Background to this inspection
Updated
9 November 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. We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act. We looked at the overall quality of the service and provided a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.
Inspection team
A single inspector completed the inspection.
Service and service type
This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats.
Notice of inspection
We gave the service 48 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because it is a small service and we needed to be sure the provider or registered manager would be in the office to support the inspection.
Inspection activity started on 21 August 2019 and ended on 22 August 2019. We visited the office location on 21 August 2019.
What we did before 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 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 spoke with two people who used the service and two relatives about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with four members of staff, the registered manager, training coordinator and two care workers.
We reviewed a range of records. This included three people’s care records and multiple medication records. We looked at two staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. 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.
Updated
9 November 2019
About the service
The Caring Company Rutland Ltd is a care agency providing personal care to 22 people at the time of the inspection. They provide care for adults of all ages some of whom may be living with dementia, a physical disability or a sensory impairment.
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 told us the staff were kind and caring. There was enough staff to care for people and ensure people received care from a small group of staff who knew them and their needs well. Rotas were set to allow staff plenty of time to travel between visits and to meet people’s needs in a calm unhurried manner.
Staff received training and support which enabled them to provide safe care for people. This included training for administering medicines and keeping people safe from the risk of infection. People told us staff worked in accordance with their training. Staff had also received training in identifying and reporting abuse and were clear on how to raise concerns.
Risks to people had been identified and care was planned to keep people safe. People had been involved in planning their care. People’s care needs were accurately recorded in their care plan. People’s ability to communicate with staff was recorded along with any adjustments they needed to ensure they were able to access information as independently as possible.
People’s ability to make decisions were recorded. 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.
The provider had effective systems in place to monitor the quality of care provided and to drive improvements in care. Learning from accidents, incidents and complaints was identified and shared with staff to prevent any reoccurrence.
The registered manager had developed a culture which put people’s needs at the centre of the service, while also supporting staff to provide a good quality of care. People’s views of the service were collected and used along with the views of staff to drive improvements in care.
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 26 November 2016).
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.