Background to this inspection
Updated
3 June 2016
We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection checked 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 started on 7 April 2016 and we gave the provider two days’ notice that we would be visiting their head office. We did this, because the location provides a domiciliary care service and we needed to be sure that someone would be available.
After our visit to the office we talked to people using the service and their relatives over the phone. These telephone interviews were undertaken by 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. We contacted eleven people who used the service, but were only able to talk to five people to provide us with their views about the agency.
Before our inspection we reviewed information we have about the provider, including notifications of any safeguarding or other incidents affecting the safety and well-being of people.
We spoke with three staff as well as the acting manager.
We looked at five people’s care plans and other documents relating to their care including risk assessments and medicines records.
We looked at other records held by the agency including staff meeting minutes as well as health and safety documents and quality audits and surveys.
Updated
3 June 2016
This inspection started on 7 April 2016 and we gave the provider two days’ notice that we would be visiting their head office.
This was the first inspection since registering with the Care Quality Commission in December 2014.
Goldsmith Personnel Limited (West London) is a domiciliary care agency that provides personal care to people living at home. It provides care and support to adults of all ages, but most of the people using the service at the time of our inspection were older people.
During our inspection the agency provided care and support to 23 people living in the London Borough of Brent and Ealing, care was provided by 16 care workers.
The registered manager had recently left the agency; we met with the acting manager on the day of our inspection. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission [CQC] 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 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.
People told us they were well treated by the staff and felt safe and trusted them.
Staff could clearly explain how they would recognise and report abuse and they understood their responsibilities in keeping people safe.
Where any risks to people’s safety had been identified, the management had thought about and discussed with the person ways to mitigate and minimise risks.
People told us that staff usually came at the time they were supposed to or they would phone to say they were running a bit late and confirmed that if two staff were required they would come at the same time.
The service was following robust recruitment procedures to make sure that only suitable staff were employed at the agency.
Staff we spoke with had a good knowledge of the medicines that people they visited were taking. People told us they were satisfied with the way their medicines were managed.
People who used the service and their relatives were positive about the staff and told us they had confidence in their abilities and staff told us that they were provided with training in the areas they needed in order to support people effectively.
Staff understood that it was not right to make choices for people when they could make choices for themselves and people’s ability around decision making, preferences and choices were recorded in their care plans and followed by staff.
People told us they were happy with the support they received with eating and drinking and staff were aware of people’s dietary requirements and preferences.
People confirmed that they were involved as much as they wanted to be in the planning of their care and support. Care plans included the views of people using the service and their relatives. Relatives told us they were kept up to date about any changes by office staff.
People and their relatives told us that the management and staff were quick to respond to any changes in their needs and care plans reflected how people were supported to receive care and treatment in accordance with their needs and preferences.
People told us they had no complaints about the service but said they felt able to raise any concerns without worry.
The service had a number of quality monitoring systems including yearly surveys for people using the service, their relatives and other stakeholders. People we spoke with confirmed that they were asked about the quality of the service and had made comments about this. They felt the service took their views into account in order to improve service delivery.