We carried out a review of the data available to us about Pol Community Care Ltd on 6 July 2023. We have not found evidence that we need to carry out an inspection or reassess our rating at this stage.
This could change at any time if we receive new information. We will continue to monitor data about this service.
If you have concerns about Pol Community Care Ltd, you can give feedback on this service.
Pol Community Care is a domiciliary care service that provides personal care and support to people living in their own homes in the community. The service mainly provides personal care for people in short visits at key times of the day to help people get up in the morning, go to bed at night and support with meals. Longer visits for a 'sitting' service are provided for some people.
Not everyone who used the service received personal care. CQC only inspects where people receive personal care. This is help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do we also consider any wider social care provided.
When we inspected the service was providing the regulated activity, personal care, to approximately 60 people in the St Austell, Saltash, Liskeard, Looe and Polperro areas of Cornwall.
People’s experience of using this service
People using the service consistently told us they felt safe and staff treated them in a caring and respectful manner. People had agreed the times of their visits and were kept informed of any changes. No one reported ever having had any missed visits.
Staff had a good knowledge and understanding of people’s routines, likes and dislikes. Staff told us they enjoyed their jobs and were committed to providing a caring service. They were keen to support people to remain living in their own homes and retain their independence as much as possible.
People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.
Assessments were carried out to identify any risks to the person using the service and to the staff supporting them.
Care plans were in place for everyone using the service. The service used an electronic care planning system and staff accessed this on their mobile phones. The information generated by this system was accurate, timely and detailed.
People were supported to access healthcare services, staff recognised changes in people's health, and sought professional advice appropriately.
New staff completed an induction which involved training and a period of ‘shadowing’ more experienced staff. Training was refreshed so staff were up to date with any changes in working practices.
There was a positive culture in the service and management and staff were committed to ensuring people received a good service. Staff told us they were well supported and had a good working relationship with each other and the management team.
People, their relatives and staff told us management were approachable and they listened to them when they had any concerns or ideas. All feedback was used to make continuous improvements to the service.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
Rating at last inspection
The last rating for this service was Good. (Report published on 5 May 2017).
Why we inspected
This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.
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.
Pol Community Care is a Domiciliary Care Agency that provides care and support to adults of all ages, in their own homes. The service provides help with people’s personal care needs in the Par, Lostwithiel, Liskeard, Looe and Polperro areas of Cornwall. This includes people with physical disabilities and dementia care needs. The service mainly provides personal care for people in short visits at key times of the day to help people get up in the morning, go to bed at night and support with meals. Longer visits for a ‘sitting’ service are provided for some people.
At the time of our inspection 28 people were receiving a personal care service. These services were funded either privately, through Cornwall Council or NHS funding.
There was a registered manager in post who was responsible for the day-to-day running of the service. 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 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.
People told us they felt safe using the service. Relatives also said they thought the service was safe. Comments included, “I am very happy with the service”, “I am very satisfied with the service”, “It’s fantastic” and “No complaints at all.”
Staff treated people respectfully and asked people how they wanted their care and support to be provided. People and their relatives spoke well of staff, commenting, “Wonderful carers, there isn’t a thing they wouldn’t do for me”, “They are very kind and friendly”, “They do everything I ask” and “I am made to feel comfortable about having help.”
People had a team of regular, reliable staff, they had agreed the times of their visits and were kept informed of any changes. No one reported ever having had any missed visits. People told us, “They let me know if carers are going to be late”, “Visits are a bit late sometimes, but they always turn up” and “Always come, may be late because of staff sickness but they let me know.”
Staff were knowledgeable about the people they cared for and knew how to recognise if people’s needs changed. Staff were aware of people’s preferences and interests, as well as their health and support needs, which enabled them to provide a personalised service.
People had a care plans that provided staff with direction and guidance about how to meet people’s individual needs and wishes. These care plans were regularly reviewed and any changes in people’s needs were communicated to staff. Assessments were carried out to identify any risks to the person using the service and to the staff supporting them. This included any environmental risks in people’s homes and any risks in relation to the care and support needs of the person.
Staff were recruited safely, which meant they were suitable to work with vulnerable people. Staff had received training in how to recognise and report abuse. All were clear about how to report any concerns and were confident that any allegations made would be fully investigated to help ensure people were protected. Staff received appropriate training and supervision. New staff received an induction, which incorporated the care certificate. There were sufficient numbers of suitably qualified staff available to meet the needs of people who used the service.
Staff and management had a clear understanding of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and how to make sure people who did not have the mental capacity to make decisions for themselves had their legal rights protected.
There was a positive culture within the staff team and staff spoke passionately about their work. Staff were complimentary about the management team and how they were supported to carry out their work. The registered and deputy managers were clearly committed to providing a good service for people. Comments from staff included, “The office is well organised”, “Rotas are well managed” and “The manager listens to feedback and takes it on board.”
People and relatives all described the management of the service as open and approachable. Comments from people included, “The manager is wonderful, you can always speak to her” and “I think they are well managed.”
There were effective quality assurance systems in place to help ensure any areas for improvement were identified and action taken to continuously improve the quality of the service provided. People told us they were regularly asked for their views about the quality of the service they received.
People had details of how to raise a complaint and told us they would be happy to make a complaint if they needed to. Where people had raised concerns these had been investigated and resolved to the complainant’s satisfaction.