Complete Care Services North West Nelson

Updated 9 August 2023

TThe 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 Health and Social Care Act 2008.

Inspection team

Two inspectors and an Expert by Experience took part in the inspection process. An Expert by Experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.

Service and service type

This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats.

Registered Manager

This provider is required to have a registered manager to oversee the delivery of regulated activities at this location. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Registered managers and providers are legally responsible for how the service is run, for the quality and safety of the care provided and compliance with regulations.

At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post.

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 that the provider or registered manager would be in the office to support the inspection.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return (PIR). This is information providers are required to send us annually with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

During the inspection we visited 4 people in their own homes to discuss their experience of the care provided by Complete Care Services. We spoke with the nominated individual who also acted as the registered manager, the area manager and branch manager and 5 care staff. The nominated individual is responsible for supervising the management of the service on behalf of the provider.

We spent time at the office and reviewed a range of records including 5 people’s care records, medication records and recruitment for 3 carer staff. We looked at documentation relating to the management of the service such as policies and procedures, audits, rotas, meeting minutes and complaints.

Following the inspection

We looked at further information around training, recruitment and incidents and accidents and continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence.

The Expert by Experience spoke to 2 people and 6 relatives by telephone and asked about their views of the service.

Updated 9 August 2023

About the service

Complete Care Services Nelson is a domiciliary care service providing personal care to adults with a range of support needs, in their own homes. 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. The service was providing personal care to 34 people at the time of our inspection.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

Checks and systems were in place to support safe recruitment of staff, but we identified some areas of improvement. We have made a recommendation about this. People and their relatives confirmed the service was generally reliable and staff were punctual. Systems and processes safeguarded people from abuse and helped keep them safe. Medicines were managed safely, and the new electronic recording system improved oversight. Staff had a good understanding of infection prevention control and people received support to maintain their homes and equipment if required.

People and their relatives told us they were involved in the development of care records and took part in regular reviews. Staff had a robust induction, regular competency checks and ongoing training to ensure they had the skills and knowledge to care for people safely. Feedback was that staff respected people’s wants and wishes and supported them in a person-centred way. The service ensured people’s nutritional needs were met and concerns around health or well-being were escalated to the relevant professionals.

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.

Staff were caring and treated people well. People and their relatives praised the standard of care and were complimentary about the service and staff. Relatives said, “They are very courteous with [person] and treat them with respect” and, “It’s not just about completing the tasks, it’s the social needs as well. They have helped [person] maintain their skills.” One person using the service told us, “They are very friendly and know what they are doing. I feel very lucky having them help me.”

Detailed care records helped staff deliver personalised care and we saw evidence that people were supported to have choice and control over their lives. The service assessed people’s communication needs and made appropriate adjustments. Managers responded to concerns and complaints. Staff received training and input from community healthcare professionals; to help them care for people during end of life.

There was a positive culture that contributed to good outcomes for people. Staff enjoyed working for the service and gave positive feedback about the support they got from managers and colleagues. A staff member told us, “It’s an excellent service and I pride myself in my job.” The nominated individual and area manager spoke about ongoing improvements to the service.

Rating at last inspection

This service was registered with us on 19 January 2022 and this is the first inspection.

The last rating for the service under the previous provider was good, published on 6 November 2018.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Complete Care Services Nelson on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

Why we inspected

The inspection was prompted due to Complete Care Services Nelson being a newly registered service.

The overall rating for the service is good based on the findings of this inspection.

Recommendations

We have recommended that the provider review their recruitment procedures in line with current guidance.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.