Archived: Deben Willow Care

Updated 7 September 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 inspection took place on 9 and 17 August 2017 and was announced. The provider was given 48 hours' notice because the location provides a domiciliary care service and staff are often out during the day; we needed to be sure that someone would be available to speak with us. The inspection team consisted of an inspector and an expert-by-experience. An expert-by-experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service. Our expert-by-experience on this inspection had experience of using domiciliary services.

Before the inspection, the provider completed a Provider Information Return (PIR). This is a form that asks the provider to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We also reviewed the information we held about the service. This included correspondence we had received and notifications submitted by the service. A notification must be sent to the Care Quality Commission every time a significant incident has taken place, for example where a person who uses the service experiences a serious injury.

During the inspection we spoke on the telephone with nine people being supported by the service and visited three people in their own home. We spoke with three relatives on the telephone and one relative while visiting a person. We looked at records in relation to four people's care. We also spoke with three members of care staff, the deputy manager, the registered manager and a director of the provider company. We looked at records relating to the management of the service and systems for monitoring the quality of the service.

Updated 7 September 2017

This inspection took place on 9 and 17 August 2017 and was announced. This was our first inspection of this service.

The service provides care to people in their own homes in the Suffolk coastal area. On the date of this inspection they were providing support to 90 people across the area.

The service 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 were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

People told us they received excellent care from staff who knew them well. We were given examples of where staff had gone above and beyond to ensure people received high quality care and support. People received care from a consistent group of care staff. Care staff were punctual and effectively carried out the care and support required. Where people required support with their medicines this was provided safely.

Staff had received a range of training that included moving and handling, safeguarding and medicines. Staff were encouraged to take further qualifications to develop their knowledge and enable them to provide high quality care. Staff told us that the training they received was good and equipped them to provide the care and support required.

The service followed safe recruitment procedures. Staff attended an induction prior to working alone in the service. Staff told us that they worked alongside an experienced staff member before working alone. This was usually planned so that they met the people they would be supporting during their induction. Once working in the service staff received regular refresher training.

The service had a complaints procedure. Both formal complaints, minor concerns raised and any accidents and incidents were monitored to ensure a satisfactory outcome and for any learning to improve the service.