Care at Home (Shropshire) Limited

Updated 6 April 2018

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection checked whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008, to look at the overall quality of the service and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

This inspection took place on 08 February 2018 and was announced. We provided 48 hours’ notice of the inspection to ensure management were available at their office to facilitate our inspection. The inspection was carried out by one inspector, supported by two other inspectors, who conducted telephone interviews with people and staff.

Before the inspection, we reviewed information we held about the service in the form of statutory notifications received from the service and any safeguarding or whistleblowing incidents, which may have occurred. A statutory notification is information about important events, which the provider is required to send us by law. We also asked commissioning teams from local authorities and Healthwatch for any information they had, which would aid our inspection.

At the time of our inspection, the service was providing personal care for 24 people who lived in the Ludlow area. We spent time visiting people in their own homes and asked them what they thought about the care they received. We also undertook telephone interviews with people and relatives to gauge their impression on the quality of care provided. In total, we spoke to nine people who used the services and five relatives.

At the office, we reviewed a range of records about people’s care and how the domiciliary care agency was managed. We looked at seven care records, three medicine administration record (MAR) sheets, personnel and training records, and quality assurance checks.

As part of the inspection, we spoke with the registered manager, the managing director, general manager and eight members of staff.

Updated 6 April 2018

This inspection took place on 8 February 2018 was announced.

Care at Home (Shropshire) Limited is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats in the community. It provides a service to older adults in Ludlow and the surrounding areas. At the time of our inspection the provider was providing personal care and other support for 31 people. Not everyone using Care at Home (Shropshire) Limited receives regulated activity; CQC only inspects the service being received by people provided with 'personal care'; help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do, we also take into account any wider social care provided. At the time of our inspection, the service was providing personal care for 24 people.

At the last inspection on12 November 2015, the service was rated Good. At this inspection we found evidence continued to support the overall rating of Good. This inspection report is written in a shorter format because our overall rating of the service has not changed since our last inspection.

Medication administration continued to be safe. However, medicine administration records were not always accurate and details of when prescribed creams were applied were not always recorded by staff.

People continued to receive care, which protected them from avoidable harm and abuse. Staff responded to and met people's needs safely. Risks to people’s safety were identified and measures were in place to help reduce these risks. Staff continued to be recruited safely by the provider, and checks were completed on new staff to make sure they were suitable to support people in their own homes. There were sufficient numbers of staff to support people effectively. Staff received guidance and training on infection control and prevention and were provided with personal protective equipment (PPE).

People continued to receive care that was effective in meeting their needs. Staff received training to give them the skills and knowledge they needed to meet people's needs. People's rights with regards to consent and making their own decisions continued to be respected by staff. Systems were in place to help people maintain good health and have enough to eat and drink.

People were supported by staff who knew them well and had caring relationships with them. People felt involved in their own care and staff and managers listened to what they wanted. Staff respected people's privacy and dignity when they supported them and promoted their independence.

People continued to receive care and support that was individual to them. Support needs were kept under review and people were consulted about whether changes were required. People were encouraged to raise concerns and make complaints and were confident these would be dealt with. The provider was an inclusive service and promoted equality, diversity and human rights with people and staff.

People were listened to when they gave feedback about the service they received. Staff were happy in their work and were clear about their roles and responsibilities. There was an open culture within the service in which staff felt confident approaching management about any issues. Systems were in place that continued to be effective in assessing and monitoring the quality of the service provided.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.