Extra Help Care Limited

Updated 13 July 2018

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

The provider was given four days’ notice to ensure staff were available in the office. The inspection site visit started on 18 June and ended on 21 June 2018. It included telephone calls to people who used the service. We visited the office location on 21 June 2018 to meet with staff, review care records and policies and procedures. One inspector carried out this inspection with the support of an assistant inspector.

We used information the provider sent us in the Provider Information Return. This is information we require providers to send us at least once annually to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. The inspection was also informed by other information we had received from and about the service. This included previous inspection reports and statutory notifications. A notification is information about specific events, which the provider is required to send us by law. We also sought feedback from the local authority, who commission some services from the provider.

During our inspection, we spoke with seven people who used the service. We also spoke with three care staff, the registered manager and deputy manager. We looked at the care records of five people who used the service and the recruitment records of four members of staff.

Updated 13 July 2018

This announced inspection took place on 21 June 2018. This service is a domiciliary care agency and provides care and support to adults living in their own houses and flats. Not everyone using Extra Help Care Limited receives 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 our inspection, 14 people were provided with ‘personal care’ by Extra Help Care Limited.

The service had a registered manager at the time of our visit. 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 a legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

Risks to people safety were not always assessed or regularly reviewed. Staff supported some people to take medicines, but further information was needed to ensure they had sufficient information about people’s medicines. People were supported by a sufficient amount of staff to keep them safe; however, improvements were required to ensure people knew which staff would be visiting them.

People felt safe and were supported by staff who were aware of how to respond if they suspected abuse. Staff were recruited safely. People were supported by staff who understood their responsibilities for maintaining cleanliness and hygiene and to report accidents and incidents.

Staff had sufficient skills and knowledge to meet people’s needs. People were supported to eat and drink enough to maintain their health and staff sought medical attention if people needed it. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the home supported this practice.

People were supported by staff who were kind and caring and knew people’s likes and dislikes. Staff were provided with a sufficient amount of time on care calls to be able to provide compassionate care. People were supported by staff who respected their privacy and dignity.

Staff met people’s needs and provided support in line with their wishes and preferences. People had an assessment of their needs before they started using the service and were involved in planning and reviewing their care. The level of detail in people’s support plans was variable and the provider told us of their plans to address this.

People were provided with information about how to make a complaint about the service and their complaints and concerns were responded to. The registered manager provided opportunities for people to provide feedback on the service they received.

People knew who the registered manager was and staff told us the registered manager was accessible and provided clear leadership. The management team monitored the quality of the service provided by carrying out checks. We saw these were effective in identifying and addressing areas of improvement.