Kind Hands Caring Services Ltd is a domiciliary care agency (DCA), based in Eastbourne. The office is in a residential area where parking is available on local roads. It provides personal care and support to older people living in their own homes covering Eastbourne town and the surrounding areas. People receiving this care had varied care and support needs. This included help with personal hygiene, the administration of medicines and support in the preparation of food. Some people had memory loss and lived with dementia. Other people had mobility problems and needed assistance in moving, sometimes with the support of two staff and equipment.
This inspection was announced with the provider given 48 hours’ notice. The inspection took place on the 8 July 2015.
The DCA had a registered manager who was also the Provider of the service. 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.
All feedback from people regarding the service and the staff was positive. They told us they felt safe with they were well trained to do their work.
However we found new staff had a limited induction programme that did not ensure staff had the required skills and competencies to work independently. There was a staff training programme in place that covered essential training however staff did not receive regular practical moving and handling training.
Staff had a basic understanding of consent but had not received training on the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and there were no associated policies and procedures in place. Staff were not clear on what was required if someone lacked the capacity to understand a decision that needed to be made about their life.
There was an established management team and staff had clear roles and responsibilities. However they did not have a thorough understanding of all the legislation that covered the provision of a DCA.
There was an established complaints procedure that people were happy to use. However records identified that the investigation into complaints was not always completed in a thorough and robust way.
There were systems in place to keep people safe. People had regular staff that they liked to look after them. Staff arrived on time and delivered the planned care in a safe way. The service employed enough staff with the right skills to meet people’s needs and people’s safety was ensured through appropriate recruitment practices.
The needs and choices of people had been clearly documented in their care plans. Where people’s needs changed people’s care and support plans were reviewed to ensure the person received the care and treatment they required.
People were looked after by staff who were caring and kind and took account of people’s privacy and dignity. People had their health care needs attended to with the support and guidance of additional health and social care professionals when required. People said they were happy with the care and support staff provided to them and that it met their individual needs.
The registered manager and the office team provided sound leadership for staff, who found them approachable and willing to listen. The DCA had clear aims and objectives and quality assurance systems were used to promote these.
We found a breach of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014. You can see what action we told the provider to take at the back of the full version of this report.