Archived: Home Care Services

At our last inspection the service was rated as requires improvement. Improvements were required in the administration and support provided to people with their medicine and systems for monitoring the service provided for people.

At this inspection the provider had taken the appropriate action to improve. The service had systems in place to monitor and provide good care and these were reviewed on a regular basis. People were supported to take their medication by staff who had received training to do so. The audit completed in relation to medicine, showed that the records were in good order. However staff did not always record the time of homely remedies when given. This was not reflected in the audits completed so improvement could be made.

Care and treatment was planned and delivered in a way that was intended to ensure people's safety and welfare. People were cared for safely by staff who had been recruited and employed after appropriate checks had been completed. There were sufficient staff to meet people's needs consistently.

People were cared for and supported by staff who had received training to support people to meet their needs. The registered manager had a good understanding of their responsibilities in relation to the Mental Capacity Act 2005. People were supported to eat and drink enough to ensure they maintained a balanced diet and referrals to other health professionals were made when required.

Staff cared for people in an empathetic and kind manner. Staff had a good understanding of people's preferences of care. Staff always worked hard to promote people's independence through encouraging and supporting people to make informed decisions.

People and their relatives were involved in the planning and review of their care. Care plans were reviewed on a regular basis and also when there was a change in care needs. Staff, people, and their relatives spoke very highly of the registered manager, the organisation and staff.

This inspection took place on 27 July 2016 and was announced. The provider had been given 48 hours’ notice of the visit to the office so that we could be sure someone would be available to meet with us. At our last inspection in November 2013 we found that the provider was compliant with all the areas we looked at.

Home Care Services is registered to provide personal care to adults who live in their own homes. On the day of our inspection they were providing care to 45 people. There was a registered manager at this location. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

People's needs had been assessed before they started to receive support from the service and people had been involved in developing and updating their care plans. We found the information contained in the care records was individualised and clearly identified people's needs and preferences. We found people received a service that was based on their personal needs and wishes. Changes in people's needs were identified and responded to. Risks people might experience with their care or environment was being managed, but we found that some improvements to the management of medicines needed to be made.

We found the service employed enough staff to meet the needs of the people being supported. The support provided was from a consistent group of staff who had been safely recruited. People who used the service had no concerns about how the service was staffed.

Staff had been provided with induction training and regular refresher training to update their knowledge and skills. Staff had a clear understanding of the procedures in place to safeguard people from abuse. Staff were well supported and received regular supervision.

People and staff knew how to make a complaint and felt confident that it would be dealt with well.

The provider had not established adequate quality monitor processes to identify if the service was meeting people’s needs or how it could be improved. Audits had not always led to improvements in the quality of the service. Information was not reviewed for trends and to identify learning opportunities.

Records showed that the people who used the service and their relatives were involved in planning their care. A person who used the service told us, 'The carers are marvellous they know how to look after me.'

The provider had robust recruitment procedures in place to ensure that people employed at the service were of good character and had the necessary skills, qualifications and knowledge to meet the needs of the people who used the service.

The provider was able to protect people from unsafe care and treatment by regularly assessing and monitoring the quality of the service provided.

People were protected from the risks of unsafe or inappropriate care and treatment

because records were kept up to date and could be easily accessed.

Training records showed staff had received suitable training in the protection of people. This meant staff had the knowledge and skills to recognise signs of concerns and take the appropriate actions.

The planning of staff rotas ensured that, where possible, care workers were allocated to look after the same people. This supported continuity and consistency of care. One person told us 'Staff are well trained.' A relative told us 'The staff seem competent and know what they are doing.'

People who used the service confirmed that they had received information about how to make a complaint and indicated that they would do so if they had any. One relative told us 'I feel able to raise any concerns. I raised something a while back, they listened and took action.'

During our review, we discussed the quality of the service provided by the agency with local authority staff involved in monitoring them. They said they had not been made aware of any concerns about the service being provided.