Archived: Cordant Care - Reading

Updated 26 January 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 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 30 November 2015 and was announced. The provider was given 48 hours’ notice before we visited the office. As the service provides care to people in their own homes and is operated from a central office, we needed to be sure that staff and management would be on the premises during the inspection. On 30 November one inspector visited the central office of the service and on 14 December an expert by experience made phone calls to people who used the service to obtain feedback on the care they received. 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 looked at the information we held about the provider and this service. This included such subjects as incidents, unexpected deaths or injuries to people receiving care, as well as safeguarding. We refer to these as notifications and providers are required to notify us about these events.

As part of our planning for the inspection, we had asked the local authority if they had had any information to share with us about the care provided by the service.

During the inspection we spoke with the registered manager and the quality director. We also contacted three people and four staff on the telephone. We looked at four records relating to the care of individuals, four staff training and recruitment records and records relating to the running of the service.

Updated 26 January 2016

This inspection took place on 30 November 2015 and was announced. The provider was given 48 hours’ notice because the location provides a domiciliary care service and we needed to contact a representative of the service management in person.

Cordant Care - Reading is registered as a domiciliary care agency and as such provides personal care and support to people in their own homes. At the time of our inspection 10 people were receiving services. Some of them needed short visits at key times of the day, for example in the morning to help them get up. Other people, with more complex needs, received 24-hour care.

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.

People told us they felt safe using the service and trusted the staff who supported them. People commented, “I always feel safe” and “I feel ever so comfortable when they are around.”

Staff had received training concerning the issue of recognising and reporting abuse. All of them knew how to report any concerns and were confident that any allegations made would be fully investigated to keep people protected. Risk assessments were in place, providing information about how to reduce the risks people might face, including home environment and self- medication risk assessments. Medicines were administered in a safe way.

The number of staff sufficed to meet people’s assessed needs. Staff were employed according to robust recruitment procedures. Pre-recruitment checks had been made to ensure that new staff were suitable to support people in their own homes and maintain people’s safety.

The registered manager and staff had a clear understanding of the Mental Capacity Act 2005.They were knowledgeable about protecting legal rights of people who did not have the mental capacity to make decisions for themselves. Where people did not have the capacity to make certain decisions, the service acted in accordance with legal requirements. If decisions had to be made on a person’s behalf, they were made in their best interest at a meeting involving professionals and family if appropriate.

People felt involved in their care and were given opportunities to make choices regarding their care and support. Staff understood the principles of consent and delivering individualised care. People described staff as caring and kind. They also told us that staff knew their needs, providing them with the support that they expected.

People also said they were treated with dignity and respect. The service sought to meet their needs in relation to equality and diversity values.

The staff were pleased to work for the provider and felt supported in their role. The provider promoted an open culture where both staff and people using the service could raise concerns without fear of being frowned upon. People knew how to complain and felt their complaints would be investigated and responded to.