Right at Home Swindon

Updated 22 May 2018

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 and 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 20 March 2018 and was announced. We told the provider three days before our visit that we would be coming. We did this because the management is sometimes out of the office supporting staff or visiting people who use the service. We needed to be sure that they would be in. The inspection team consisted of one inspector and 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.

Before the inspection the provider completed a Provider Information Return (PIR). This is a form that asks the provider to give us key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We reviewed the submitted PIR and notifications we had received. A notification is information about important events which the provider is required to tell us about in law.

We undertook phone calls to six people who used the service and two relatives. In addition we spoke with one care assistant, two senior care workers, care co-ordinator and the registered manager. We also received additional feedback from three staff via email. We looked at four people’s care records and three staff files that included their recruitment, supervision and training records. We also viewed a range of records about how the service was managed. After the inspection we contacted a number of external professionals and commissioners to obtain their views about the service.

Updated 22 May 2018

We inspected Right at Home (Swindon) on 20 March 2018. This service is a domiciliary care agency (DCA). It provides personal care to older adults living in their own houses and flats in the community. At the time of our visit 27 people received personal care. Additional 16 people received additional support such as assistance with light housework or companionship. Not everyone using receives regulated activity; CQC only inspects the service being received by people provided with ‘personal care’; help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do we also take into account any wider social care provided.

At the last inspection in March 2016 the service was rated Good.

At this inspection we found the service remained Good overall. The provider was in a process of making improvements around records and quality assurance. This inspection report is written in a shorter format because our overall rating of the service has not changed since our last inspection.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.

Why the service is rated Good overall:

The provider had quality assurance systems in place to ensure the service was monitored. We received mixed feedback from staff about how supported they were. The registered manager was in a process of addressing these concerns

People remained safe. There were sufficient staff to meet people's needs. The provider had systems in place to ensure, that as far as possible, staff recruited were safe and suitable to work with people. Staff understood how to protect people and how to alert management and authorities if they had any safeguarding concerns. Risk assessments around people’s well-being and environment were carried out. People received their medicines as needed. However, we made a recommendation around ensuring the records are consistent and in line with good practice.

The service remained effective. People's needs were assessed prior to commencement of the service to ensure these could be met and people were involved. Staff received ongoing training to carry out their roles and they received supervision. People were supported to meet their nutritional needs and had access to health services as required.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is required by law to monitor the operation of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and report on what we find. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the staff at the service supported this practice. People’s rights to make own decisions were respected.

The service remained caring. Staff supported people in a compassionate way. Staff protected people's privacy and dignity. People developed positive relationships with staff and were supported to be as independent as possible.

The service remained responsive. People told us they received the support that met their needs. People and their relatives were involved in care planning process and reviews. The registered manager worked to ensure people’s care plans were updated and in date. Complaints were managed in line with the provider’s policy and people knew how to complain.

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.

The provider ensured people’s feedback was sought regularly. People knew who the registered manager was and how to contact the office if required. The service was working well with a number of external social and health professionals and we received positive feedback from two professionals.