LCMB Therahealth Homecare

Updated 17 July 2019

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection checked 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.

Inspection team:

Our inspection was conducted by 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.

Service and service type:

LCMB Therahealth Homecare is a domiciliary care service, registered to provide personal care to people living in their own homes in the community.

The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC). This means 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 48 hours’ notice of the inspection visit. This is because the manager is often out of the office providing care and we needed to be sure that they would be in the office to participate in the inspection. On 22 May 2019 our expert by experience telephoned people who used the service to seek their feedback on the service. Our inspector visited the office on 23 and 29 May to interview the manager and to review care records and policies and procedures.

What we did:

In planning our inspection, we reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. This included any notifications (events which happened in the service that the provider is required to tell us about). We reviewed feedback from the local authority and other professionals who work with the service. We assessed the 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.

During our inspection we spoke with five people and four relatives to ask about their experience of the care provided. We also spoke with the manager, the director and two care workers.

We reviewed a range of written records including five care plans, two staff recruitment files and information relating to the administration of medicines and the auditing and monitoring of service provision.

Updated 17 July 2019

About the service:

LCMB Therahealth Homecare is a domiciliary care service. It is registered to provide personal care to people living in their own homes in the community, including older people and people living with dementia. The service operates in Bourne and surrounding villages. At the time of our inspection,16 people were receiving a personal care service.

People’s experience of using this service:

People were at the heart of the service. The registered manager and a close relative who was one of the directors of the registered provider ('the director') worked daily as members of the care team. Their exceptionally caring, client-focused leadership style set the cultural tone and was admired and appreciated by everyone connected to the service.

Under the leadership of the registered manager and the director, staff cared for people with exceptional kindness and compassion in ways which often went far beyond the provider’s formal contractual agreement. People were treated with dignity and respect and were encouraged to retain their independence. End of life care was provided with sensitivity and compassion.

Staff understood people’s individual needs and preferences and used this knowledge to provide them with flexible, responsive support which enhanced the quality of their lives. People were involved in the development of their individual care plan and met with senior staff on a regular basis to agree any changes.

The registered provider (the 'provider') had a meticulous approach to the deployment of staffing resources. This meant people experienced a high level of staffing continuity which had a positive impact on their safety and well-being. The provider went to considerable lengths to promote the welfare and happiness of the staff team. Staff had the knowledge and skills to meet people’s needs and were encouraged to study for advanced qualifications.

Without exception, people told us they were completely satisfied with the service they received and could think of no ways in which it could be improved. Systems were in place to monitor service delivery and to identify organisational learning from significant events. Any concerns were dealt with effectively and formal complaints were rare. The provider was committed to the continuous improvement of the service in the future.

The provider assessed any potential risks to people's safety and put preventive measures in place to address them. The provider had failed to notify us of a recent incident involving a person using the service. The registered manager apologised for this oversight and assured us this would not happen again.

People who needed staff assistance to take their medicines were supported safely and staff assisted people to eat and drink whenever this was required.

Staff knew how to recognise and report any concerns to keep people safe from harm and were aware of people’s rights under the Mental Capacity Act 2005. 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.

There was a registered manager ('the manager') at the service and the rating from our last inspection was displayed in the office.

Rating at last inspection:

Good (Published October 2016)

Why we inspected:

This was a planned inspection based on the rating at the last inspection. At this inspection we were pleased to find the quality of the service people received had been sustained in some areas and improved in others. As a result, the rating of the service remains Good overall, but with a rating of Outstanding in Caring.

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.