Background to this inspection
Updated
9 March 2019
The inspection: We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 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 Health and Social Care Act 2008, 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 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 service.
Service and service type: The service is a domiciliary care agency and provides personal care to people who have a learning disability 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 service 48 hours notice of the inspection visit because we needed to make arrangements to visit people in their own homes and to ensure staff would be at the provider’s office.
What we did: Before the inspection we checked information that we held about the service provider. This included information from other agencies and statutory notifications sent to us by the registered manager about events that had occurred at the service. A notification is information about important events which the provider is required to tell us about by law. We used information the provider sent us in the Provider Information Return. This is information we require providers to send us at least once annually to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make.
During the inspection we spoke with four people who received care and support from the agency. We spoke with two other people via a telephone interview. We also spoke to two relatives of people who received care and support. We visited the provider’s office. We spoke with two care staff, two members of the management team and the registered manager. We sent survey questionnaires to people, their relatives, staff, and health and social care professionals to ask them to give us their views of the service; we received completed surveys from one person, eight staff and five health and social care professionals. We also received feedback from a contract commissioning officer from a local authority.
We looked at the following records:
• care plans and associated records for four people
• the provider’s internal checks and audits
• training records, supervision and recruitment records for four staff
• staff rotas
• accidents and incidents reports
• policies and procedures.
Updated
9 March 2019
About the service.
Frances Taylor Foundation Homecare Services provides support and personal care for people with learning disabilities who live in their own accommodation. This was people living in their own accommodation or in specialist ‘extra care’ housing. Extra care housing is purpose-built or adapted single household accommodation in a shared site or building. The accommodation is rented, and is the occupant’s own home. People’s care and housing are provided under separate contractual agreements. CQC does not regulate premises used for extra care housing; this inspection looked at people’s personal care and support. Not everyone using the service receives a regulated activity; CQC only inspects the service being received by people provided with ‘personal care’; help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do we also take into account any wider social care provided. At the time of the inspection the service provided personal care to six people in their own homes.
Why we inspected: This was a planned inspection based on the rating at the last inspection.
At the last inspection the service was rated as Good. The inspection report was published on 23 June 2016. The service remains Good, although we identified improvements were needed to ensure all risks to people were fully assessed and recorded. More information about this is in our full report below.
People’s experience of using this service:
People received safe care, with the exceptions of improvements being needed to assessing risk and reducing the likelihood of any harm to people. We made a recommendation about this. People said they felt safe with staff. The staff had a good awareness of people’s rights regarding safeguarding procedures.
People received individualised care and support which was person- centred. Each person or their relative said they were very satisfied with the service provided. People told us their care needs were discussed with them so they got the care they needed. One person, for example said, “They (staff) know me well and know how I like to be helped.” Staff provided support to people at the agreed times. People said they had built good relationships with the staff who they valued. For example, one person said of the staff, “The people we get are very lovely people. All the staff are marvellous.” We observed people and staff together and it was clear people looked to the staff for reassurance and support. For example, people asked if a staff member could be present when we spoke with people on their own. People said they were able to choose which staff supported them and this was considered in the provider’s assessment of people’s needs.
People received support with social and recreational activities which they enjoyed. For example, people told us they went on holiday and day trips with staff support. People were supported to develop independence and to have control over their lives, such as choosing what they would like to do and having access to community facilities.
The provider and staff were committed to promoting people’s rights to a good standard of care, to providing choice and having equal access to facilities in the community. Staff were motivated to learn and to enhance the quality of life and experiences of people they supported. For example, one member of staff said, “I am passionate about what I do. I can make a difference to people. We can help build confidence and help people to do new things. It is a joy to come to work.”
Staff were well trained and supervised. Staff felt supported and said they worked well as a team.
The views of people and their relatives were obtained using survey questionnaires and the results of these were used to make improvements.
Follow up: Going forward we will continue to monitor this service and plan to inspect in line with our reinspection schedule for those services rated Good.