.

People received care from staff who had received infection control training. Staff were provided with adequate supplies of personal protective equipment (PPE) and we saw staff using these in line with guidance.

People were supported to maintain a healthy diet where this was part of their care plan. People received support to access health care services where required.

People and their relatives were asked for their views about the service they received and were aware of how to complain if they needed to.

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 15 October 2021 and this is the first inspection.

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection to provide a rating for the service.

Follow up

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