Exodus Health Care Services

Updated 15 March 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. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

Inspection team:

One inspector and an inspection manager carried out this 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.

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:

We gave the service 48 hours’ notice of the inspection visit because senior staff are often out of the office supporting staff or providing care. We needed to be sure that they would be in. The inspection site visit took place on 27 February 2019. We visited the office location on this date to see the registered manager and to review care records and policies and procedures.

What we did:

Before the inspection we reviewed the information we held about this service including notifications the provider is required by law to send us about events that happen within the service. The provider was not able to complete a Provider Information Return. This is information we require providers to send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We took this into account when we inspected the service and made the judgements in this report.

During the inspection we spoke to the registered manager, deputy manager and care coordinator. We looked at five people’s care records, three staff files and other records relating to the management of the service including policies and procedures. After the inspection we spoke to six people using the service and 9 relatives and asked them for their views about the service.

Updated 15 March 2019

About the service:

Exodus Health Care Services is a domiciliary care agency that was providing personal care to forty-four people, in their own homes, at the time of the inspection. For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk.

People’s experience of using this service:

People told us they felt safe with staff. They said staff were kind, able to meet their needs and supported them in a dignified, respectful way which maintained their privacy and independence. The provider made sure people received support from the same staff. A relative of a person using the service told us, “[Staff] are all very nice and my [family member] is very happy with the care she receives. They always ask if there is anything else they can do…They really are very kind. This care has added years to her life.”

The provider took people’s views, choices and wishes into account when planning and delivering the care and support they needed. There was current and relevant information for staff about how these needs should be met. People’s care and support was reviewed with them to make sure this was continuing to meet their needs.

Staff sought people’s consent before providing any support. 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 service supported this practice.

There were enough staff to support people. The provider made sure staff were suitable and fit to support people through recruitment checks. Once in post, staff received relevant training to help them meet people’s needs. They were supported by the provider to continuously improve their working practices.

Staff were trained to safeguard people from abuse and knew how to report concerns to the appropriate individual and/or authority. Risks to people had been assessed and staff had guidance on how these should be minimised to keep people safe. Staff followed good practice to ensure risks were minimised from poor hygiene and cleanliness when providing personal care and when preparing and handling food

People were helped to eat and drink sufficient amounts to meet their needs. Where staff were responsible for this, they supported people to take their prescribed medicines. Staff documented the support provided to people which kept others involved in people’s care up to date and informed. They worked with other healthcare professionals to ensure a joined-up approach to the support people received.

People knew how to make a complaint if needed and the provider had arrangements in place to deal with this. The provider recorded and investigated any accidents and incidents that occurred, which included keeping people involved and informed of the outcome.

The provider had aims and standards for the service and told people what they should expect from staff and the service in respect of the quality of care they received. All staff had clearly defined roles and duties and the registered manager understood their legal responsibilities regarding the Health and Social Care Act 2008.

The provider sought people’s views about how the service could be improved. They used people’s feedback along with learning from incidents and other checks of the service to monitor, review and improve the quality and safety of the support provided. The provider worked in partnership with other agencies such as local authorities funding people’s care to develop and improve the support provided.

Rating at last inspection:

At the last inspection the service was rated ‘Good’ (16/08/2016). The service continues to meet the characteristics of a good service.

Why we inspected:

This was a planned inspection to check that this service remained ‘Good’.

Follow up:

We will continue to monitor the service to ensure that people receive safe, compassionate, high quality care. Further inspections will be planned in line with our inspection schedule or in response to concerns.