Background to this inspection
Updated
3 August 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, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.
Inspection activity started on 28 June 2018 and ended on 5 July 2018. It included telephone calls to people who used the service and their relatives on 28 and 29 June 2018. It also included telephone calls to care staff, interviews of staff, reviewing of people’s care plans, daily care notes and medicines administration records and reviewing records relating to the management of the service. We visited the office location on 29 June 2018 to see the registered managers and office staff; and to review care records and policies and procedures. This visit was announced. We gave the service 48 hours’ notice because we needed to gather information about people who used the service in order to consult them for feedback.
The inspection team consisted of two 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.
We used the information we held about the service to formulate our inspection plan. This included statutory notifications that the provider had sent to us. A statutory notification is information about important events which the provider is required to send us by law. We used information the provider sent us in the Provider Information Return. This is 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 the inspection, we spoke with eleven people who used the service and four relatives. We also spoke with the two registered managers and their manager, along with ten staff which included five care co-ordinators.
We reviewed the care records of five people to see whether they were accurate and up to date. We looked at records relating to the management of the service. These included staff training records, incident records, meeting minutes and quality assurance records.
Updated
3 August 2018
This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats in the community. It provides a short or longer-term service to adults to help maximise their independence.
Not everyone using the service 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. There were 61 people receiving personal care at the time of this inspection.
This inspection site visit took place on 29 June 2018. Telephone calls to people, relatives and staff took place on 28, 29 June and 5 July 2018. This was the first ratings inspection for the service.
There were two registered managers in post at the time of the inspection. 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 were safeguarded from abuse. People had plans in place which supported them to reduce the risks to their safety.
There were enough staff employed to provide consistent care to people. People received support from staff to administer their medicines safely. People were protected from the risk of infection. The registered managers had systems in place to learn when things went wrong.
People’s needs were assessed; and care plans were in place to guide staff. Staff received the training and support they needed to deliver effective care. People were supported to eat and drink enough and their choice was promoted.
People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff were aware of how to support them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service were supportive of this practice. People were supported to access health professionals when required.
People were supported by caring staff that protected their privacy and dignity. People had support to make decisions and choices about their care and maximise their independence.
People’s preferences were understood by staff and recorded in their care plans. Care plans were developed alongside people and regularly reviewed to ensure they were accurate. People understood how to make a complaint and felt their concerns would be addressed.
People, relatives and staff were aware of the values and vision of the service and staff were passionate about promoting people’s independence.
Staff felt supported and listened to by management. The service had systems in place to gather feedback and continuously improve.
There were systems in place and operated effectively to monitor and improve the quality and safety of services provided.
The service worked well in partnership with other agencies and their achievements had been recognised by winning an award.