This inspection took place on 11 January 2018 and was unannounced. At the last inspection, in January 2016, the service was rated Good. At this inspection we found the service remained Good. Pentowan domiciliary care service provides services to people in their own homes in the Newquay and surrounding areas. It supports Older People, People living with Physical Disability and Sensory Impairment. The service mainly provides personal care for people in short visits at key times of the day to help people safely maintain their independence to live in their homes. The services were funded either privately or through Cornwall Council or NHS funding. The service employed 50 staff including management.
At the time of the inspection one hundred and twenty people were using the service. People were supported by staff who knew how to recognise abuse and how to respond to concerns. The service held appropriate policies to support staff with current guidance. Training was provided to all staff with regular updates provided. The registered manager had a record which provided them with an overview of staff training needs.
People had a care plan that provided staff with direction and guidance about how to meet their individual needs and wishes. Care plans were regularly reviewed and any changes in people’s needs were communicated to staff. Assessments were carried out to identify any risks to the person using the service and to the staff supporting them. This included any environmental risks in people’s homes and any risks in relation to the care and support needs of the person. People told us they were involved in decisions about their care and were aware of their care plans.
The registered manager used effective systems to record and report on, accidents and incidents and take action when required. In order to learn from events the registered manager reviewed all incidents to make changes where necessary to manage risks more effectively. For example, where medicine errors had occurred the registered manager and senior staff worked with the staff member to provide additional support and training. This helped to ensure risks were reduced and staff competency met the expected level of the organisation.
Staff had been recruited safely, received on-going training relevant to their role and supported by the registered manager. They had the skills, knowledge and experience required to support people in their care.
Staffing levels were managed in a way to ensure staff were available to provide a consistent service to meet the needs of people who lived at home. Staff were knowledgeable about the people they cared for and responded appropriately as people's needs changed. For example, when people had been in hospital a new assessment was carried out before they returned home so the necessary services were available. Staff spoke positively about the people they supported and were motivated to provide an individualised service in line with people's needs and goals. Comments included, ”I’ve been doing this job for some time. It does change but the basics are that clients get the care they need when they need it” and “We [care staff] get the information we need if anything changes. It’s really important especially when they come from hospital because more often than not we need to do more.”
People confirmed there was a stable staff team and that care was provided by familiar faces. Staff told us that travel times were sufficient, so they were not rushed. People’s comments included, "They [the carers] are amazing and do absolutely anything I ask” and “Nothing is too much trouble, I never feel like I am a burden.”
People’s feedback about their experience of the service was positive. People said staff treated them respectfully and asked them how they wanted their care and support to be provided. People told us they had their care visits as planned. Staff arrived on time and stayed for the allotted time. Nobody reported any missed visits.
Staff wore protective clothing such as gloves and aprons when needed.
This reduced the risk of cross infection. Supplies were available around the building for staff to use when they needed them.
There was a complaints procedure which was made available to people on their admission to the he and their relatives. People we spoke with told us they were happy and had no complaints.
The registered manager used a variety of methods to assess and monitor the quality of the service. These included regular audits, staff, relative and ‘resident’ meetings to seek their views about the service provided.