We carried out a review of the data available to us about Home Instead Farnborough, Farnham and Fleet on 6 July 2023. We have not found evidence that we need to carry out an inspection or reassess our rating at this stage.
This could change at any time if we receive new information. We will continue to monitor data about this service.
If you have concerns about Home Instead Farnborough, Farnham and Fleet, you can give feedback on this service.
Home Instead Senior Care Farnborough was a privately-run domiciliary care agency, which was part of the national Home Instead franchise. It provided companionship and personal care to adults over twenty-five years of age, including people living with dementia or a cognitive impairment. At the time of the inspection it was providing the regulated activity of personal care to 55 people.
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
There was a very strong and visible person-centred culture. The registered manager and provider valued their staff. Staff were carefully matched to people’s needs and preferences, to maximise the chance of them forming a strong bond. Staff were highly motivated to provide exceptionally caring and compassionate care. People unanimously told us of how important the staff were to them and how much they enjoyed their relationships with them. A relative said, "All staff, including the office staff, are extremely caring and I am left feeling that they really understand and wish to support my [loved one’s] needs fully." Staff were skilled at involving people in decisions about their care and ensured their views were heard. People felt staff fully respected them and their personal care was provided with great sensitivity. Staff supported people to maximise and retain their independence, which enabled them to remain at home as per their wishes.
People told us the service was exceptionally well managed. There was a culture of one staff team committed to person centred care. Staff were developed and nurtured, to ensure the service was provided by motivated and skilled staff. There were rigorous governance processes and staff understood their responsibilities. There was a strong focus on innovation and development which had led to service improvements for people. There were strong and extensive relationships with the community which enabled people to access varied opportunities for social inclusion.
The provider ensured staff implemented and applied best practice guidance to improve outcomes for people. Staff’s knowledge and skills had been nurtured to enable them to train their peers. Staff were provided with a range of learning opportunities which equipped them with the skills required to provide good care. There was a focus on encouraging people to eat and drink well. Staff were committed to working collaboratively and providing people with joined-up care, so their health needs were met. 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.
People were fully consulted and involved in planning their care. People’s needs, history, preferences and planned outcomes were well understood by staff to enable them to deliver personalised care to people. People told us the service was highly responsive to any changes in their care needs. People were well supported to attend activities of their preference. Staff ensured any issues people raised were responded to and investigated promptly. People were appropriately supported with end of life care.
People were protected from the risk of experiencing abuse as staff completed regular training and understood their responsibilities. Potential risks to people had been assessed and measures put in place to ensure their safe management. Any incidents were investigated and required changes or staff training took place. People received continuity of care from regular staff who had been recruited through rigorous recruitment procedures. People received their medicines safely from trained and competent staff. Staff ensured people were protected from the risk of acquiring an infection as they followed the provider’s policies and procedures.
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 outstanding (published 22 February 2017).
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.
There was a registered manager in place who was also one of the providers. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission 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 2008 and associated Regulations about how the home is run.
The inspection was carried out between 01 December and 07 December 2016 and was announced. We gave the provider 48 hours’ notice of our inspection as it was a domiciliary care service and we needed to be sure key staff members would be available. At the time of our visit the service was providing personal care to 40 people.
A model of personalised and compassionate care, which focused on the whole person was a golden thread that ran through the whole of the service. People were supported by staff who were passionate about treating them with dignity and respect at all times.
People received exceptionally person centred care from staff who knew each person well, their life and what mattered to them. The people using the service experienced a level of care and support that enhanced their wellbeing and improved their quality of life. The service provided support that focused on the individual’s needs and the needs of their families.
People’s lives and wellbeing were enriched because staff encouraged them to be as independent as possible. Staff demonstrated passionate, caring and positive relationships with people and were sensitive to their individual choices.
People and when appropriate their families were involved in discussions about their care planning, which reflected their assessed needs. People were supported to have enough to eat and drink.
People benefitted from an exceptionally well-managed and organised service and the provider/registered manager led by example. The providers’ clear vision and values underpinned staff practice and put people at the heart of the service. Staff were aware of the vision and values, how they related to their work and spoke positively about the culture and management of the service.
Staff were inspired to offer care that was kind and compassionate through the passion demonstrated by both of the providers. The providers positively acknowledge the commitment and achievements of staff.
There were comprehensive quality assurance processes in place using formal audits and regular contact with people, relatives, professionals and staff. Family members told us they were given the opportunity to provide feedback about the culture and development of the service and all said they would recommend the service to families and friends. The providers were responsive to new ideas and had developed links with external organisations and professionals to enhance the staff's and their own knowledge of best practice and to drive forward improvements.
People and their families told us they felt safe while receiving care. Staff and the provider/registered manager had received safeguarding training and were able to explain the action they would take if they identified any concerns.
The risks relating to people’s health, welfare and their environment were assessed and these were recorded along with actions identified to reduce those risks in the least restrictive way. They were personalised and provided sufficient information to allow staff to protect people whilst promoting their independence.
People were supported by staff who were knowledgeable in caring for people with cognitive impairments. They had received an induction into the service and appropriate training, professional development and supervision to enable them to meet people’s individual needs. There were enough staff to meet people’s needs and to enable them to engage with people in a relaxed and unhurried manner.
There were suitable systems in place to ensure that medicines were managed safely. Staff responsible for supporting people with their medicines had received appropriate training and assessments. Staff had developed excellent working relationships with healthcare professionals, such as dementia specialists and GPs, which enhanced the care people received.
The management team and staff protected people’s rights to make their own decisions. Where people did not have the capacity to consent to care, legislation designed to protect people’s legal rights was followed correctly and confidently by staff.