Background to this inspection
Updated
28 March 2020
The inspection
We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act) as part of our regulatory functions. We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act. We looked at the overall quality of the service and provided a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.
Inspection team
The inspection was carried out by one inspector.
Service and service type
This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats and specialist housing.
The service had two registered managers registered with the Care Quality Commission. This means that 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
This inspection was announced. We gave the service two working days’ notice of the inspection. This was because it is a small service and we needed to be sure that the registered managers would be in the office to support the inspection.
Inspection activity started on 3 March 2020 and ended on 4 March 2020. We visited the office location on 3 March 2020.
What we did before the inspection
We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We received feedback via email from four relatives and five health and social care professionals. The provider was not asked to complete a provider information return prior to this inspection. This is information we require providers to send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We took this into account when we inspected the service and made the judgements in this report. We used this information to plan our inspection.
During the inspection
We spoke with the two registered managers, the training and human resources manager and a senior care worker. We reviewed a range of records. This included two people’s care records and their medicine records. We looked at two staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including audits on different aspects of the service.
After the inspection
We spoke with three people using the service and one relative for their views on the service. Five care workers provided their feedback on the service via email.
Updated
28 March 2020
About the service
Care Compassion and Conversation Ltd offers a domiciliary service for people living in their own homes in the Chipping Norton and surrounding nearby areas in Oxfordshire. 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. On the day of our inspection 16 people were receiving a personal care service.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
People, their relatives and health and social care professionals were positive about the service. One person told us, “They [staff] are wonderful.” Whilst a relative commented, “All the staff are excellent. They are always cheerful, helpful and patient, to the extent that nothing is too much trouble.”
People told us they felt safe when receiving care and knew they could raise a concern or complaint to the two registered managers. There was a process to investigate any concerns regarding the care provided. People's care was personalised and matched their needs, which improved their quality of life. Medicines were managed safely, and people received their medicines as prescribed. Risk management plans were in place providing staff with guidance on how to minimise risks for people using the service.
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.
There was a robust recruitment process and there were enough staff deployed to provide support based upon the care needs of people. Staff culture was positive, and the team was caring. This had resulted in the provision of compassionate and personalised care. Staff worked well as a team and had a sense of pride working at the service. Staff received the training and supervision they required to provide them with the knowledge and skills to provide care in a safe and effective way.
The provider had quality assurance systems in place to monitor the quality and safety of the service. The registered managers worked directly alongside the care staff, so they understood people’s needs and had developed positive relationships with people and their relatives.
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 (published 19 May 2017).
Why we inspected
This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.
Follow up
We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.