Background to this inspection
Updated
10 March 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.
This inspection took place on 1 February 2018 and was announced. We gave the service 48 hours’ notice of the inspection visit because we needed to be sure that the registered manager would be available.
The inspection team consisted of one inspector and an 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.
Before the inspection, we reviewed the action plans the provider had sent us to address the concerns found during our inspection in January 2017. We also reviewed information we held about the service. This included previous inspection reports and notifications we had received. A notification is information about important events that the provider is required to send us by law.
We reviewed three people's care records. This included associated documents such as risk assessments, recording charts and daily notes. We were introduced to two people who used the service and we spoke with five people’s relatives following our visit.
We reviewed three staff personnel records, including their recruitment and training documentation. During the inspection we spoke with three care staff, the senior care coordinator, and the registered manager.
Updated
10 March 2018
This inspection took place on 1February 2018 and was announced.
At our last inspection in January 2017, we rated the service Requires Improvement overall and in the key questions of ‘Is the service safe?’ and ‘Is the service well-led? We also found a breach of Regulation 18 of the Registration Regulations in that the registered manager had not notified the commission in a timely manner of any injury and/or allegation of abuse in relation to a person using the service as required by law. During this inspection, we found that the registered manager was meeting this regulation and we found the service to be Good overall.
This service is a domiciliary care agency and provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats in the community. It provides a service to older adults, younger adults, and children with learning disabilities.
At the time of our visit, the provider offered a service to 73 people. However not everyone using Hayes Staff Recruitment (Hayes Branch) received a regulated activity; CQC only inspects the service being received by people provided with ‘personal care’ and 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 visit, 27 people received the regulated activity.
There was a registered manager in post. 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 described care staff as good and caring. Staff demonstrated they knew how to build a positive relationship with the people they supported.
Staff followed health care professionals’ guidance and people were supported to access appropriate health care. Care staff recorded what people ate and drank to monitor their nutrition and hydration. Care staff reported any concerns about people’s health to the registered manager or office staff so they could take appropriate action.
The registered manager ensured there was ongoing recruitment to meet the staffing requirements within the service. The provider had robust recruitment procedures to ensure care staff employed, were safe to work with people. Staff were offered training and support to develop their skills.
The management team had undertaken risk assessments to identify and mitigate the risks associated with the delivery of care in a person’s home and when out in the local area.
Care staff had received training to administer medicines safely. They were provided with clear guidance about the type of support people needed with their medicines. Staff understood safeguarding procedures and knew to report any concerns.
The management team understood their responsibility under the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and ensured people’s rights were being upheld. Staff demonstrated they asked people’s consent before proving care and support.
The registered manager met with people and their family and undertook an initial assessment before providing care and support.
People had person centred plans that gave guidance to staff about how they wanted their care delivered. Care plans were reviewed on a regular basis to capture people’s changing circumstances. The registered manager worked with people’s families, other agencies, health and social care professionals including schools and colleges to ensure care plan information was up to date and accurate.
People and relatives said they knew how to complain and the registered manager addressed complaints in a timely manner.
The registered manager had a good oversight of the way the service was provided because they had quality assurance systems including audits and checks to ensure the quality of the care provided.
The provider had joined a national organisation and the registered manager had accessed training to ensure they kept abreast of good practice.