We carried out a review of the data available to us about United Care Concepts Limited 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 United Care Concepts Limited, you can give feedback on this service.
People’s experience of using this service:
People received support that was tailored to meet their needs. People’s preferences and routines were recorded and staff ensured people were given choice on a daily basis about how their needs were met.
Staff cared for the people they supported and enjoyed spending time with them. Relatives confirmed staff had built strong relationships with the people they supported; this was aided by the consistent staff teams each individual had in place.
Systems and processes were put in place to help ensure people were safe and the care they received was delivered by trained staff, and based on best practice.
Regular checks were completed of records, and feedback was collected from people, relatives and staff. These helped ensure the service was able to act on any areas requiring improvement.
Relatives and staff told us they felt the service was well led. They felt confident any concerns or ideas they shared would be listened to and acted upon.
More information is in the full report.
Rating at last inspection: Good. Report published on 18 October 2016.
Why we inspected: This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.
Follow up: We will continue to monitor intelligence we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If any concerning information is received, we may inspect sooner.
The full details can be found on our website at www.cqc.org.uk
United Care Concepts (UCC) is a domiciliary care agency that provides personal care and support to people in their own homes. They support adults and children of all ages with a variety of disabilities and health conditions. At the time of our inspection UCC was providing a service to 16 people, eight of these were receiving support with their personal care needs. The Care Quality Commission has responsibility for regulating personal care and this was the area of the service we looked at. The number of hours of support people received varied from four hours a fortnight up to 24 hours per day.
There was a registered manager in post who was responsible for the day to day running of the service. 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 service is run.
Relatives told us they were happy with the support their family members received and were confident they were safe. Staff had received training in safeguarding adults and children and were confident of the action to take if they had any concerns.
Staff knew the people they supported well and had a good understanding of their needs. Efforts were made, when recruiting staff, to help ensure staff were able to build meaningful relationships with people. Recruitment practices were robust and people were involved in the process in a meaningful way. The induction process covered all relevant training and this was refreshed and updated regularly.
Staff were positive when talking about the people they supported and spoke of them with affection and respect. This was reflected in the written documentation which emphasised people’s abilities and positive characteristics. The registered manager spoke about the importance of developing trusting relationships with people and their families.
The registered manager had a clear understanding of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and the principles underpinning the legislation. We identified a common theme when talking with the registered manager, which highlighted the need to work with people according to their preferences and with their full agreement and consent.
Care plans were well laid out and organised. They had been developed to reflect people’s individual needs and ensure they were relevant to the person. Paper copies of these were kept at people’s homes as working files which staff could refer to at any time. Staff told us the care plans were useful and relevant.
There was a management structure in place which provided clear lines of responsibility and accountability. All members of the management team had clearly defined roles which staff understood well.
The registered manager and directors monitored the quality of the service by undertaking a range of quality audits and speaking to people and their families, to help ensure they were happy with the service they received. Communication was highlighted as an important aspect of the service provided. There was a flexible approach to developing care packages which emphasised the importance of ensuring people’s individual needs and preferences were recognised and met.
All the families of the people UCC supported expressed their satisfaction with the service. One family member told us "I am perfectly happy. They are very good with him." Another said "I wouldn't tolerate anything that I wasn't happy with. But they (UCC) are good, very good."
We found that UCC provided good support for the staff, which enabled them to provide a good service. They also ensured that staff had the equipment to ensure cleanliness and infection control when providing personal care. The agency maintained computerised records that enabled the management to monitor the quality of the service.
Our inspection was arranged two days in advance. This was to ensure we had time to see and speak with the staff, as well as people using the service.
We saw that care was provided by skilled staff who knew the needs of people well. They felt that the management of the service was supportive and encouraging.
We looked at safeguarding procedures; this is how the service ensured people were protected from harm. We saw suitable systems were in place to support and protect vulnerable adults and children.
We looked at the recruitment procedures for staff and found that the necessary policies and procedures were in place.
We checked records were stored safely and correctly and systems were as required. This was to ensure people's confidential information was stored appropriately.
We heard staff interacting with people using the service, over the telephone and in person, in a pleasant, professional, and adult manner.
People told us they were happy with the care and support they received from United Care Concepts.
We saw and heard that people who used the service, their relatives or representatives and staff were happy to approach the agency in person or by phone. We saw that people who use the service could approach the staff working with them any discuss anything.