We carried out a review of the data available to us about Time 2 Care (South West) 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 Time 2 Care (South West) Ltd, you can give feedback on this service.
Time 2 Care is a domiciliary care agency. At the time of inspection there were approximately 48 people using the service.
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.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
People were protected from abuse by staff who had been safely recruited, trained and supervised in their roles. Staff undertook training in safeguarding and knew how to recognise abuse and the correct action to take.
Staff undertook assessments of risks to people. These were undertaken and mitigated as far as possible. People received their medicines in a safe way.
People were protected from infections by staff who wore the correct personal protective equipment. Staff were trained in infection prevention and control and took the extra precautions necessary in line with the current COVID-19 pandemic.
People felt safe in their homes and were treated with kindness by care staff. People told us they were happy with the care they received. They received a rota which included a photograph of the care worker to expect at each visit.
Staff enjoyed working for the agency and were motivated in their roles. They felt listened to and included in improving care for people. The agency had an open and transparent culture and learnt from mistakes. Staff described good morale in the team and felt supported and valued by the management team.
Regular checks and monitoring of the quality of service delivered were undertaken.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
Rating at last inspection and update
The last rating for this service was requires improvement (published 18 March 2020) with one breach of Regulation 17 - Good governance.
The provider completed an action plan after the last inspection to show what they would do and by when to improve.
At this inspection we found improvements had been made and the provider was no longer in breach of the regulation.
Why we inspected
We carried out an announced inspection of this service on 28 April 2021.
The inspection was prompted by concerns raised by the provider regarding their current rating and the impact this was having on their business.
This report only covers our findings in relation to the Key Questions Safe and Well-led.
The ratings from the previous comprehensive inspection for those key questions not looked at on this occasion were used in calculating the overall rating at this inspection. The overall rating for the service has changed from requires improvement to good. This is based on the findings at this inspection.
You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Time 2 Care on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.
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.
Time 2 Care is a domiciliary care service covering Bideford and the surrounding area. It is a small family run service providing support to 38 people in their own homes.
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. All 38 people received personal care at the time of inspection. This number can fluctuate as people’s needs change.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
Record keeping within the service was not always up to date and did not contain the information required.
Staff had not always been recruited using best practice guidelines with all the necessary pre-employment checks completed.
The service had not notified the CQC all the information legally required, such as statutory notifications.
People did not always have regular care visit times and from the same care staff.
Following feedback, these areas were immediately actioned. The provider and registered manager were committed to improving the service.
People felt safe receiving care from Time 2 Care. Staff understood their responsibilities about keeping people safe. Risks were identified and managed. Incidents and accidents were recorded so they could be reflected upon to make improvements to the service. Staff understood how to prevent the spread of infection.
People were supported by staff who were motivated and passionate in their roles. Staff felt supported by the management team.
Staff received the appropriate training and regular supervision. They felt part of the running of the service and that their opinions mattered.
People were treated in a kind and caring way by staff who treated them with respect, privacy and dignity. People and relatives were complimentary of the staff who supported them.
People had been assessed and a care plan put in place. People received their medicines safely. People and relatives knew how to complain if needed. People were supported to eat and drink well.
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.
The service was led by a registered manager who had been employed since the last inspection. They formed the management team with one of the providers. They promoted an open and welcoming culture which people and staff appreciated.
There were quality assurance systems in place to monitor the quality and safety of the service to focus on continuous improvement. The provider was extending these systems to include all areas of 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 rating for this service was good (published 11 July 2017).
You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the 'all reports' link for Time 2 Care on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.
Why we inspected
This was a planned inspection based on the providers previous rating.
We have found evidence that the provider needs to make improvements. Please see the safe and well led sections of the full report.
Enforcement
We have identified a breach in relation to the management and oversight of the service at this inspection. We have made one recommendation relating to ‘best interest’ decision making.
Please see what action we have told the provider to take at the end of this full report.
Follow up
We will request an action plan for the provider to understand what they will do to improve the standards of quality and safety. We will work alongside the provider and local authority to monitor progress. We will return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.
Time 2 Care (South West) Ltd is a care agency which provides care and support to people in their own homes. They mostly support people with conditions associated with older age and dementia. They cover the Bideford and Westward Ho! areas of North Devon. At the time of our inspection 33 people were receiving a personal care service from the agency.
The agency had a registered manager. 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 and their relatives were positive and complimentary about the care and support they received from Time 2 Care (South West) Ltd. Comments included “They are first rate. Very good, they know what they are doing. I have no worries on that score. One relative said “I have to be able to trust the staff who support my (relative). I would not use them if I did not think they had the right skills and attitude.”
Care and support was well planned and done in collaboration with people and their family members. Care was delivered in a person centred way because plans gave details about how to do this and staff had the right skills, training and support. Consent was always gained and staff worked within the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005.
The service ensured that where people needed support to eat well to stay healthy, they gave a good account of they were doing this, including records of what food and drink people were offered and had eaten.
People’s views were taken into account in the reviewing of plans and any suggestions about how to improve the service was listened to. People, relatives and staff all had an opportunity to feed into the quality auditing of the service, via surveys, meetings and review processes. People said staff arrived on time, did what they were tasked to do and were kind, caring and respectful towards them.
Staff were knowledgeable about people’s needs and their preferences. Staff were committed to providing a good quality service and often went the extra mile to help people. This included doing additional shopping in their own time.
Staff were compassionate and caring towards the people they helped. The agency promoted this caring approach with their ethos of ensuring people had the right support and information. This included things like support to make claims for help with care and, how to stay warm in cold weather conditions.
People were kept safe because risks were assessed, monitored and reviewed on a regular basis. Staff understood how to report any suspicions of abuse or areas of concern. Staff recruitment practise were safe, ensuring new staff had the right checks in place before they began working with vulnerable people.
The service ensured that people received effective care that met their needs and wishes. People experienced positive outcomes as a result of the service they received. For example one person had been assisted to become more mobile.
There were processes in place to protect people and the security of their home when they received personal care, including staff wearing uniforms and carrying identification. People received information about who they should expect to be delivering their care so they were aware of who was due to call upon them.
The service had good systems in place to safely support people with the management of their medicines. People’s health and emotional wellbeing was closely monitored and where needed proactive actions taken to address any changes in need. The service was flexible to assist people to attend healthcare appointments.