Quality Homecare

Updated 3 October 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 was planned to check 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. The inspection was announced and we gave the provider 48 hours notice, to make sure the right people were available on the day of our visit.

The inspection team consisted of one inspector and two experts by experience. An expert-by-experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service. Before the inspection we looked at and reviewed all the current information we held about the service. This included notifications that we received. Notifications are events that the provider is required by law to inform us of. We also reviewed the Provider Information Return (PIR). This is a form that asks the provider to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make

On the first day of the inspection we visited the provider’s head office. We spoke with the registered manager, and four care workers. We reviewed the care records and risk assessments for three people who use the service, the recruitment records for 10 staff, quality monitoring records, policies and other records relating to the management of the service. We spoke with two care co-ordinators by telephone after we visited the head office. On the second and third day of the inspection we spoke with 18 people who used the service and 11 relatives by telephone. Before and after the inspection we spoke with the local authority who commission care from the service.

Updated 3 October 2018

Quality Homecare is a domiciliary care agency. At the time of our inspection they provided personal care to 456 people living in their own homes. It provided a service to people with dementia, physical disability, ill health related to age and some younger adults with a physical or learning disability.

Not everyone using Quality Homecare received the 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 our last inspection in May 2017, the service was rated 'Requires Improvement' because the provider had not always acted on feedback given to them and the systems that monitored the quality of the service had not identified this. At this inspection we found the provider had taken the right action and the service was now rated ‘Good’.

The service had a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

As far as possible, people were protected from harm and abuse. Staff knew how to recognise the signs of abuse and what they should do if they thought someone was a risk. There were enough staff to support people to stay safe and meet their needs. Staff knew how to report incidents and accidents, and if these did occur, they were properly investigated. Risk assessment and risk management practices were robust.

People were supported to express their choices and preferences and they experienced care that met their needs. People were supported by kind, caring staff. People had their privacy and dignity respected, and staff knew what to do to make sure people’s independence was promoted. People experienced person centred care and were supported to make their end of life care wishes known.

People were supported to eat and drink enough and were able to access the healthcare they needed to remain well. Medicines were safely managed. People had their care needs regularly assessed, and people were involved in their care reviews. People experienced care and support that was in line with current guidance and standards.

Staff were supported with training, supervision and appraisals to make sure they had the skills they needed to provide good quality care. Specialist training had been arranged where needed, for example, in caring for people who lived with dementia Staff recruitment procedures ensured checks were made that staff were safe to work with people.

People were asked for their consent before any care was given, and staff made sure they always acted in people’s best interests. The registered manager and staff understood their responsibilities under the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and any decisions were made in people’s best interests.

People had access to a complaints process, and said they would be happy to raise a complaint if they ever needed to. The registered manager and staff knew what action to take if a complaint were made, and complaints were properly investigated and resolved.

The service was well-led and staff felt supported. People’s views were sought and acted on to improve the service. Regular checks and audits were carried out to make sure people experienced good quality care and staff provided good support. The service had met all the fundamental standards and the registered manager and staff had improved the service so it was now good.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.