Background to this inspection
Updated
10 February 2017
We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.
This was an announced inspection. We gave the provider 48 hours’ notice to let them know we would be visiting the service, because the location provides a domiciliary care service to people in a supported living setting and we wanted to make sure someone would be in. The inspection took place on 9 January 2017 and was conducted by one inspector.
As part of the inspection we looked at the information that we hold about the service prior to visiting the location. This included notifications from the provider about accidents/incidents and safeguarding matters which they are required to send us by law. We also received feedback from the local authority, Health Watch and other professionals who visited the service on their views about the service provided to people.
During our inspection, we spoke with three people who used the service. We also spoke with four members of staff including the registered manager, the site manager and two support workers.
We reviewed the care records of three people, to see how their care was planned and recorded. We also looked at training records for all of the staff that worked for the provider and at two staff files to look at recruitment and supervision processes. We also looked at records which supported the provider to monitor the quality and management of the service, including feedback surveys and forums, health and safety audits, compliments and complaints.
Updated
10 February 2017
This inspection took place on 9 January 2017 and was an announced inspection. We gave the provider 48 hours’ notice that we would be visiting the service. This was because we wanted to make sure staff would be available to answer any questions we had or to provide us with the information that we needed. We also wanted the registered manager to ask people who used the service if we could contact them. This was the provider’s first inspection at this location as they were a newly registered service.
The service is registered to provide personal care and support to people in their own homes. At the time of the inspection the service was providing support and personal care to nine people who were living in their own homes within a ‘supported living’ facility in the community. Supported living enables people who need personal or social support to live in their own home supported by care staff instead of living in a care home or with family. The levels of support people received from the service varied, according to their assessed needs and levels of independence.
There was a registered manager in post at the time of our visit. 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.
The service was safe because people were protected from the risk of abuse and avoidable harm and staff were aware of the processes they needed to follow. People were supported by enough members of staff who knew them well enough to ensure their needs were met. We also found that people received support with their prescribed medicines, where required.
The service was effective because people received care from staff who had received adequate training and had the knowledge and skills they required to do their job effectively. People received care and support with their consent, where possible and people’s rights were protected to ensure people were not unlawfully restricted.
People were supported to maintain good health because staff worked closely with other health and social care professionals when necessary.
The service was caring because people were supported by staff that were friendly, caring and supportive. People received the care they wanted based on their personal preferences and likes and dislikes because staff took the time to get to know people well. People were also cared for by staff who respected their privacy and dignity.
People were encouraged to be as independent as possible and were supported to express their views in all aspects of their lives including the care and support that was provided to them, as far as reasonably possible.
The service was responsive because people felt involved in the planning and review of their care and staff communicated with them in ways they could understand. People were also encouraged to offer feedback on the quality of the service and knew how to complain.
The service was not always well led because the provider had some quality monitoring processes in place to monitor the safety and quality of the service. However, it was not always clear how this information had been analysed or used to improve the service. The provider had not always notified us about incidents that had occurred as required, by law.
Staff felt supported and appreciated in their work and reported Hebe Healthcare to have an open and honest leadership culture.