Carewatch - Corby

Updated 12 May 2022

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 completed 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 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

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 we needed to be sure that the provider or registered manager would be in the office to support the inspection. We also needed to gain consent to contact people using the service by telephone.

Inspection activity started on 6 April 2022 and ended on 12 April 2022. We visited the office location on 11 April 2022.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed the information we had about the service. This included any statutory notifications received. A notification is information about important events the service is required to send us by law. We sought feedback from partner agencies and professionals. 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.

During the inspection

We spoke with eight people who used the service and to nine relatives about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with the registered manager and deputy manager and to two care staff. We reviewed a range of records. This included four people’s care records. We looked at a variety of records relating to the management of the service, including staff training.

After the inspection

We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. This included reviewing policies and procedures.

Updated 12 May 2022

About the service

Carewatch Harborough is a domiciliary care service. It provides care for people living in their own houses and flats to enable them to live as independently as possible. 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. At the time of the inspection, 53 people were receiving personal care support.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

People felt safe and staff understood their responsibilities to protect people from abuse and avoidable harm. Risks were identified, assessed and managed. Staffing numbers were sufficient to meet people’s needs. People received care and support from a consistent staff team who knew them well. Staff were recruited in a safe way, staff retention rates were high and staff were proud of the service they delivered.

People received their medicines in a safe way and at the right time. Staff had the training and support they required. Staff competence was checked, and they had opportunities for additional training and development.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff did support them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

Staff were compassionate, kind and caring. They involved people in making decisions about their care and support and promoted independence. People’s privacy, dignity and confidentiality was protected.

Care and support was person centred. Staff knew the most effective way to communicate with people. People knew how to make a complaint should they needs to. People and relatives were confident staff and managers would listen to them and take appropriate action.

Managers were open and inclusive. The culture of the service was kept under review, people and staff were asked for their feedback. Changes were made to drive improvements and quality monitoring was effective.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

Rating at last inspection

This service was registered with us on 17 April 2019 and this is the first inspection.

The last rating for the service under the previous provider was good, published on 19 October 2018.

Why we inspected

This was the first inspection of the service since the new provider took over and registered the service with the CQC on 17 April 2019.

Follow Up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.