Homecare Plus Limited

Updated 13 November 2020

As part of a pilot into virtual inspections of domiciliary and extra-care housing services, the Care Quality Commission conducted an inspection of this provider on 23 September 2020. The inspection was carried out with the consent of the provider and was part of a pilot to gather information to inform CQC whether it might be possible to conduct inspections in a different way in the future. We completed this inspection using virtual methods and online tools such as electronic file sharing, video calls and phone calls to gather the information we rely on to form a judgement on the care and support provided. At no time did we visit the provider’s or location’s office as we usually would when conducting an inspection.

Inspection team

This inspection was carried out by one inspector, a medicines inspector, CQC support services 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 homes.

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

This inspection was announced. We gave the service 48 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because it was part of a pilot and we needed to ensure staff were present in the location office to support this new way of working virtually.

Inspection activity started on 23 September 2020 and ended on 19 October 2020.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We sought feedback from the local authority and professionals who work with the service. We contacted Healthwatch. Healthwatch is an independent consumer champion that gathers and represents the views of the public about health and social care services in England.

We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return. This is information providers are required to send us with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. This information helps support our inspections.

We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection-

We communicated with 33 people and 12 relatives, mainly by telephone but also via email and a computer conferencing system. We spoke with the registered manager who is also the nominated individual. The nominated individual is responsible for supervising the management of the service on behalf of the provider. We spoke with the head of quality/health and safety adviser, office manager, company trainer and two coordinators. We contacted 64 office and care staff (of which 20 responded).

We reviewed a range of records. This included nine people’s care records in depth and multiple medication records. We looked at six staff files in relation to recruitment and training. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures were reviewed.

After the inspection

We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. We looked at training data and quality assurance records. We contacted four professionals who work in partnership with the service.

Updated 13 November 2020

This report was created as part of a pilot which looked at new and innovative ways of fulfilling CQC’s regulatory obligations and responding to risk in light of the Covid-19 pandemic. This was conducted with the consent of the provider. Unless the report says otherwise, we obtained the information in it without visiting the provider.

About the service

Homecare Plus Limited is a domiciliary service providing personal care to people living in their own homes throughout Tyne and Wear and Northumberland. Services were provided to adults with a wide range of health and social care needs including physical disabilities, learning disabilities, mental health needs and dementia. At the time of our inspection there were 253 people receiving a service.

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

People were provided with care and support in a safe environment. Safeguarding procedures were embedded within the service and incidents and accidents were reported and analysed.

There were enough suitably recruited staff on duty. Staff were kind and caring and the care provided was centred around people’s individual needs.

Infection control procedures were being followed and any issues arising were addressed straight away. Enough masks, aprons and gloves were available for staff to use.

People and staff reported the service was well led. We did receive some mixed comments on poor communication which was raised with the management team to investigate.

Medicines management procedures were in place and were updated during the inspection due to some issues we found. People did not report any concerns with their medicines. We made a recommendation to further review medicines management procedures.

There were quality assurance systems in place to monitor the service and care being provided. Some records and quality assurance processes would benefit from further review. The provider was in the process of updating records. We have made a recommendation to review quality assurance systems.

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 this service was good (published 21 February 2018).

Why we inspected

This was a planned pilot virtual inspection. The report was created as part of a pilot which looked at new and innovative ways of fulfilling CQC’s regulatory obligations and responding to risk in light of the Covid-19 pandemic. This was conducted with the consent of the provider. Unless the report says otherwise, we obtained the information in it without visiting the provider.

The pilot inspection considered the key questions of safe and well-led and provide a rating for those key questions. Only parts of the effective, caring and responsive key questions were considered, and therefore the ratings for these key questions are those awarded at the last inspection.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Homecare Plus Limited on our website at www.cqc.org.uk

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.