Background to this inspection
Updated
3 January 2020
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
The inspection was carried out by one inspector and an Expert 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.
Service and service type
This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own homes.
The service had a registered manager. This means that they are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.
Notice of inspection
Our inspection was announced. We gave the service 48 hours' notice of the inspection. This was because it is a domiciliary service and we needed to be sure that the registered manager would be in the office to support with the inspection.
Inspection activity started on 27 November and ended on 6 December. We visited the office location on 27 November 2019.
What we did before the inspection
We reviewed relevant information that we had about the service. This included the last inspection report and notifications the provider had sent us. A notification is information about important events, which the provider is required to tell us about by law. We sought and received feedback from healthcare and local authority professionals. The provider was not asked to complete a provider information return prior to this inspection. This is information we require providers to send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make.
During the inspection
During the site visit we spoke with the registered manager and responsible individual. We reviewed documents and records that related to people's care and the management of the service. We reviewed five care plans, which included risk assessments and five staff files, which included pre-employment checks. We looked at other documents such as training and quality assurance records.
After the inspection
After the site visit we spoke by telephone with seven people who used the service, two relatives and five care staff. We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence we found such as looking at daily notes and training programmes.
Updated
3 January 2020
About the service
This service is a domiciliary care agency and is based in the London Borough of Havering. The service provides personal care to adults in their own homes. 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, the service provided personal care to 144 people.
People’s experience of using this service
The service was safe. People had trust in staff and the service had procedures in place to protect people from abuse. Each person had a risk assessment and staff knew how to manage any identified risks.
Medicines were safely managed. Staff had training in medicines administration and there was a medicines auditing system in place. Accidents and incidents were recorded and the registered manager drew lessons to avoid a repeat of incidents. Staff followed infection control procedures.
People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.
The service supported staff and provided them with ongoing training.
People received appropriate support with their meals. Staff knew about people's nutritional needs including their preferences due to cultural, religious or health needs. Staff had a good knowledge about equality and diversity. Staff also supported people to have access to healthcare.
Staff were polite and caring towards people. They respected people’s privacy and dignity. They encouraged people to live as independently as possible in their own homes. People were supported to maintain relationships with their relatives.
Care plans detailed people's needs and how they wanted staff to support them. This showed people received person-centred care. People's preferred ways of communication, their hobbies and interests were detailed in their assessments and care plans. Staff knew people's support needs and provided them with appropriate care. The registered manager welcomed complaints and used them as a tool for making improvements to the service.
A quality assurance system was part of the service. This meant people, relatives and staff were able to share their views and influence the quality of the service.
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 (report published 15 June 2017).
Why we inspected
This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.
Follow up
We will return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If any concerning information is received we may inspect sooner.