Lehope Care Limited

Updated 28 April 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.

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 our inspection there was a registered manager in post.

Notice of inspection

We gave the service 48 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because it is a small service and we needed to be sure that the provider or registered manager would be in the office to support the inspection.

Inspection activity started on 24 March 2023 and ended on 6 April 2023. We visited the location’s office on 28 March 2023.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service. We sought feedback from the professionals who work with the service. 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

During the inspection we spoke with the registered manager, 2 members of staff, 1 person who used the service and 1 relative. We reviewed 3 people’s care records. We reviewed training records and documents relating to the management of the service including policies and audits.

Updated 28 April 2023

About the service

Lehope Care Limited is a domiciliary care agency providing personal care to people in their own houses and flats. The service provides support to older people, some of whom may have dementia, and people with a learning disability or autistic people. At the time of our inspection there were 3 people using 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’s experience of using this service and what we found

Right Support:

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. We have made a recommendation to ensure these are always documented. Staff supported people to take part in activities and pursue their interests in their local area. Staff communicated with people in ways that met their needs. People were supported by trained staff to take their medicines.

Right Care:

We found room for improvement with safeguarding reporting and recruitment. People received kind and compassionate care. Staff protected and respected people’s privacy and dignity.

People who had individual ways of communicating, using body language, sounds, pictures, and symbols could interact comfortably with staff. People’s care plans reflected their range of needs, and this promoted their wellbeing and enjoyment of life.

Right Culture:

People and those important to them, were involved in planning their care.

Staff received an induction and training to enable them to meet people’s needs. Spot checks and competencies were completed, and staff felt supported by the registered manager.

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

Rating at last inspection and update

This service was registered with us on 23 November 2021, and this is the first inspection.

Why we inspected

This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service.

We have found evidence that the provider needs to make improvements. Please see the well led section of this full report.

Recommendations

We have made recommendations relating to recruitment and best interest decision records.

Follow up

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