We carried out a review of the data available to us about Quality Care (North West) Limited on 6 July 2023. We have not found evidence that we need to carry out an inspection or reassess our rating at this stage.
This could change at any time if we receive new information. We will continue to monitor data about this service.
If you have concerns about Quality Care (North West) Limited, you can give feedback on this service.
Quality Care is a domiciliary care service providing care and support to people in their own homes. At the time of the inspection there were 90 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
People and their relatives told us they felt safe. The provider had effective safeguarding procedures and staff felt confident raising concerns. We saw application forms did not request a full employment history. This was actioned immediately by the registered manager following on from inspection and we saw that CV's were being sought. Although formal 1-1 supervision meetings and staff meetings were not currently being documented due to the fact the staff team were in regular contact with the management, staff told us they felt well supported. We made a recommendation about documenting supervisions with staff and organising team meetings. We also found some policies and procedures needed updating.
People told us their medicines were being managed safely and assessments of need and care plans were undertaken. Staff told us they had appropriate training. 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.
People told us the staff were extremely caring. They told us they were treated with dignity and respect. We observed staff supporting an individual and it was evident they were kind, caring and considerate. We saw numerous thank you cards and compliments praising the staff team.
People and families knew who to speak to if they had a concern and felt confident raising any issues. No complaints had been received since last inspection. We saw evidence of quality assurance surveys taking place which were very thorough and covered a range of topics.
People were consulted about their care and received care that was centred on them as an individual. People felt well supported by the management. It was clear they were passionate about the care they provided as a family run agency.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
Rating at last inspection
The last rating for this service was Good (published 23 November 2016)
Why we inspected
This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.
Follow up
We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.
Quality Care (North West) is registered with the Commission to provide personal care. This family run agency has been in operation since 1996 providing domiciliary care services within the borough of Pendle. The range of services provided includes personal care, domestic assistance and a sitting service. The agency office is staffed during the hours of 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, with a 24-hour on-call system for emergencies. At the time of our inspection there were 83 people receiving a service
We last visited Quality Care (North West) Limited on the 10 February 2014. The service was fully compliant in all areas assessed.
At the time of this inspection there was a registered manager in post. 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.
During this inspection we found the service was meeting the current regulations.
People using the service received care and support from a team of staff who had been recruited safely and trained to deliver safe and effective care and support. People who completed our survey told us they felt safe from abuse or harm from the staff and they were treated with respect. People we spoke with told us they felt safe in their homes. Staff followed their instructions to gain access to their property and left their homes secure. They told us staff were trustworthy and respected their home.
People using the service and their relatives described the service as very good. They said staff were very respectful, attentive to their needs and treated them with kindness and respect when providing their support. Staff were also described in such terms as being caring and kind, the best, remarkable and lovely people.
Staff had been trained in safeguarding vulnerable people and knew what to do if they suspected any abusive or neglectful practice. Safeguarding procedures were in place to guide and direct staff in reporting any concerns they had. People we spoke with knew what to do if they had any concerns regarding the staff who supported them.
Risks to people’s health, welfare and safety were managed very well. Risk assessments were thorough and informed staff of the actions to take to support people safely. People knew they could contact the agency at any time and had emergency contact details for out of office hours. The service responded well to requests for urgent help.
There were appropriate arrangements in place to support people to take their medicines. People received their medicines as prescribed, by staff that had been trained to do this safely. People we spoke with told us their visits were arranged to ensure they got their medicines at the right time.
Staff knew what to do in emergency situations and had guidance around keeping themselves and people they supported safe. Good arrangements were in place for staff to gain entry into people’s homes without placing them at risk. Staff were provided with protective equipment such as disposable gloves and aprons to minimise the risk of cross infection between people they visited.
Staff were trained in the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005. Staff understood the principles of best interest decisions’ regarding people’s care and support and people’s diversity was embraced within their care plans. Care plans were well written and person centred and focused on the needs of people using the service. People’s right to privacy, dignity, choice and independence was considered and reflected in their care plan.
Staff felt confident in their roles because they were well trained and supported by the registered manager to gain further skills and qualifications relevant to their work. Staff were effectively supervised and were subject to spot checks to make sure high standards were being maintained at all times.
Staff had been trained in Palliative Care / End of Life Care. This meant people receiving this specialist care could be confident staff had the skills and knowledge to ensure they would be treated with respect and compassion and their dignity and comfort always considered. The service worked in partnership with other agencies to ensure people received person centred care.
The service provided was flexible in meeting people’s needs. Visit times were scheduled to suit personal requirements and people we spoke with told us they could request a change of visit time and this was arranged. Assessment of people’s needs was an on-going process which meant any changes to their care was planned for. Changes to people’s needs and requirements were communicated well which meant staff were kept up to date with these changes.
People had opportunities to raise any issue of concern or pass on compliments about the service to the registered manager. People who completed our survey and those we spoke with had confidence in the registered manager to deal professionally with any complaint they raised.
People, their relatives and staff expressed their confidence in the registered manager and felt the agency was very well managed. Staff performance was monitored well and they were accountable for their practice. Tele monitoring was used to make sure staff were meeting their obligation in attending to people as and when required and ensure visits were never missed. Staff expressed a good level of job satisfaction and told us they felt valued.
We found there were good systems in place to assess and monitor the quality of the service, which included feedback from people using the service. Results of surveys completed showed a high satisfaction with the service people received.
We spoke with five staff members about the care they provided to people who used the service. We were told, 'I look at the care files and read the care file and diary sheets to see what is going on. I make sure everything is documented properly'. Another told us, 'The care files are important, they give you all the information so you know what they (people who used the service) are doing and what they need. I always read them before I do anything'.
We asked the manager about how they ensured checks were taking place in respect of administration of medications. We were told medication administration charts were checked when they were returned to the office and any concerns were acted on immediately. The manager told us this was not recorded formally. We asked the manager to provide us with information on how this would be addressed.
We looked at four staff files and saw there was systems were in place with regards to the recruitment and selection of staff.
We saw there were regular questionnaires sent to people who used the service about the care they received. We saw completed copies of these. We saw they had detailed information about the care given and staffing provided by the service, we saw positive feedback from these.
People told us they were involved in planning their care and support package. They told us the care they received was good and that they had care plans which explained their needs and how their support should be provided.
People said they had been given information about the service, which provided useful information and contact details.
People considered they were treated with dignity and said their privacy was respected. They told us the staff were helpful, punctual and well trained. They had had no concerns about their care and treatment, they said felt safe with the staff. They described staff as 'Friendly', 'Cheerful' and 'Good'.
People told us they knew what to do if they had any complaints and were confident that any concerns would be resolved.
People told us they were involved in planning their care and support. They were enabled to make choices and decisions about matters which affected them.
People considered they were treated with dignity and said their privacy was respected. They told us they were encouraged to be as independent as possible.
They told us the care they received was good and that they had care plans which instructed staff on what they needed to when they visited.
People had no concerns about their care and treatment; they said they felt safe with the staff. They said the staff were good, friendly and fine.
People said they were consulted about the service and that checks on visits and practices were being carried out.