Right at Home Portsmouth

Updated 18 April 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

This inspection was undertaken by one inspector.

Service and service type

This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own homes.

The service had a manager 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. Prior to the inspection the registered manager had notified the CQC of their planned absence from the service for 28 consecutive days or more and had appointed a person to manage the service in their absence.

Notice of inspection

We gave the service 48 hours' notice of the inspection. This was because we needed to be sure that the provider or manager would be available to support the inspection.

Inspection activity started on 18 December 2019 and ended on 20 December 2019. This included visiting the office to speak with the manager, interview staff and review care records and policies and procedures.

What we did before the inspection

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 sought feedback from the local authority and professionals who work with the service. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with eight members of staff including the nominated individual, manager, office manager, coordinator, three care staff and the quality and compliance manager. We looked at four people's care records including 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 policies and procedures were reviewed. The nominated individual is responsible for supervising the management of the service on behalf of the provider.

After the inspection

We contacted one person, six relatives and one staff member for feedback about the service. We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. We looked at training data and quality assurance records.

Updated 18 April 2020

About the service

Right at Home Portsmouth is a domiciliary care agency providing personal care to people in their own homes. At the time of inspection there were 33 people using the service.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

At the time of the inspection the registered manager was on a planned absence from the service for 28 consecutive days or more. They had appointed a manager to manage the service in their absence.

People and their relatives told us they were impressed with the service and that staff were exceptionally caring. People looked forward to the carers visiting and enjoyed their company. Staff spoke with compassion and genuine warmth when referring to the people they cared for. The caring ethos of person-centred, expressed to us by the provider and manager, was echoed in the comments made by the staff. This was reflected in the care people told us they received. People appreciated the continuity of care from the same care staff who were consistent and always attended. People and their relatives had trust and confidence in the staff and management.

People and their relatives consistently told us that the support being provided was incredibly responsive to their individual needs. The service was person-centred, viewing their relationship with people using the service as a 'partnership' with emphasis on equality and diversity including cultural and lifestyle choice. The service worked in collaboration with and health and social care professionals to promote joined up care. Care plans were comprehensive with clear instructions for staff on how the person wanted to be cared for. People's interests and what was important to them was prominent in their care planning. Consent to care was agreed at every visit which allowed for choice at the time of care delivery, taking into consideration a person's preferred way of communication.

People and their relatives were confident that if they had concerns they would be dealt with appropriately. Effective systems were in place to monitor the delivery of care through feedback from people and relatives, audits, spot checks, staff observational supervision and quality assurance questionnaires. Lessons learned were documented and shared in staff meetings. People received their medicines safely in line with their preferences and by staff who knew them well. People confirmed that staff followed infection control procedures and wore gloves and aprons appropriately to prevent the spread of infection.

The provider continuously encouraged staff to develop the support they provided and to give the highest possible care. 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 providers policies and systems supported this practice. There was a clear focus on providing person centred care and staff understood the needs of people, their individual wishes and preferences. The provider understood the importance of social activities to people's wellbeing and had developed community resources to help people live as full a life as possible.

Staff received a comprehensive induction, refresher and specific subject training. The service promoted a learning and development culture to continually strive towards excellent care practice. The management team were open and transparent. The nominated individual and manager were passionate about supporting older people and had created a team of enthusiastic and dedicated staff. They provided good leadership and staff were clear about their role. The wellbeing of staff was viewed positively by management and was embedded within the culture of the service. Staff told us they felt valued and supported.

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 29 June 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.