We carried out a review of the data available to us about Mary Ruth Care 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 Mary Ruth Care, you can give feedback on this service.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
People felt safe in the company of staff. Relatives agreed their family members were safe. People consistently told us staff arrived on time and they received support from the same core group of staff, which promoted good continuity of care. The provider had recruitment processes in place to ensure suitable staff were employed. Medicines were managed effectively, and the provider ensured all infection control measures were followed by staff.
There were systems and processes in place to minimise risks to people. These included making sure staff knew how to recognise and report abuse. People’s care plans contained details of risks posed to people, with guidance for staff about any actions they need to take to mitigate those risks.
We have made a recommendation about the risk assessments for some people. The provider has already acted to meet this recommendation.
People told us any concerns were addressed immediately with appropriate actions. The service was well run, and people who used the service were very happy with the care and support they received. Audits and checks of documents and systems helped ensure continuous learning and improvement.
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 good (report published 1 January 2019). The overall rating for the service has remained good based on the findings of this inspection.
Why we inspected
The inspection was prompted in part due to concerns received about medicines and staffing.
As a result, we undertook a focused inspection to review the key questions of safe and well-led only. For those key questions not inspected, we used the ratings awarded at the last inspection to calculate the overall rating.
We found no evidence during this inspection that people were at risk of harm from these concerns. Please see the safe and well-led sections of this full report.
You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Mary Ruth Care on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.
Follow up
We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.
There was a manager at the service who was registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC). A registered manager is a person who has registered with the CQC 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.
Mary Ruth Care was registered with CQC in June 2016. The registered manager told us the service started supporting people in July 2018. This was the service's first inspection.
People spoke very positively about the support provided to them. They told us they felt safe and their support workers were respectful and kind. People told us they received a consistent and reliable service that met their needs. People said support was provided from staff they knew.
We found there were systems in place to protect people from the risk of harm. Staff we spoke with could explain the procedures to follow should an allegation of abuse be made.
Assessments identified risks to people, and management plans to reduce the risks were in place to ensure people's safety.
There were appropriate numbers of staff employed to meet people’s needs and provide a flexible service.
People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible. The registered provider’s policies and systems supported this practice. People had consented to receiving care and support from Mary Ruth Care.
People were supported to maintain a healthy diet, which took into account their culture, needs and preferences, so their health was promoted and choices could be respected.
Staff knew the people they supported well. People’s privacy and dignity was respected and promoted. Staff understood how to support people in a sensitive way.
People said they could speak with their support workers or the registered manager if they had any worries or concerns and they would be listened to.
Quality assurance systems were in operation to monitor the service.