Assist Home Care Limited

Updated 25 May 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:

The inspection was carried out by one inspector and an assistant inspector.

Service and service type:

The service is a domiciliary care agency providing care for people who live in their own homes.

The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. 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.

Notice of inspection:

The inspection was announced. We gave the provider a few days’ notice about the inspection site visit. This was because we needed to plan with the provider to speak to people who use the service. We visited the office location on 18 April 2019 and 23 April 2019 to see the manager and staff; and to review care records and policies and procedures.

What we did:

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection in August 2016.

Due to technical problems, the provider was not able to complete a Provider Information Return. This is information that we require providers to send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We took this into account when we inspected the service and made the judgements in this report.

We asked for feedback from the local authority and commissioning teams in Bradford and Kirklees.

We spoke with the registered manager and seven staff.

We spoke with six service users and four relatives.

We reviewed six people’s care records and other records and audits relating to the management of the service.

We asked the registered manager to send us further documents after the inspection. This was provided in a timely manner and the evidence was included as part of our inspection.

Updated 25 May 2019

About the service:

Assist Home Care Limited is a domiciliary care agency situated in Bradford. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats. At the time of the inspection it was providing a service to 62 people who lived in Bradford and Kirklees.

People’s experience of using this service:

People and relatives told us the service was caring and safe. The length and times of visits were generally reliable and effective. People were supported by consistent staff who knew them well. The service employed several bi-lingual staff which ensured effective communication was maintained.

Records relating to the management of medicines were not always clear. This included inconsistent information about creams and “as required” medicines. We have made a recommendation about the management of some medicines.

People’s care needs were assessed, and care was personalised to meet their individual needs and preferences. Care plans were detailed and reviewed regularly through telephone calls and face to face meetings. People’s views were welcomed and used to update care plans and improve the service.

Staff were knowledgeable and received training, induction and supervision to ensure they carried out their roles well. Training was individualised to ensure staff had the appropriate skills to support people.

The registered manager fostered an open team culture where staff felt supported and involved. Quality assurance, audits and spot checks helped identify and drive improvements. The service worked closely with other providers, health agencies and commissioners to the benefit of people.

More information is in the full report.

Rating at last inspection:

At the last inspection on 29 January and 19 February 2016 the service was rated good.

Why we inspected:

The inspection was part of our routine scheduled plan of visits.

Follow up:

We will continue to monitor the service to ensure that people receive safe, high quality care. Further inspections will be planned for future dates.

For more details, please see the full report, which is on the CQC website, www.cqc.org.uk