Equicare Services Ltd

Updated 25 January 2024

Equicare Services Ltd is a domiciliary care agency providing personal care and support to people living in their own homes. 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. At the time of our assessment, 43 people were using the service. The service is registered to offer support to older and younger adults, adults with learning disabilities, physical disabilities and people with mental health needs. The service also provides care and support to children with learning disabilities and autistic spectrum needs. This provider is required to have a registered manager to oversee the delivery of regulated activities at this location. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Registered managers and providers are legally responsible for how the service is run, for the quality and safety of the care provided and compliance with regulations. At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post. During our assessment we visited the care agency's offices on 29 February 2024. We spoke with the registered manager and nominated individual. The nominated individual is responsible for supervising the management of the service on behalf of the provider. We also spoke with 1 person and 12 family members of people using the service, 3 external professionals and 17 staff provided written feedback about their experience of the service. The assessment was supported by an Expert by Experience who made some of the phone calls. 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 did not assess all quality statements at this inspection. For those areas we did not assess, we used the ratings awarded at the last inspection.

Updated 25 January 2024

We found the service was able to demonstrate how they were meeting the underpinning principles of Right Support, Right Care, Right Culture. Right Support: Staff supported people to have the maximum possible choice, control, and independence. Staff supported people to take part in activities and pursue their interests in their local area. Staff supported people with their medicines in a way that achieved the best possible health outcome. Right care: Staff promoted equality and diversity in their support for people. They understood people’s cultural needs and provided culturally appropriate care. People received kind and compassionate care. Staff protected and respected people’s privacy and dignity. They understood and responded to their individual needs. Staff understood how to protect people from poor care and abuse. The service worked well with other organisations to do so. Staff had training on how to recognise and report abuse and they knew how to apply it. The service had enough appropriately skilled staff to meet people’s needs and keep them safe. Right culture: People received good quality care, support, and treatment because trained staff and specialists could meet their needs and wishes. People who had individual ways of communicating, using body language, sounds, Makaton (a form of sign language), pictures and symbols could interact comfortably with staff and others involved in their care and support because staff had the necessary skills to understand them. Staff knew and understood people well. Staff turnover was low, which supported people to receive consistent care from staff who knew them well. People and those important to them, including advocates, were involved in planning their care.