Sandwell Multi-Care

Updated 27 June 2019

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. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

Inspection team:

This inspection was carried out by one inspector with two other colleagues shadowing the process.

Service and service type:

Sandwell Multi-Care is a domiciliary care service. It provides personal care to people living in their own homes and offers respite support to relatives. CQC regulates only the care provided. The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.

Notice of inspection:

This inspection was announced. We gave the service 24 hours’ notice of the inspection visit because we needed to be able to speak with the registered manager who was sometimes out supporting staff. Inspection site visit activity started on 30 May and ended on the 31 May 2019. We visited the office location to see the registered manager and office staff; and to review care records and policies and procedures.

What we did:

We used information the provider sent us in their provider information return. This is

information we require providers to send to us at least once annually to give us some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. Prior to the inspection we reviewed information we held about the service since their last inspection. This included notifications received from the provider about deaths, accidents/incidents and safeguarding alerts which they are required to send us by law. We also contacted the commissioners who commissioned services from this provider and other stakeholders.

During the inspection people could not share their views verbally over the telephone but we were able to speak with one person and three relatives. We spoke with two members of the care staff, two care coordinators and the registered manager. We reviewed care records for three people and records related to the management and quality of the service.

Updated 27 June 2019

About the service:

Sandwell Multi-Care is registered to provide personal care to adults and children living in their own homes and offers respite support to relatives. On the day of the inspection, 43 people were receiving support.

People’s experience of using this service:

People received safe care. People received support that kept them safe and there were enough care staff to keep them safe. There were recruitment systems in place to ensure only appropriate staff could support people. Where people were administered medicines, this was carried out as it was prescribed. Care staff had access to appropriate equipment in line with the provider’s infection control procedures. Trends were monitored to reduce the amount of accidents and incidents.

People received effective care. Care staff had the knowledge and skills to support people how they wanted. We identified a small number of gaps in care staff training, however this did not impact negatively on people currently using the service. The registered manager assured us action would be taken to address this. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and care staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible. Care staff supported people to make choices as to what they had to eat and drink. People accessed health care professionals when needed with the support of care staff.

People received support that was caring, kind and compassionate. People decided how they were supported and when. Care staff were respectful of people’s privacy, dignity and independence.

People received support that was responsive to their needs. People were involved in the assessments and care planning process to ensure the support they received was what they wanted. There was a complaints process in place and the provider acted promptly to deal with concerns.

The registered manager told us the provider visited the service regularly however records of their visits were not kept. The registered manager told us they would ensure a form was completed in future to show the outcome of such visits. The registered manager understood the service well and had plans in place for further improvements. Audits and spot checks were carried out to ensure the service people received was of a good quality. Questionnaires were used to engage with people and the information gathered was analysed, shared with people and used to make improvements to the service.

Rating at last inspection:

Rated Good (Report published 29/10/2016).

Why we inspected:

This was a planned comprehensive inspection.

Follow up:

We will continue to monitor the service through the information we receive until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If any concerning information is received, we may inspect sooner.

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