Updated 18 May 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. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.
Inspection team: One adult social care 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. Their area of expertise was in learning disability and mental health. The expert by experience telephoned a sample of people and their relatives to check if people were happy with their care and support.
Service and service type: United Care Concepts is a domiciliary care service that provides personal care and support to people living in their own homes in the community. This includes people of all ages with physical disabilities and /or learning disabilities or who may be living with dementia.
Not everyone supported by United Care Concepts receives a regulated activity; CQC only inspects the service being received by people provided with ‘personal care’; help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do we also take into account any wider social care provided. At the time of the inspection, the sercice were supporting eleven people with personal care.
The service did not have a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. A registered manager and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided. The nominated individual told us a manager was in the process of registering with us.
Notice of inspection: We gave the service 48 hours’ notice of the inspection visit because we needed to be sure someone would be available at the office.
Inspection site visit activity started on 17 April 2019 and ended on 23 April 2019. We visited the office location on 17 and 18 April 2019 to see the nominated individual and speak with staff; and to review care records and policies and procedures.
What we did:
Before the inspection we reviewed:
• notifications of incidents we had received. A notification is information about important events which the service is required to send us by law
• feedback and information we had received about the service.
During the inspection we:
met and spoke with five staff and the nominated individual
telephoned five relatives
emailed a relative for their views
telephoned one staff member
reviewed three people’s care records.
reviewed records of accidents, incidents, compliments and complaints.
reviewed staff recruitment and training.
reviewed audits and quality assurance reports.
People using the service were either unable or unwilling to speak with us, so we spoke with as many relatives as possible.