Background to this inspection
Updated
22 September 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
The inspection team consisted of 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
MiHomecare - Queensbury is a domiciliary care agency registered to provide personal care to people in their own homes.
Registered Manager
This service is required to have a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the CQC 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
We gave the service two working days' notice of the inspection because the service provides care to people in their own homes and we wanted to make sure that management were available on the day of the inspection site visit.
We visited the office location on 28 July 2022.
What we did before the inspection
We reviewed information we had received about the service since it was registered with the CQC. 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.
The provider was not asked to complete a Provider Information Return (PIR) prior to this inspection. A PIR is information providers 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 met and spoke with the registered manager, regional head of quality, human resources advisor and trainer. We reviewed a range of records relating to the management of the service which were held electronically.
We spoke with five people who received care from the agency and six relatives. We also spoke with nine care staff which included care workers and senior care workers. We looked at eight people’s care records and multiple medication records as well as records relating to the management of the service and the safety and quality of people's care. We also looked at records showing us how staff were recruited and trained, and compliments received by the service. We reviewed quality assurance records, policies and procedures. We obtained feedback from one care professional.
Updated
22 September 2022
About the service
MiHomecare - Queensbury is a domiciliary care agency registered to provide personal care to people in their own homes. The services they provide include personal care, housework and medicines support. At the time of inspection, the service provided care to 32 people who received personal care. The Care Quality Commission (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:
People told us they could rely on care workers to provide care safely and they felt comfortable in their presence. Systems were in place to help safeguarding people from the risk of abuse and staff had received training on recognising and managing safeguarding concerns. Staff were safely recruited by the service, ensuring that only people who were suitable to work with vulnerable adults were employed.
Risk assessments identified how potential risks should be managed to reduce the likelihood of people experiencing harm.
People and relatives told us that care workers were respectful of people’s privacy and dignity. They told us care workers were kind, helpful and considerate.
Appropriate medicines management and administration processes were in place.
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.
Measures to prevent and control the spread of COVID-19 and other infections were in place.
Staff were up to date with their training, which ensured they had the knowledge and skills to safely and effectively meet people's needs.
There were mixed reviews from people, relatives and staff about the management and running of the service. The majority of people and relatives we spoke with told us they did not know who the registered manager was. A number of care workers told us there had been numerous changes in management in recent times which had caused uncertainty and stress. We have made a recommendation in relation to this.
Systems were in place to take learning from any suggestions or complaints, should these be made.
Quality assurance processes were in place to enable people using the service and their carers to make their views known. Management had systems in place to check key areas of the care provided and used their findings to drive through improvements in people's safety and care.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
Rating at last inspection and update
The service was registered with us on 12 April 2022 and this is the first inspection.
Why we inspected
This was a planned comprehensive inspection to review the key questions, Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led and rate this service.
The inspection was prompted because the service has not had an inspection and a rating since it was first registered with us.
Follow up
We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.