We carried out a review of the data available to us about Unique Personnel (UK) Limited Brent 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 Unique Personnel (UK) Limited Brent, you can give feedback on this service.
Unique Personnel (UK) Limited Brent is a domiciliary care service that provides personal care and support to people in their own homes, some of whom live with dementia. The Care Quality Commission (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. At the time of our inspection there were 43 people receiving care.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
Systems and processes for overseeing and checking the quality of the service provided to people were not always robust and effective. Shortfalls in record keeping had not been identified by management.
People and relatives were happy with the staff who they told us were kind and caring. The care and support people received was personalised and met their individual needs and preferences.
People, and where applicable their relatives were fully involved in the assessment, planning and review of their care. People mostly received care from regular care staff who were knowledgeable about their care needs.
People received the support they needed to take their medicines.
People and relatives told us that staff usually arrived on time and always stayed for the duration of the planned call. The agency was flexible and responsive when people needed to change the times of visits.
Staff understood their responsibility to protect people in their care from abuse and report any concerns they had. They knew how to recognise and report any concerns they had about people's safety and welfare.
Systems were in place to make sure there were enough suitable staff to carry out care visits. Staff received the support, training and guidance they needed to provide people with personalised 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 policies and systems in the service supported this practice.
The provider had systems in place to manage and resolve complaints. People and relatives knew how to make a complaint and told us issues to do with the service had been addressed.
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 12 September 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.
The service was registered with us on 17 October 2016. This is the first inspection of the service.
Unique Personnel (UK) Limited Brent provides a domiciliary care service that delivers personal care and other support to people in their own homes. At the time of our inspection there were twenty two older people receiving assistance with their personal care.
The service has a registered manager in post. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission [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 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.
People using the service and their relatives informed us that they were happy with the care and the other services they received. People received consistency of care from staff that they knew.
People told us that staff treated them with respect and they felt safe when receiving care from the service. Arrangements were in place to keep people safe. The service had a safeguarding policy and procedure. Staff knew how to identify abuse and understood their responsibilities in relation to safeguarding people and reporting concerns.
Risks to people’s safety were identified and guidance was in place to minimise the risk of people being harmed.
People were involved in decisions about their care. Staff knew how to provide people with the care that they needed and wanted and respected people’s choices. The service understood the importance of encouraging and promoting people's independence.
People had care plans that were up to date and included information staff needed about how best to support them. People told us they received care and support in the way they wanted and staff respected their privacy and dignity.
Care staff understood the importance of obtaining people’s consent before supporting them with personal care and other tasks.
The organisation carried out appropriate checks to reduce the risk of employing staff that were not suitable to work with people using the service. There were sufficient staff to meet people's needs and people told us they received the care that had been planned. Staff received the support and training they needed to carry out their role and responsibilities.
Arrangements were in place to make sure medicines were managed safely and people received their medicines as prescribed.
People, who received support with their meals, had their nutritional needs and their individual dietary preferences and needs assessed and met.
People knew how to make a complaint and told us that concerns that they raised had been addressed. People's feedback about the service was sought and action was taken to make improvements when required.
People and their relatives told us they thought the service was well run and would recommend it. The service liaised closely with health and social care professionals to make sure people’s needs were met.
There were systems in place to carry out checks, monitor the service and to make improvements when needed.