Guardian Angel Carers Mid Sussex

Updated 21 June 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

The inspection was undertaken 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 a registered manager in post.

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 30 May 2023 and ended on 1 June 2023. We visited the location's office on 30 May 2023.

What we did before the inspection

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 this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We visited the provider's office on 30 May 2023 and spoke with the registered manager, nominated individual, quality and compliance manager and care co-ordinator. The nominated individual is responsible for supervising the management of the service on behalf of the provider. We reviewed records that included 5 people's care plans, risk assessments and some medicine administration records. We also looked at records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures, quality assurance systems and staff recruitment and training records.

Following the site visit we spoke to 3 people and 3 relatives by telephone about the service they were receiving. We spoke with 3 care workers by telephone. We contacted 3 professionals to obtain feedback about working with the service.

Updated 21 June 2023

About the service

Guardian Angels Carers Mid Sussex is a domiciliary care service providing personal care and support for people in their own homes. The service provides support to older people and younger adults with a range of needs including dementia, physical disabilities and sensory impairments.

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 the inspection, they were 19 people receiving the regulated activity from the service.

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

People received kind and compassionate care. People were supported by appropriately recruited and trained staff. Risks to people had been assessed and mitigated through safety measures and guidance for staff. People who required help with their medicines were supported safely. There were systems in place to protect people from avoidable harm and abuse. The registered manager ensured that incidents were reviewed so that any changes could be made.

People were supported by staff who received training appropriate to their role and who knew their needs well. People were supported to ensure their healthcare needs were met. 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 encouraged to live healthy lives and received food of their choice.

People spoke affectionately of the carers that supported them. People appreciated the time staff spent with them. People were treated with respect and dignity. People received a responsive service where their care was arranged according to their needs and wishes. Staff knew these needs well. Staff were flexible and adapted to peoples’ request to adjust their support.

People spoke positively about the engagement and involvement of the registered manager. The registered manager ensured, through audits and checks, that the quality of the care provided was sustained and monitored effectively. Management of the service responded effectively to people’s views and feedback and sought to continuously improve care.

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 24 February 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.