Background to this inspection
Updated
6 February 2021
The inspection
This was a targeted inspection to check whether the provider had met the requirements of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014 regulation 12, Safe Care and Treatment and to review concerns we had about risk management and the quality of person-centred care.
Inspection team
This inspection was carried out by two inspectors.
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. 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. This was because we needed to be sure that the provider or registered manager would be in the office to support the inspection. Inspection activity started on 18 January 2021 when we visited the office location and ended on 21 January 2021.
What we did before the 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 reviewed information received from external sources and notifications sent in to us by the provider. We took this into account when we inspected the service and made the judgements in this report. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.
During the inspection
We spoke with six people who used the service and three relatives about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with six members of staff including the registered manager, field supervisors, senior care staff and care workers. We reviewed a range of records. This included eight people’s care records. We looked at a variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures. We looked at training data and quality assurance records. We spoke with three professionals who regularly visit the service.
Updated
6 February 2021
About the service
Westminster Homecare Limited is a domiciliary care agency providing personal care to 197 people at the time of the inspection.
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
People told us they felt safe but records did not always promote safe practice because risks were not always fully assessed and documented. People were receiving their medicines correctly and on time and medicines were being safely managed and administered.
People’s care needs were being met but the care records did not promote personalised care. People were involved in making decisions about their care and treatment. People knew how to make complaints and these were fully investigated and improvements made. We have made a recommendation about documenting person centred approaches to care.
People were supported to access health and social care professionals when they required this and staff were well trained to meet people’s needs. People’s wishes for the end of their life were not sought or recorded.
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.
People were consulted regularly to input into how the service delivers care and information was shared with them regularly. There were a lot of forums people could choose to become involved in to socialise and to engage with the staff team.
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 (published 24 April 2017).
Why we inspected
This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.
Enforcement:
We have identified a breach in relation to risk assessments to keep people safe at this inspection. Please see the action we have told the provider to take at the end of this report.
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.