Archived: Friendship Domiciliary Care Service

At our last inspection on the 18 and 22 December 2015 we rated the service Good. At this inspection we found the evidence continued to support the rating of Good and there was no evidence or information from our inspection and ongoing monitoring that demonstrated serious risks or concerns. This inspection report is written in a shorter format because our overall rating of the service has not changed since our last inspection.

On the first day of the inspection we found that not all the information such as complaints record, staff files and care records were not able to assess. The registered manager told us that records were kept in people homes, but also at small office in addition to the registered address, although these were not personal records. The registered manager arranged for all records to be brought to the registered address as all records relating to the service delivery is required to be kept at the registered address.

People were protected and kept safe by staff who understood their roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting them from the risk of abuse and avoidable harm. Potential risks that staff needed to be aware of when supporting people were clearly outlined, regularly reviewed and updated appropriately. Sufficient levels of staff were made available to meet people’s needs.

Medicine was administered as safely as possible. Care staff followed the medication procedure, completed medicine care plans and recorded medicine administration. We found that care plans had details about medication and how to support people with their care needs.

People benefitted from continuity of staff, to ensure that relationships were built and people did not have to endure different staff for their care. The provider ensured that all new staff were provided with an induction before fully commencing in their role and staff received regular supervision to discuss their performance and development needs.

People’s human rights were respected by staff who worked within the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005

People were supported with their health care need if required. Families were contacted if a person was unwell.

People continued to be supported by a committed and enthusiastic staff team who delivered care with kindness, respect and understanding. Staff built caring relationships with people and could meet their needs sensitively. The service and care staff were aware of people’s equality and diversity needs and endeavoured to meet them.

People were involved in the planning, assessment and review of their care which included people’s preferences and choices.

People knew who to contact if they were unhappy about any aspect of their care.

There was a system in place to manage the service however the records relating to this were not always completed to ensure that the system was effective.

People's needs were assessed and care was provided according to people's agreed plans. People told us that staff provided the care and support they wanted. One person told us about how the staff were good at supporting them. They said of the staff, 'They lend a listening ear.'

Staff received frequent training in order to carry out their roles effectively. One member of staff told us, 'I have never worked anywhere where there was so much training.'

Staff were well supervised and supported through formal and informal arrangements. All of the staff we spoke expressed enthusiasm for their work and confirmed that their supervisors and managers were accessible.

There were good systems for assessing and monitoring the quality of the service and for making sure that the standards were maintained and improved upon, where possible. These included seeking the views of people who used the service and their representatives.

We found that people who used this service were encouraged to express their views and to be involved in planning their own care and support. They told us that they were very happy with the care and support they received.

People were supported to live fulfilled lives. Staff helped people to enjoy relationships with people of their choice and to take part in a wide range of activities in their homes and the wider community.

Staff provided care and support to meet people's individual needs and preferences. The care records were detailed and showed how people's needs had been met in the way they preferred.

People were supported to live healthy lives. Staff had taken people to appointments and provided advice and guidance to help people to reach healthier weights through exercise and diet.

Staff were well trained and supported in order to provide a good service.

There were good systems to make sure that people were kept safe, including policies and procedures and training for staff. People who used the service told us that they always felt safe. People looked relaxed in the company of staff.

There was a range of checks and reviews to make sure that the high standards of service were maintained and improved on.