We carried out a review of the data available to us about Lone Care Services Ltd 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 Lone Care Services Ltd, you can give feedback on this service.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
Staff were aware of the risks to people’s safety and produced management plans to reduce the risks to their health and welfare. If staff had concerns about a person’s safety this was communicated with the management team who liaised with the appropriate health and/or social care professional. Including liaising with the local authority safeguarding adults’ team where required. Where people required support, staff adhered to safe medicines management practices. Staff followed infection control procedures. Where incidents occurred these were learnt from and additional practices were put in place to reduce the risk of recurrence. There were sufficient staff to meet people’s needs.
People received care from skilled and knowledgeable staff who received regular training. Staff assessed people’s needs in line with best practice guidance and information from referring agencies. Where people required it, staff supported people with meals and to access healthcare services. Staff were knowledgeable about the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) and supported people in line with the principles of the Act. 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 were complimentary about the care workers that supported them. They had built good working relationships with them and found their care workers to be polite and friendly. We heard there were some inconsistencies in which care worker supported a person, but the management team were working on improving this. Staff took account of people’s individual differences and supported them in line with their wishes, their religion, cultural background and sexuality. People respected people’s privacy and dignity and supported them to be as independent as possible.
People received support in line with their care and support plans. These plans identified what level of support people required and how they wished to be supported. Information was made accessible to people about the service and people confirmed accurate records were maintained about the support provided. A complaints policy was in place and any complaints received were handled in line with this policy.
The management team regularly reviewed the quality of service provision and asked for feedback from people and their relatives about care delivery. There were regular staff meetings and processes to acknowledge and thank staff for their hard work. Staff were aware of their roles and responsibilities, this included in relation to the duty of candour and the registered manager’s CQC registration. The registered manager and director focused on continuous improvement and kept up to date with best practice guidance.
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 18 August 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.
This was the first inspection of Lone Care Service which registered with the Care Quality Commission in October 2016.
There was a registered manager in post at the time of our inspection who had many years' experience working in adult social care. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the 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 felt safe with the staff who supported them. Staff knew how to identify the signs of potential abuse and how to report their concerns.
Risks to people were assessed and risk management plans devised and regularly reviewed, to help ensure the care provided was appropriate for people’s needs. There was a sufficient number of trained staff who had been through appropriate recruitment checks to ensure they were suitable for their role.
Staff arrived on time for their visits and the right number of staff were available to provide the support people required. People received their medicines as prescribed from staff who had been assessed by the registered manager as competent to do so safely.
Staff were required to undergo an induction and the provider trained staff in aspects of care relevant to their role. This helped to ensure people were supported by staff who had the skills and knowledge to care for them effectively.
People were involved in the decisions about how they wanted their care and support needs met. Staff asked for people’s consent before providing support and understood the importance of respecting people’s choices and rights. People felt listened to and respected by staff.
People were encouraged to give their feedback and views about the quality of the service they received. There was an appropriate system in place to record and investigate complaints.
The communication between the office and care staff was effective. Care records were personalised, regularly reviewed and updated to ensure they reflected people’s current needs.
Staff were kind, caring and considerate; they respected people's privacy and dignity. Staff supported people to access healthcare services when required and to have sufficient to eat and drink. People were satisfied with the quality of care provided.
People felt the service was well-managed and that the management team were friendly and approachable. Leadership within the service was strong and an open and positive culture was promoted. Staff felt listened to and said they were confident in their roles and aware of their responsibilities. There were effective systems in place to assess and monitor the quality of care people received.