Background to this inspection
Updated
4 May 2018
We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection checked 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.
The inspection site activity started on 5 March 2018 and ended on 7 March 2018 and was announced. It included a visit to the office location on 6 March 2018 to see the registered manager, review records and visit people in their homes. On 5 and 7 March we made telephone calls to people, their relatives and staff. We gave the office 48 hours' notice of the inspection because we wanted to arrange to speak with people and staff and ensure the registered manager was available.
The inspection team consisted of one inspector for the site visit and two experts-by-experience who made telephone calls to people 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.
Before the inspection we reviewed the information we held about the service, including notifications. Notifications are changes, events or incidents that the provider is legally obliged to send us within required timescales. We asked local authority commissioners, responsible for funding care for some of the people using the service, for their views about the service. We used this information to plan the inspection.
At this inspection we spoke with the registered manager, the deputy manager and six members of care staff. We visited four people in their own homes. We also telephoned and spoke with seven people and six relatives of people who used the service.
We sampled four people's care records, including assessments, care plans and risk assessments. We looked at five staff recruitment files and staff training records. We also looked at a selection of documentation relating to the management and running of the service. This included key policies and quality assurance information.
Updated
4 May 2018
This announced inspection took place on 5,6 and 7 March 2018. This was our first inspection of this service since they registered with us.
Private Home Care UK Limited is a domiciliary agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own homes and flats in the community. It provides a service to older adults, younger disabled adults and people living with dementia or mental health problems. Many of the people using the service live within Asian communities and the service is able to provide staff who are conversant with a range of cultures. Not everyone using Private Home Care UK Limited receives regulated activity; 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. At the time of our inspection there were 58 people using the service.
There was a registered manager in post. 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 received safe care. Staff had completed training to enable them to recognised the signs and symptoms of abuse. They knew how to report any concerns they may have and were knowledgeable about how to report within the structure of their organisation or externally to other regulators or local authorities.
Potential risks people were exposed to had been identified. Risk assessments included information and guidance to support staff to follow measures to reduce the risk of harm. People were supported to take their medicines safely.
The service had a robust recruitment process in place. These helped to ensure staff were suitable to provide care and support. There were enough staff available to meet peoples' needs as detailed in their care plans.
Systems were in place to ensure staff followed safe infection control procedures to prevent the risk of infection when providing care. Systems and processes were in place to ensure lessons were learnt in the event of accidents and incidents.
Staff were supported through a period of induction where they were introduced to people. Essential training was completed during induction and further training identified through regular supervisions. This helped to ensure staff had the skills and knowledge they needed to provide effective care.
People's needs were assessed and their choices, wishes and preferences formed the basis of their care plan. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive ways. Staff sought consent before providing care and support and respected people's right to decline their care.
People received enough to eat and drink and were supported to maintain their nutritional health if required. People were supported to access health appointments when required to make sure they maintained their health and well-being.
People were treated with kindness, respect and compassion. People were supported to express their views and be actively involved in making decisions about their care. Staff protected people's right to privacy and dignity and maintained confidentiality when providing care and managing records.
People received personalised care that was responsive to their needs. Staff identified and took action where people were at risk of social isolation. Care plans provided staff with details and information to ensure the care provided was focussed on each person as an individual. Suitable provisions had been made to support people at the end of their life to receive care and support in line with their wishes.
People, relatives and staff knew how to raise concerns and make a complaint if they needed to. The provider ensured people were provided with the information they needed when they began to use the service.
The registered manager promoted a positive culture in the service that was focussed upon achieving good outcomes for people. Care staff were supported to understand their responsibilities to develop good team work and felt able to share their views and make suggestions. Diversity was recognised, supported and promoted within the service.
The provider had systems in place to monitor the quality of the service to ensure people were receiving good care. People and those important to them were supported to share their views about the quality of care they received. The provider was clear on their strategy to develop and improve the service whilst ensuring people continued to receive good care.