Background to this inspection
Updated
13 November 2019
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. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.
Inspection team
One inspector carried out this inspection.
Service and service type
This service is a domiciliary care agency that provides personal care to people living in their own homes.
The service had a manager registered with the CQC, who also owned the business. This means the registered manager and the provider were the same person and 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 visit because we needed to be sure the manager/owner would all be available for us to speak with during our inspection. This two-day inspection started on 7 October and ended on 10 October 2019.
What we did before the inspection
We reviewed all the key information providers are required to send us about their service, including statutory notifications and our Provider Information Return (PIR), which providers are required to send us. A PIR provides us with some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We used all this information to help us plan our inspection.
During the inspection
On the first day of our inspection we received feedback about this home care agency from both the people currently using the service who we contacted by telephone. On the second day we visited the provider’s offices and spoke in-person with the registered manager/owner and deputy/human resources manager. We also looked at a range of records, including care plans for both people using the service, four staff files in relation to their recruitment, training and supervision, a sample of medication administration record (MAR) sheets and the complaints log.
After the inspection
We received email feedback about the service from three members of staff we contacted.
Updated
13 November 2019
About the service
Millenium Employment Agency Limited is a domiciliary care agency that provides personal care and support to people living in their own homes. At the time of our inspection two young adults with physical disabilities were receiving a home care service from this agency.
People’s experience of using this service
People told us they remained happy with the standard of home care support they received from this agency. Typical feedback we received from both people using the service included, “I continue to be happy with the care I have from Millenium Employment Agency Limited” and “The staff who visit me at home are good people…I have no complaints about the agency.”
Since our last inspection the provider has improved the way medicines records were maintained by staff and the effectiveness of how they operate their quality monitoring systems.
People, their relatives and staff all spoke positively about the way the managers ran the agency. The provider promoted an open and inclusive culture which sought the views of people using the service, their relatives and staff. The provider worked in close partnership with other health and social care professionals and agencies to plan and deliver people’s packages of care and support.
People continued to receive their medicines as they were prescribed. People were supported by staff who knew how to prevent and manage risks they might face and keep them safe from avoidable harm. Staff continued to undergo all the relevant pre-employment checks to ensure their suitability and fitness for the role. People received continuity of personal care and support from staff who were punctual and familiar with their needs, wishes and daily routines. The services arrangements for controlling infection remained effective.
People received personal care from staff who had completed training that was relevant to their roles and responsibilities. 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. Where staff were responsible for this, people were supported to maintain a nutritionally well-balanced diet. People continued to be supported to stay healthy and well.
Staff treated people with dignity and respect. People were treated equally and had their human rights and diversity respected, including their spiritual and cultural needs and wishes. People were encouraged and supported to develop their independent living skills. Assessments of people’s support needs were carried out before they started using the service.
Care plans remained personalised, which ensured people received personal care that was tailored to meet their individual needs and wishes. People were encouraged to make decisions about the care and support they received and had their choices respected. Managers and staff understood the Accessible Information Standard and ensured people were given information in a way they could understand. People were satisfied with the way the provider dealt with their concerns and complaints. When people were nearing the end of their life, they had received compassionate and supportive care from this agency.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
Rating at the last inspection
The last rating for this service was requires improvement (published 10 October 2018). The provider completed an action plan after the last inspection to show what they would do and by when to improve. At this inspection we found improvements had been made.
Why we inspected
This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.
You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Millenium Employment Agency Limited on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.
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.