Archived: Unity Care Solutions (Maidstone)

Updated 17 April 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:

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 homes. Unity Care Solutions (Maidstone) provides personal care for 23 people who are living in the community.

Before visiting the service, we looked information sent to the Care Quality Commission (CQC) through notifications. Notifications are information we receive when a significant event happens, like a death or a serious injury. We also looked at information sent to us by the registered manager through the Provider Information Return (PIR). The PIR contains information we require providers to send us at least once annually to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We looked at the previous inspection record.

We reviewed three people's care records, which included care plans, risk assessments, daily care records and medicines records. We looked at documentation that related to staff management and recruitment including one staff files. We also looked at a sample of policies and complaints and compliments.

We gathered people’s experiences of the service. We spoke with three people and seven relatives to gain their views. We also spoke with the registered manager, two members of the management team and two members of care staff. We received feedback from two external health and social care professionals.

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 24 hours' notice of the inspection visit because it is small and we wanted to be sure that we had access to documents. The inspection site visit was completed on 6 March 2019. Phone calls to relatives took place on 6 March 2019 and 12 March 2019.

Updated 17 April 2019

About the service:

Unity Care Solutions (Maidstone) provides personal care and for 23 people who are living in the community. People receiving care and support were predominantly children aged two years old and up. Some people were young adults. People required specialist care which included nursing care. Some people required assistance from artificial aids to help them to breathe. Staff provided assistance to people such as washing and dressing, preparing food and drinks, administering medicines and helping people maintain their health and wellbeing.

People's experience of using this service:

• The service had received many compliments from people who used the service and their relatives. One relative told us, "They are a fabulous team who put [relative] first."

• People and their relatives told us that staff were reliable and turned up for calls on time. People had regular staff and this provided people with consistency. The provider made sure that there were enough staff to cover all of the calls.

• People were protected from abuse and avoidable harm. Staff understood their role and responsibilities in keeping people safe, they had received safeguarding training and had a safeguarding policy and procedure to inform their practice. Robust staff recruitment checks were completed before staff started working with people. Risks associated with people's needs including the environment had been assessed and staff had guidance about the care people required to reduce any risks.

• Medicines systems were organised and people were receiving their medicines when they should. Staff continued to follow safe protocols for the administration of medicines.

• Staff received an induction when they started their employment, this included shadowing experienced staff. This gave people the opportunity to meet staff before they provided care independently. Staff received ongoing training and support from the full management team which includes a Registered Nurse, senior co-ordinator and care co-ordinator. , this included assessments to ensure staff provided safe and effective care.

• People and their relatives were supported to understand how to keep safe and to raise concerns when necessary.

• People and relatives we spoke with felt staff managed their needs well. One person said, "They are brilliant and really know and understand [relative]."

• The registered manager was up to date about best practice and current legislation and supported staff in providing effective care. 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.

• Staff worked closely with people's social workers to ensure people's needs were met, and professionals spoke positively about the service. One health and social care professional we spoke with told us, "I have had nothing but positive experiences whilst working closely with Unity Care Solutions."

• People and their relatives told us staff were kind, courteous and sensitive. One person said, "Staff are exceptionally caring and kind.”

• People's information was treated confidentially. People's paper records were stored securely in locked filing cabinets at the office.

• Staff supported people to access medical assistance from healthcare professionals when they needed it. Staff knew people well and recognised when people were not acting in their usual manner.

• People's care plans detailed what staff needed to do for a person. The care plans included information about their life history and were person centred.

• The service met the characteristics of Good in all areas; more information is in the full report.

Rating at last inspection:

The rating at the last inspection was Good (19 August 2016)

Why we inspected:

This was a planned inspection of the service.

Follow up:

We will continue to monitor intelligence we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If any concerning information is received we may inspect sooner.