Whitnel Care UK

Updated 29 July 2022

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 Health and Social Care Act 2008.

Inspection team

This inspection was carried out by one inspector.

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 service is required to have a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the CQC to manage the service. 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.

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

Notice of inspection

We gave the service 24 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.

Inspection activity started on 31 March 2022 and ended on 28 June 2022. We visited the location’s office on 29 April 2022.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service. We sought feedback from the local authority and Healthwatch. Healthwatch is an independent consumer champion that gathers and represents the views of the public about health and social care services in England. 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

We spoke with one person who used the service and one relative of a person who received care from the service. We also spoke with the registered manager, and two care workers. We looked at care records for three people. We looked at a range of records, including recruitment files for three staff, staff training records and provider’s policies.

Updated 29 July 2022

About the service

Whitnel Care UK is a service providing care and support to people in their own homes. At the time of the inspection the service was supporting 11 people with personal care. Care Quality Commission (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

We have made a recommendation to the provider about reviewing care records and risk assessments to ensure they are consistent.

People told us the service was safe. Staff knew how to recognise and report any concerns about people’s safety and welfare. The provider had monitoring systems in place to ensure people received safe care and treatment, however improvements were needed. People were satisfied with the call timings. People told us that care staff regularly visited them when they expected them to and if they were running late, someone let them know. Enough staff were employed to meet people’s needs.

Medicine administration records were kept up to date and accurate. The provider had policies in place and utilised technology to support medication management. Staff had access to sufficient supplies of personal protective equipment (PPE) and received regular updates from the provider on the management of risks related to COVID-19.

People confirmed the provider had carried out an assessment of their needs before their care started. Safe recruitment procedures helped to protect people against the risk of being supported by unsuitable staff. Staff told us they were happy to work for the service as they received an induction, training and support from the provider. Staff made sure people had access to healthcare when necessary and worked with other health and social care professionals to promote improved outcomes for people.

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.

People told us they received very good care and staff were caring and respectful when they were providing care. Staff respected people’s privacy and encouraged them to maintain their independence and do as much for themselves as they wanted to.

People told us they knew when to expect care staff and the provider had a system in place to ensure people were given an accurate time for staff arrival to provide their care. Staff were supported in their roles and felt they could contact management for help as and when they needed. Staff told us communication was good, and they received the equipment they required to do their jobs safely. People and relatives were aware of how to approach the registered manager to raise concerns or complaints. People’s information was securely stored.

Governance systems were in place to ensure aspects of people’s care were monitored; however, these systems had not identified the issues referenced. The provider worked in partnership with other agencies to make sure people received the right care and support when they needed it.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

Rating at last inspection

This service was registered with us on 22 June 2020 and this is the first inspection.

Why we inspected

This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service.

We have found evidence that the provider needs to make improvements. Please see the safe and well-led sections of this full report.

Follow up

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