Orion Care Services

Updated 27 April 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 adult social care inspector.

Service and service type: Orion Care Services is a Domiciliary Care Agency providing care and support services to people with learning disabilities.

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: We gave the service 48 hours’ notice of the inspection visit because we needed to be sure that staff would be in the office to support the inspection.

Inspection site visit activity started on 20 March 2019 and ended on 22 March 2019. We visited the office location on 20 March 2019 to see the registered manager and management team; and to review care records and policies and procedures. We also met three people that used the service on this day. We made calls to relatives and health and social care professionals on 22 March 2019.

What we did: Prior to the inspection, we reviewed all the information we held about the service including notifications received by CQC. A notification is information about important events which the service is required to tell us by law.

During our inspection we spoke with three people using the service, three members of staff and three relatives. We also spoke with three health and social care professionals that had experienced working with the service.

The registered manager was unavailable so inspection activity was supported by two deputy managers and other members of the management team.

We reviewed a range of records. This included care records, information relating to staff recruitment and supervision and the training records for all staff. We also reviewed records relating to the management of the service and a variety of policies and procedures developed and implemented by the provider.

Updated 27 April 2019

About the service: Orion Care Services provides care and support to people with learning disabilities living in their own home. 34 people were using the service at the time the inspection living across 13 tenancies (projects).

People’s experience of using this service: People told us staff were kind and caring in their approach. People told us staff communicated well with them and acted in an open and transparent way.

Care plans were person-centred and provided staff with the information they needed to provide care and support in a way that met people’s needs and preferences.

Medicines were managed in line with good practice guidance.

Staff assessed risks to people’s health, safety and wellbeing and put plans in place to manage these risks.

People told us they would feel confident to raise any complaints they might have. We saw complaints were identified, investigated and used to improve the service.

There were processes in place to monitor the safety and quality of the service.

One relative said they had concerns about the suitability of staffing on one team and told us that their relative was not encouraged to take part in enough activity. The relative had raised this with the management team who were hoping to work with the team and make improvements.

The service had a registered manager in post at the time of our inspection.

The management team had the knowledge and oversight to operate the service safely and effectively. They demonstrated an understanding of all aspects of managing the service such as safeguarding procedures and medicines management.

People, relatives and staff were engaged by the service via meetings so that everyone could contribute to the development of the service. There was a credible strategy in place with plans for multiple new improvements and updates at the service. This was being implemented by the registered manager who was proactive in considering how the service could be improved.

People, staff and relatives spoke positively about the registered manager and management team who led the service well.

We have made a recommendation about staff training in both mental health awareness and equality and diversity.

The service met the characteristics of Good

Rating at last inspection: At the last inspection the service was rated as Good (15 July 2016).

Why we inspected: This was a scheduled inspection planned to check that the service was providing quality care that was safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led.

Follow up: We did not identify any concerns at this inspection. Going forward we will continue to monitor this service and plan to inspect in line with our reinspection schedule for services rated Good.

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