Luton Friendship Home Carers Limited

Updated 9 February 2021

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 Care Act 2014.

Inspection team

This inspection was undertaken by one 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.

The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. However, at the time of our inspection they were not in the office. A new manager had applied to be the registered manager. 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 four days' notice of the inspection because some of the people using the service could not consent to a telephone call from an inspector. This meant that we had to arrange for a ‘best interests’ decision about this as well as speaking with people's relatives.

Inspection activity started on 19 January 2021 and ended on 21 January 2021. We visited the office location on 21 January 2021.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. This included notifications about various incidents the provider must tell us about. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return. This is information providers are required to send us with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. This information helps support our inspections.

We also sought and received feedback from the local safeguarding authority and social care professionals about their experience of the care provided. This information helps support our inspections. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with six people, seven relatives of people who used the service and one person's advocate. We spoke with eight staff including the manager senior care staff and care staff.

We reviewed a range of records. We looked at two recently recruited staff files and records relating to training and supervision. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including staff meeting minutes, compliments, audits and feedback from people and relatives were also reviewed.

After the inspection

We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. This included two people’s care records, compliments and the provider's updated statement of purpose.

Updated 9 February 2021

About the service

Luton Friendship Home Carers Limited is a domiciliary (home care) care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats.

At the time of our inspection there were 41 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

Staff were trained and knowledgeable about safeguarding processes including identifying and reporting any risks to people's safety. Risks to people and staff were identified and managed.

There were enough safely recruited staff and they had appropriate skills to safely meet people's needs. There were effective systems in place which supported good infection prevention and control practise. One person said us, “I get the same consistent staff and they arrive spot on time. They always let me know if they may be slightly late."

Due to restrictions imposed as a result of the pandemic, the registered manager used video technology to train staff in practical ways such as how to support people with moving and handling. Staff had training and had various means of support such as, mentoring to help develop their skills.

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. One relative told us how skilled staff were encouraging their family member to eat. Lessons' were learned when things went wrong, and learning was shared across the staff team.

People were supported eat and drink enough and have access healthcare services. The provider and its staff worked well with others involved in people's care.

Staff supported people to live a meaningful live and received care that was based on their preferences. Staff were creative in their approach to treating people equally well, whatever people's communication skills. People's concerns were acted on before they became a complaint. There were policies and procedures to support people with end of life care if needed.

The service had a registered manager, but they had been off since March 2020. A new manager was in post and they were applying to be the registered manager. They supported staff and had developed an open and honest staff team culture. Audits, oversight and governance were effective in driving improvements. People, relatives, and staff had a say in how the service was run. The provider worked well with others to help ensure people received joined up care.

Rating at last inspection

The last rating for this service was requires improvement (published 14 June 2019).

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection of this service between the 20 and 23 May 2019 and three breaches of legal requirements were found. The provider completed an action plan after the last inspection to show what they would do and by when to improve safe care and treatment, staff recruitment and the effectiveness of the provider's quality assurance.

Why we inspected

We undertook this focused inspection to check they had followed their action plan and to confirm they now met legal requirements. This report only covers our findings in relation to the Key Questions: Is the service Safe, Effective, Responsive and Well-led questions, which contain those requirements.

The ratings from the previous comprehensive inspection for those key questions not looked at on this occasion were used in calculating the overall rating at this inspection. The overall rating for the service has changed from requires improvement to good. This is based on the findings at this inspection.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Luton Friendship Home Carers Limited on our website at www.cqc.org.uk

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.