Radfield Home Care Croydon & Sutton

Updated 14 March 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

Our inspection was completed by 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

This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats and specialist housing. The service operates under a licence as a franchisee of Radfield Home Care.

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

This inspection was announced. We gave the service 48 hours' notice of the inspection. This was because we needed to be sure the registered manager would be available to support the inspection. We also needed to obtain consent from people using the service to be contacted by us to obtain feedback on their experience of using the service.

The inspection activity started on 7 February 2023 by visiting the provider's office to meet with the registered manager. We then made phone calls to staff and emailed people using the service and their relatives and inspection activity ended on 1 March 2023.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed the information we had received about the service since they registered with us, including any statutory notifications received. The provider completed a provider information return. This is information providers are required to send us with key information about their service, what they do well and improvements they plan to make. We used all of this information to plan our inspection

During the inspection

We received feedback from 3 people and relatives using the service about their experiences of the care provided. We spoke with the registered manager and 2 care workers. We reviewed a range of records including care and staff records and records relating to the management of the service. We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found.

Updated 14 March 2023

About the service

Radfield Home Care Croydon & Sutton is a domiciliary care service providing personal care to people in their own homes. At the time of the inspection 5 people were receiving personal care, most of whom were older people and required support to remain as independent as possible. 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 received the right support in relation to risks, such as those relating to age and frailty and moving and handling. There were enough staff to support people safely and staff timekeeping was good. The provider checked staff were suitable to work with people through recruitment checks. Staff received training in infection control practices, including the safe use of personal protective equipment (PPE), to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission. People received the right support in relation to their medicines and the provider had good oversight of this through electronic systems.

Staff received the training and support they needed to meet people’s needs and the provider held weekly workshops for staff to enhance their knowledge on key areas. People were supported to maintain their mental and physical health and to maintain contact with professionals involved in their care. People received food and drink of their choice. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives. Staff supported people in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests. The policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

People liked the staff who supported them and developed good relationships with them. The registered manager carefully matched people with staff based on shared interests and backgrounds as well as personalities as far as possible. People were introduced to staff to check they were happy with the match before care began. Staff shadowed senior staff to learn how to provide care in the best ways for each person and so staff came to know people well. People received consistency of care from a small number of staff who knew them well. People were supported to improve their independent living skills as far as possible and staff treated people with dignity and respect. People were involved in their care and their care plans were based on their individual needs and preferences. People were encouraged to raise any concerns or complaints.

The registered manager and their management and staff team understood their role and responsibilities. The registered manager engaged and consulted well with people using the service and staff. Staff felt well supported by the registered manager. The registered manager understood their responsibility to notify CQC of significant events as required by law. The provider was involved in the local community attending events and giving talks to help promote the service and help introduce suitable people to care work.

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 15 July 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.