Updated 5 October 2022
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 an 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 service is required to have a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. 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. At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post.
Notice of inspection
The first day of the inspection was announced. 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 was carried out between 6 and 12 September 2022. Further inspection activity was completed via telephone and by email, which included additional information sent to us by the registered manager.
What we did before the inspection
We reviewed information we received about the service since the last inspection. Prior to our inspection, 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. We will review this at our next inspection.
At the time of the inspection, the service was not commissioned by the local authority, therefore we did not make contact with them for feedback on this occasion.
During the inspection
We spoke with one person who used the service and one relative about their experience of the care provided. We also spoke with three members of staff including the registered manager who is also the nominated individual/provider.
We reviewed a range of records. This included one person’s care plan and associated medicine administration records (MAR). We also looked at three staff recruitment files. A variety of other records relating to the management of the service were also considered as part of the inspection.
After the inspection
We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found following our site visit.