Background to this inspection
Updated
11 October 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. 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 Care Act 2014.
Inspection team
The inspection was carried out by one inspector and one 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.
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
We gave the service 48 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because it is a small service and we needed to be sure that the provider or registered manager would be in the office to support the inspection.
What we did before the inspection
We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We sought feedback from the local authority. We used the information the provider sent us in the 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. This information helps support our inspections. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.
During the inspection
We spoke with five people who used the service and five relatives of people who used the service about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with the care coordinator and the registered manager.
We reviewed a range of records. This included three people’s care records and their medication records. We looked at two staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures were reviewed.
After the inspection
We continued to seek clarification from the registered manager to validate evidence found. We spoke with two care staff.
Updated
11 October 2019
About the service
Reliance Community Care Ltd is a domiciliary care agency providing personal care to people living in their own homes. The service supported 35 people at the time of our inspection. 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
The timings of staff visit was not always as agreed at people’s assessment. The provider had not made sufficient improvement on this issue since our last inspection. Care plans contained information and guidance for staff to meet people’s needs. They were reviewed regularly to reflect people’s current needs.
People were safe. The provider had safe recruitment protocols. Medicines were managed safely. Staff had guidance to report abuse or reduce the risk of people coming to harm.
Staff were trained and knowledgeable to fulfil the requirements of their role. They supported people to meet their nutritional needs and access health care professional when required.
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.
Staff were kind and compassionate. They treated people with dignity and respectful. They took steps to promote people’s right to privacy and enabled them to be involved in decisions about their care.
The registered manager demonstrated a good understanding of their regulatory duties. They maintained a good oversight and leadership of the service. They had systems in place to monitor the quality of care people received and used this to improve the standard of care.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
Rating at last inspection
The last rating for this service was Good (published 26 October 2016).
Why we inspected
This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.
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.