Background to this inspection
Updated
17 August 2022
We carried out this performance review and assessment under Section 46 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act). We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements of the regulations associated with the Act and looked at the quality of the service to provide a rating.
Unlike our standard approach to assessing performance, we did not physically visit the office of the location. This is a new approach we have introduced to reviewing and assessing performance of some care at home providers. Instead of visiting the office location we use technology such as electronic file sharing and video or phone calls to engage with people using the service and staff.
Inspection team
The inspection team consisted of one inspector and two Experts 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.
Registered Manager
This service is required to have a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. 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.
At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post.
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 used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return (PIR). This is information providers are required to send us annually with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make.
We used information gathered as part of monitoring activity that took place in June 2022 to help plan the inspection and inform our judgements.
We used all this information to plan our inspection.
During the inspection
We spoke with 15 people who used the service, 13 relatives and five members of staff including the registered manager.
We reviewed a range of records. This included six people’s care records and various staff records. We looked at and reviewed multiple documents submitted by the provider. These included policies and other information relevant to the running of the service.
This performance review and assessment was carried out without a visit to the location’s office. We used technology such as video calls to enable us to engage with people using the service and staff, and electronic file sharing to enable us to review documentation.
Inspection activity started on 28 June 2022 and ended on 8 July 2022.
Updated
17 August 2022
About the service
Helmar Care and Community Services Limited is a domiciliary care agency that provides personal care and support to people living in their own homes and flats. At the time of our inspection, 36 people were receiving personal care and support.
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 majority of the feedback we received was positive about staff’s punctuality to calls. People received safe care. Sufficient numbers of staff were deployed and met people’s needs. Staff knew how to protect people from the risk of avoidable harm. Comments included, “[Person] feels very safe with them as she recognises them.” Staff understood their responsibility to identify and report potential abuse to keep people safe. Risk assessment and management enabled staff to minimise harm to people.
People’s medicines were managed. Staff practiced safe infection control and prevention procedures to reduce the spread of infection.
Safe recruitment practices and robust induction ensured new staff were suitable to provide care. Staff were trained and received support and supervision which enabled them to undertake their caring roles and to meet people’s needs.
People enjoyed positive and meaningful caring relationships with staff who provided their care. They told us, “She feels safe with them because they are regular carers” and “She has the same carers Monday to Friday and two different carers on Saturday and Sunday. They know her well.”
Staff respected people’s privacy, dignity and confidentiality. People were encouraged to live as independently as possible and to make choices about their daily living.
People’s needs were assessed and regularly reviewed to ensure staff delivered appropriate care to them. Staff supported people to access healthcare services when required. People felt confident to raise concerns about their care and knew the process about how to make a complaint.
Regular checks and audits were carried out on the quality of care and improvements made when needed. People, staff and relatives were given opportunities to share their views of the service and felt the registered manager valued their ideas. People received appropriate care due to the partnership working of the provider with other agencies, health and social care professionals and external organisations.
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.
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 the service under the previous provider was good, published on 29 August 2019.
Why we inspected?
This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service.
Follow up
We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk