Home Instead Canterbury

Updated 4 May 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

This inspection was carried out by 1 inspector.

Service and service type

This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats.

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 not a registered manager in post however there was a manager who was in the process of registering with the Care Quality Commission.

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 20 April 2023 and ended on 26 April 2023. We visited the location’s office on 20 April 2023.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since its registration with CQC. 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 2 people, 3 relatives who were nominated to speak on people’s behalf, 8 members of staff including the provider, the manager and care staff. We reviewed a range of care records. This included 4 people's care plans and associated records. We looked at 3 staff files in relation to recruitment, supervision, and training. A variety of records relating to the management of the service were also reviewed.

Updated 4 May 2023

About the service

Home Instead Canterbury is a domiciliary service providing personal care to people in their own homes. The service provides personal care to people living in their own houses or flats who required support due to needs relating to their age or living with a physical disability. 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. At the time of our inspection there were 21 people using the service, with 8 receiving support with personal care.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

People were protected from the risk of abuse by staff who knew what to look out for and how to report concerns.

Feedback on the staff was positive with people describing them as, “Lovely” and, “Kind and compassionate.” Staff were on time and assisted people with the tasks they required. People told us they had not experienced missed or late care visits and the care being provided was consistent.

Risks were assessed and information provided to staff to prevent these occurring. Care plans held personal information on people and provided guidance for staff to be able to care for them well.

People told us staff used personal protective equipment (PPE) appropriately when they undertook care visits, and the provider told us they had sufficient supplies for staff to use.

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.

Staff completed a range of training modules and shadowed experienced staff when starting with the service. People told us they felt staff knew what they were doing and supported them well. Staff were supported by the provider and manager when required and staff told us they were always available for support.

Feedback on the service was positive from people and relatives we spoke with. They knew who the provider and manager were and how to contact them if they needed. They told us they felt the service was well-led and encouraged people to be engaged and involved in their care. Care records showed staff worked with external agencies, such as healthcare professionals, to achieve positive outcomes for people.

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 19 January 2022 and this is the first inspection.

Why we inspected

This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service.

Follow up

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