Archived: Flexicare (Oxford and Abingdon)

We undertook an announced inspection of Flexicare (Oxford and Abingdon) on 16 December 2015. We told the provider two days before our visit that we would be coming.

Flexicare is a small local Oxfordshire charity which provides a sitting service in the homes of families who have a child/children with severe physical and/or learning disabilities which may include problems with mobility, feeding, breathing, communication and seizures. Three part time care coordinators and a team of volunteers support up to 41 families.

There was a registered manager in post. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

Children’s relatives told us they benefitted from very caring relationships with the staff who knew how to support them. Children were assessed prior to staff supporting them. Children received care from staff who were knowledgeable about their needs and how best to support them.

Staff understood the needs of children and provided care with kindness and compassion. Relatives spoke positively about the service and the care their children received. Care plans highlighted children’s needs and interests.

Children were safe. Staff understood how to recognise and report concerns and the service worked with the local authority if there were any concerns. Most medicines were administered by relatives. However, where staff administered medicine children received their medicines safely as prescribed. Staff assessed risks associated with children’s care and took action to reduce risks.

There were sufficient staff to meet children’s needs. Visits were not arranged unless the service had capacity to fulfil the commitment. The service had robust recruitment procedures in place which ensured staff were suitable for their role. Background checks were conducted to ensure staff were of good character. Staff were supported through supervision, appraisal and training to enable them to provide a high degree of care.

Relatives told us they were confident they would be listened to and action would be taken if they had any concerns. Where concerns were raised the service took action to rectify the issue. The service had systems to assess the quality of the service provided. Systems were in place that ensured children were protected against the risks of unsafe or inappropriate care.

Relatives were involved in creating children’s support plans. Visit times were confirmed before the visit took place and relatives knew who would visit to provide a service. No missed visits were reported or recorded. Relative’s told us it was a reliable service.

All staff spoke positively about the support they received from the registered manager. Staff told us they were approachable and there was a good level of communication within the service. Regular meetings were held where staff could discuss relating to the service provided.

The registered manager led by example. Their vision for a family focussed, flexible service was echoed by staff.