Comfort Home Care

Updated 12 March 2021

The inspection

This was a targeted inspection to check whether the provider had met the requirements of the specific concern we had about infection control. We will assess all of the key question at the next comprehensive inspection of the service.

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 houses and flats.

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.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was announced before our visit. We visited the office location on 17 February 2021. We gave the service 48 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because it is a small service and we needed to be sure that the provider or registered manager would be in the office to support the inspection. Inspection activity started on 17 February 2021 and ended on 28 February 2021.

What we did before inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We sought feedback from the local authority and professionals who work with the service.

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 took this into account when we inspected the service and made the judgements in this report. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

We had requested information from the provider prior to the inspection and this information was used as part of the inspection plan. This included the providers covid-19 contingency business plan, crisis policy and infection control policy.

We also asked the provider to send people and their families our poster explaining about the inspection with our contact details. This was so we could receive their feedback about the service. We received feedback from one person and three relatives.

We also asked the registered manager to send an email to all of their staff giving them our contact details and asking them to share their views about the service. We received verbal and written feedback from seven staff.

During the inspection

We spent time with the provider, registered manager and deputy manager at the office location. We reviewed a variety of records relating to the management of the service.

We continued to gather evidence through telephone calls up to the 28 February 2021. We contacted and spoke with 10 people and two relatives to seek their experiences of using the service.

Updated 12 March 2021

Comfort Home Care was registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in September 2016 as a domiciliary care agency. The service provides personal care to a range of older adults and younger adults living in their own houses and flats in Tiverton and the surrounding rural areas. These included people living with dementia, a physical disability or sensory impairment.

This was the first inspection of the service. The comprehensive inspection took place on 2 and 5 February 2018 and was announced.

There were 54 people receiving a service from the agency. Although the majority of people using the agency received a regulated activity, some received support visits only. CQC only inspects the service being received by people provided with ‘personal care’; help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do we also take into account any wider social care provided. The time of visits ranged from 30 minutes to one hour, with the frequency of visits from once a week to five times a day. There were four people who required two care staff at each visit to support them. There were 25 full and part-time care staff employed.

The service does not have a condition on its registration with CQC that they required a registered manager. However the provider had decided in the interest of good governance that the manager apply for registration. The manager had undertaken their fit person interview with CQC and were awaiting the outcome. A registered manager is a person who has registered with CQC to manage the service. Like registered persons, 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. Since the inspection the manager has been registered with CQC.

People using the service, their family members, staff and health care professionals were happy with the care and praised the service provided. People were protected from abuse and harm because staff had a good understanding of how to respond to concerns. All of the management team provided personal care to people.

People received a service from staff that were recruited, trained and supported to provide a safe and effective service. All visits had been met and people were informed if a care worker might be late. Risks were assessed and managed in a skilled way to promote people’s welfare.

People received their medicines as needed and the service sought any health care advice from health care professionals.

People’s legal rights were upheld. They were involved in all decisions about their care, which was regularly reviewed. 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. Care workers had received training on the Mental Capacity Act 2005. They ensured people were asked for their consent before they carried out any care or support.

The agency provided a service which was caring, respectful and promoted people’s privacy and dignity.

People had confidence that any issue or complaint would be handled in their best interest.

The provider and manager were experienced and led by example. People’s views were regularly sought, checks made on the standards of care provided and the importance of continual improvement understood and followed through.