Ginger Homecare Limited

Updated 23 May 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 was carried out by 1 inspector and an Expert by Experience who made telephone calls to people. An Expert by Experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.

Service and service type

This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats.

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 this 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 wanted to be sure there would be people available to speak with us.

Inspection activity started on 25 April 2023 and ended on 28 April 2023. We visited the location’s office on the first date and the telephone calls were made on the second date.

What we did before the inspection

We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return (PIR). This is information providers are required to send us annually with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with 3 people who used the service and 6 relatives about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with 3 members of care staff, the registered manager, deputy manager and a care supervisor who is also an appointed trainer. We reviewed a range of records. This included 5 people’s care records and medication records. We looked at 4 staff files in relation to recruitment, training and staff supervision. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures were reviewed.

Updated 23 May 2023

About the service

Ginger Homecare Limited provides home care services enabling people to be cared for while living in their own homes. The service is managed from the registered office in Leyland. At the time of this inspection 70 people were receiving regulated personal care and support from the service. 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.

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

We expect health and social care providers to guarantee autistic people and people with a learning disability the choices, dignity, independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. Right support, right care, right culture is the statutory guidance which supports CQC to make assessments and judgements about services providing support to people with a learning disability and/or autistic people. We considered this guidance as there were people using the service who have a learning disability and or who are autistic.

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. Consent to care and treatment had been obtained and where people lacked capacity relevant others had been involved in supporting people's decision making.

Risks relating to people's needs had been identified and records provided a detailed plan for managing those risks. Medicines were administered and managed safely. There were enough members of staff on the rota to support the number of people using the service.

Training records demonstrated appropriate and relevant training was provided. Referrals were made to other healthcare services where necessary. People told us they thought the care they received was very good and spoke positively about the staff who supported them.

People told us the staff treated them with dignity and respect and were kind and caring towards them. Care plans demonstrated a person-centred approach. Concerns and complaints were promptly responded to.

Quality monitoring and auditing systems were well established. There was regular oversight of the safety and quality of the service. People said very positive things about the management and staff and described the service as ‘very good’.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the Care Quality Commission (CQC) website at www.cqc.org.uk

Rating at last inspection

The last rating for the service was good, published on 27 November 2017.

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.