Helping Hand Homecare

Updated 17 November 2023

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 Health and Social Care Act 2008.

Inspection team

The inspection team consisted of 2 inspectors and an Expert by Experience. An Expert by Experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.

Service and service type

This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and specialist housing.

Notice of inspection

The inspection was announced. We gave the service a short period of notice of the inspection. This was because it is a small service and we needed to be sure a manager would be in the office to support the inspection.

What we did before the inspection

Due to technical problems, the provider was not able to complete a Provider Information Return (PIR). This is information providers are required to send us annually with key information about the service, what it does well and improvements they plan to make. We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We sought feedback from the local authority and Healthwatch. Healthwatch is an independent consumer champion that gathers and represents the views of the public about health and social care services in England. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with 3 people using the service and 3 relatives, who had given us permission to contact them. We also spoke with 5 staff including support workers and the provider, who is also the registered manager.

We reviewed a range of records, including people’s care records, staff recruitment files, records relating to medicines, training and supervision, accidents and incidents, safeguarding logs, policies and procedures, and a variety of records relating to the management of the service, including audits and governance records.

Updated 17 November 2023

About the service

Helping Hand Homecare is a domiciliary care agency providing personal care to people living in their own homes. At the time of our inspection there were 40 people using the service. Not everyone who used the service received personal care. The Care Quality Commission (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 the service and what we found:

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.

Staff had received training in safeguarding people from abuse and avoidable harm. People told us they felt safe with staff from the service. Risks to people were identified and well managed. There were safe systems of recruitment in place and sufficient numbers of staff deployed to meet people’s needs. People were supported to receive their medicines safely. People told us staff always wore appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE).

Staff had the skills, and experience to deliver effective care and support. People were supported with their nutritional needs. Staff and the provider worked well with other professionals.

The provider and staff knew people very well. Staff spoke in caring and respectful terms about people they supported. People spoke very positively about staff and the support they received. A person said, “I asked [provider] to send staff who will chat and have a laugh. They’re all brilliant.” People were supported to express their views and make decisions about their care. Staff respected people’s individuality and choices.

People were supported as individuals, in line with their needs and preferences. Care records were person-centred and gave information about peoples likes, dislikes and preferences. People were supported on activities they chose, such as day trips, visits to local shops, cafes, and pubs. People told us they knew how to complain but were satisfied with the service provided and didn’t have any complaints.

There was a range of oversight, quality monitoring and auditing in place. The provider was committed to people receiving responsive person-centred care and support, that achieved good outcomes for people. Staff we spoke with shared this commitment. People told us they were asked their opinions on the service and could easily raise any issues. Staff told us they felt listened to, valued and supported. Staff enjoyed their jobs. Staff and people we spoke with were all complimentary about the provider and the service.

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 7 February 2018).

Why we inspected

This inspection was prompted by the time since our last inspection.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Helping Hand Homecare on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

Follow Up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.