Procare Healthcare Ltd

Updated 21 March 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 undertaken by 1 inspector and an Expert by Experience made calls after the office visit. 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 homes. This service is also registered to provide care and support to people living in ‘supported living’ setting, so that they can live as independently as possible. People’s care and housing are provided under separate contractual agreements. CQC does not regulate premises used for supported living. At the time of the inspection, no people were being supported under the supported living service.

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 February 2023 and ended on 6 March 2023. We visited the location's office on 28 February 2023.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about 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

We spoke with the registered manager who is also the nominated individual. The nominated individual is responsible for supervising the management of the service on behalf of the provider. We reviewed a range of records. This included 2 people's care records. We looked at 2 staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures were reviewed.

After the inspection

We spoke with 2 people who used the service about their experience of the care provided. We also spoke with 5 family members of people who used the service to seek their feedback about care provided to their relatives. We contacted 8 members of staff to seek their feedback. We also contacted 8 social care professionals.

Updated 21 March 2023

About the service

Procare Healthcare Ltd is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to adults living in their own homes who may be living with dementia and/or physical disability and people with a learning disability or autistic people. Not everyone who used the service received personal care. At the time of our inspection there were 10 people using the service. 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 received positive feedback from people and relatives of those using the service. The service was meeting all requirements to ensure people had safe and effective care.

We expect health and social care providers to guarantee people with a learning disability and autistic people respect, equality, dignity, choices and independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. ‘Right support, right care, right culture’ is the guidance CQC follows to make assessments and judgements about services supporting people with a learning disability and autistic people and providers must have regard to it. At the time of the inspection, the location did not care or support anyone with a learning disability or an autistic person. However, we assessed the care provision under Right Support, Right Care, Right Culture, as it is registered as a specialist service for this population group.

Right Support:

People were safe. Staff had the training and knowledge to identify signs of abuse and escalate concerns as and when required. Risks to people were identified and mitigated. The provider carried out the necessary checks on new staff to ensure they were safe to work with people. People's nutritional and hydration needs were met, and infection control measures reduced the risk of spread of infection. Incidents and accidents were investigated, and lessons learnt.

People's health related risks were assessed so staff knew how to support them. Where people lived with health conditions, care plans contained enough detail to guide staff on signs to monitor potential health deterioration.

People received care personalised to their needs and contributed to their care plans. The registered manager ensured documentation was produced to meet people's communication needs.

The provider was arranging for all staff to attend the Oliver McGowan training. This would ensure readiness if they started to support people with a learning disability or autistic people.

Right Care: Care was person-centred and promoted people’s dignity, privacy and human rights

Staff were recruited safely; the registered manager had put plans in place to ensure staff had the appropriate checks before they started employment and supporting people.

People were kept safe from the risk of infection, staff received infection control training and had appropriate personal protective equipment. Staff supported people with medicines safely, they were trained and assessed as competent before being permitted to administer medicines to people. People told us they felt safe, they knew who to speak with if they had any problems. Staff were aware of their safeguarding responsibilities and knew how and where to report concerns.

People were supported by enough staff who knew them well and were trained to meet their needs. Staff completed an induction period which included shadowing an experienced member of staff.

Right Culture:

The ethos, values, attitudes and behaviours of leaders and care staff ensured people using services supported by staff to have as much control and independence as possible to continue living in their own homes.

People knew the registered manager and were happy with their leadership style.

Quality assurance processes were effective and there was a clear plan for the future of the service. The management team were keen to develop the service and continually improve care.

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.

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

Rating at last inspection

This service was registered with us on 3 December 2021 and this is the first inspection.

Why we inspected

This is the first inspection for this newly registered service.

Follow up

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

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