Fosse Healthcare - Derby

Updated 23 February 2022

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 completed by one inspector. Two experts by experience made telephone calls to people who used the service and their relatives. An expert by experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.

Service and service type

This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses, flats and specialist housing.

The service did not have a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission at the time of the inspection, however the manager told us they were in the process of applying to become the registered manager. This means that the provider is legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.

Notice of inspection

We gave the service notice of the inspection. This was because the inspection was conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic and we needed to be sure that the provider would be in the office to support the inspection.

Inspection activity started on 1 February 2022 and ended on 8 February 2022. We visited the office location on 1 February 2022.

What we did before the inspection

We used information received about the service since the last inspection. We contacted local stakeholders to gather feedback on the care provided. This included the local authority commissioning team. On 1 February 2022 we made phone calls to eight people who used the service and four people’s relatives to gather feedback about the care provided.

We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return. This is information providers are required to send us with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. This information helps support our inspections. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We reviewed a range of records including the relevant sections of three people’s care records and multiple medication records. We looked at two staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. We reviewed other records related to the management of the service, including the provider’s action plan following the last inspection, policies and staff training records.

We spoke with eight members of staff including, the Nominated Individual, the Group Head of Quality, Safety and Compliance, the manager and five care staff.

What we did after the inspection

We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found.

Updated 23 February 2022

About the service

Fosse Healthcare - Derby is a domiciliary care service. It provides care for people living in their own houses and flats. People are supported in their own homes so that they can live as independently as possible. CQC regulates the personal care and support. There were 87 people who received personal care at the time of the inspection. Not everyone who used the service received personal care. 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.

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

Systems and processes were in place to help people receive safe care and be protected from abuse and harm. Staff were trained to administer medicines safely and checks were made to ensure people received their medicines as prescribed. Recruitment processes were in place and followed to ensure the provider was satisfied the staff they appointed to work in care were suitable. Staffing levels were monitored and staff rotas were planned to help ensure people received safe care. Risks were assessed and actions to reduce identified risks were followed by staff. Infection prevention and control practices were followed to help prevent infection transmission, including those from COVID-19.

People had their health and care needs assessed and care plans and risk assessments were kept under review. Staff completed regular training relevant to their job roles. New staff completed an induction programme, which included learning from more experienced staff. Where care staff helped people with their meals and drinks, their dietary preferences and choices were known and respected. Other health and social care professionals were involved in people’s care when needed.

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.

People received care that respected their privacy and promoted their dignity and independence. Care staff understood how to make people feel comfortable and took account of people’s different needs when providing care. People told us they thought the care staff were compassionate and kind. People were supported to be involved in their care and information on how to access advocacy services was available.

People’s decisions about their care were respected. Staff understood the importance of supporting people to have as much choice and control as possible in their lives. People received personalised care that was responsive to their needs and people’s relationships were valued and supported. Communication needs were assessed and understood. Complaints and feedback processes were available and followed should people wish to make a complaint or offer their feedback.

There was no registered manager at the time of our inspection, however the recently appointed manager had begun the process of registration. Audit and quality assurance processes were in place, however some of these required more time to fully embed improvements in the service. Policies were up to date and a range of oversight checks on the quality and safety of services were in place by the provider. People, relatives and staff were able to contribute their views to the development of the service and this supported a positive and open culture. The provider worked in partnership with others to help ensure good care outcomes for people using the service.

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 ‘Requires improvement’ (published 15 December 2021). The provider completed an action plan after the last inspection to show what they would do and by when to improve. At this inspection, we found improvements had been made and the provider was no longer in breach of regulations.

Why we inspected

This inspection was carried out to follow up on action we told the provider to take at the last inspection.

Follow up

We will work 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.