Background to this inspection
Updated
1 January 2020
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
One inspector carried out this inspection.
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
We gave the service 48 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because the service operates across different locations 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 27 November 2019 and ended on 06 December 2019. We visited the office location on 06 December 2019.
What we did before the 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.
During the inspection
We spoke with three people who used the service about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with two members of staff, the registered manager, a senior manager and the provider. We looked at records relating to people’s care and a variety of records relating to the management of the service, including audits, compliments and complaints and training records.
After the inspection
We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. We looked at training information and further quality assurance records. We spoke with one health professional.
Updated
1 January 2020
About the service
Head Office is a domiciliary care service. The service is registered to provide care and support for older people and younger adults who may live with dementia or physical impairments.
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
At our previous inspection we found areas of improvement were required. This was in relation quality assurance systems and overall governance. At this inspection we found that improvements had been made. Additional governance systems had been introduced to help improve the quality of care and support provided.
People told us they felt safe and well cared for by staff. People were kept safe from harm as staff knew how to identify and report when people may be at risk of abuse. Risks to people’s safety and welfare were identified and actions taken to provide safe care that kept them safe. People’s medicines were safely managed and administered when required. Staff followed good practice guidelines to prevent the spread of infection.
Staff received training, supervision and support relevant to their role. Further development of training was ongoing. Where people required assistance with their nutritional needs staff supported them well. Systems were in place to ensure information to support people was shared and discussed appropriately with health professionals, where necessary. Consent to care was sought and staff understood people's rights to make their own decisions.
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 told us they felt the staff were caring, kind and sensitive to their needs. People’s privacy and dignity was respected, and staff protected and promoted people’s confidentiality.
People's needs were assessed before they began to use the service and care plans were developed from this information. Care plans overall, contained information for staff to support people according to their needs. People and their relatives said they would be confident to raise concerns with the management team.
The provider had further developed governance systems which enabled them to have improved oversight of all aspects of the service. People, their relatives and staff members spoke highly of the registered manager and told us that they were always available and supportive. People were involved in the service development and staff felt able to raise their own views and opinions.
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 27 May 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.