Lynx Support Services Ltd

Updated 7 March 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 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.

This inspection took place on 12 and 13 February 2018 and was announced. We gave the service 48 hours notice of the inspection visit because the registered manager is often out of the office supporting staff or visiting people. We needed to be sure that they would be in.

We visited three people who received support at their homes on 12 February 2018. We spoke with the three people receiving support to ask their opinions of the service and to check their care files. We also spoke with one relative of a person receiving support during a visit.

We visited the service’s office on 13 February 2018 to see the registered manager, some staff and to review care records and policies and procedures.

The inspection team consisted of two adult social care inspectors 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. The expert by experience had experience in caring for older people. This inspection was shadowed by a third adult social care inspector, as part of their induction to their role.

Prior to the inspection, we gathered information from a number of sources. We reviewed the information we held about the service, which included correspondence we had received and notifications submitted to us by the service. A notification should be sent to CQC every time a significant incident has taken place. For example, where a person who uses the service experiences a serious injury. We reviewed the Provider Information Return (PIR), which the registered provider completed before the inspection. The PIR is a form that asks the registered provider to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make.

We contacted Sheffield local authority and Healthwatch (Sheffield) to obtain their views of the service. Healthwatch is an independent consumer champion that gathers and represents the views of the public about health and social care services in England. All of the comments and feedback received were reviewed and used to assist and inform our inspection.

We spoke with the registered provider, the registered manager, the office manager, the finance manager, the acting service manager and three support workers in person during the visit to the office. We spoke over the telephone to a trainer.

We telephoned ten people who received support and spoke with them, or their relatives, to obtain their views of Lynx Care (UK) Ltd.

We reviewed a range of records, which included care records for six people, four staff training, support and employment records and other records relating to the management of the domiciliary care agency.

Updated 7 March 2018

Lynx Care (UK) Ltd is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats in the community, some of whom have complex needs and require 24-hour support. At the time of this inspection, 37 people were receiving support and 40 support workers were employed. The service office is based in the S9 area of Sheffield, close to transport links.

There was a manager at the service who was registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC). A registered manager is a person who has registered with the CQC 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 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

Our last inspection at Lynx Care (UK) Ltd Homecare took place on 31 January and 1st February 2017. We found four breaches of the regulations of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014. These were breaches of Regulation 12: Safe care and treatment, Regulation 17: Good governance, Regulation 18: Staffing and Regulation 19: Fit and proper persons employed.

Following the last inspection, we asked the provider to complete an action plan to show what they would do, and by when, to improve the key questions asking if the service was safe, effective and well led, to at least good.

This inspection took place on 12 and 13 February 2018 and was announced. We gave the registered manager 48 hours’ notice of our inspection to make sure the registered manager, some staff and some people receiving support would be available to meet and speak with us.

At this inspection, we found sufficient improvements had been made to meet the requirements of Regulation 12: Safe care and treatment, as medicines administration procedures were adhered to and the medicines administration records seen had been fully completed. In addition, individual’s risk assessments had been dated and reviewed to make sure they were relevant and up to date.

We found sufficient improvements had been made to meet the requirements of Regulation 17: Good governance, as systems were in place to effectively monitor and improve the quality and safety of the service.

We found sufficient improvements had been made to meet the requirements of Regulation 18: Staffing, as staff were provided with relevant training, supervision and appraisal for development and support.

We found sufficient improvements had been made to meet the requirements of Regulation 19: Fit and proper persons employed, as the recruitment files checked contained full and relevant information.

People spoke very positively about the support provided to them. They told us they felt safe and their support workers were respectful and kind. People told us they received a consistent and reliable service that met their needs.

We found there were systems in place to protect people from the risk of harm. Staff we spoke with were able to explain the procedures to follow should an allegation of abuse be made. Assessments identified risks to people, and management plans to reduce the risks were in place to ensure people's safety.

There were appropriate numbers of staff employed to meet people’s needs and provide a flexible service.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible. The registered provider’s policies and systems supported this practice. People had consented to receiving care and support from Lynx Care (UK) Ltd.

Visit times were flexible to support people’s needs and enable them to access health and social care professionals to help maintain their health and wellbeing.

People were supported to maintain a healthy diet, which took into account their culture, needs and preferences, so their health was promoted and choices could be respected.

Staff knew the people they supported well. People’s privacy and dignity was respected and promoted. Staff understood how to support people in a sensitive way.

People said they could speak with their support workers or the registered manager if they had any worries or concerns and they would be listened to.