Hertfordshire Domiciliary Care Agency

Updated 1 December 2018

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 2014 and to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

Before the inspection we reviewed information we held about the service including statutory notifications. Statutory notifications include information about important events which the provider is required to send us. We did not request a provider information return (PIR) for this inspection. This is information that the provider is required to send to us, which gives us some key information about the service and tells us what the service does well and any improvements they plan to make.

The inspection commenced on 13 November 2018 with a visit to the provider’s office. The inspection was announced and carried out by two inspectors. We gave the provider 48 hours’ notice of our intended inspection to make sure that appropriate staff were available to assist us with the inspection. Following the office visit, we visited two people in their homes and made calls to relatives to gather feedback about the service provided.

During the inspection we spoke with two people who used the service, two relatives, four staff members, a care co-ordinator and the registered manager and the operations manager. We reviewed information from service commissioners and health and social care professionals. We viewed information relating to three people’s care and support. We also reviewed records relating to the management of the service.

Updated 1 December 2018

At our last inspection in February 2016 we rated the service good. At this inspection we found the evidence continued to support the rating of good there was no evidence or information from our inspection and ongoing monitoring that demonstrated serious risks or concerns.

This inspection report is written in a shorter format because our overall rating of the service has not changed since our last inspection.

Hertfordshire Domiciliary Care Agency is a domiciliary care agency and a supported living service. It provides personal care to people living in flats inside a supported living service. It provides a service to older adults and younger adults who have a learning disability. The service was supporting seven people with the regulated activity of personal care at the time of this inspection. The service was supporting others but they were not receiving assistance with the regulated activity.

People’s care and housing are provided under separate contractual agreements. CQC does not regulate premises used for supported living; this inspection looked at people’s personal care and support.

The care service has been developed and designed in line with the values that underpin the Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. These values include choice, promotion of independence and inclusion. People with learning disabilities and autism using the service can live as ordinary a life as any citizen.

The service had a manager who was registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC). A registered manager is a person who has registered with the CQC 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 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

People felt safe and staff knew how to recognise and respond to any concerns. Individual risks were assessed and mitigated. Medicines were managed safely and infection control was practised.

People were supported by enough staff who were trained, supported and recruited through a robust process. People had care that met their needs and respected their choices and preferences. Staff knew people well and care plans were clear to support their knowledge of how to meet people’s needs. Confidentiality was promoted and privacy and dignity were respected.

People and their relatives knew how to raise concerns and were confident they would be responded to appropriately. People, relatives and staff were positive about the management of the service and felt there was clear leadership. There were systems in place to monitor the quality of the service and address any issues that were found.