Walfinch Oxfordshire

Updated 2 February 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 was planned to check 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.

This inspection took place on 5 January 2018 and was announced. We gave the service 48 hours' notice of the inspection due to the small size of the service and numerous responsibilities of the registered manager. As the registered manager is often out of the office supporting staff or providing care, we needed to be sure that they would be available to talk to in person.

The inspection site visit activity started on 5 January 2018 when we inspected the office and ended on 8 January 2018 when we received feedback from staff and one person’s relative. It included contacting the person’s relative, a health care professional and staff. We visited the office location on 5 January 2018 to see the manager and to review care records, policies and procedures. This inspection was carried out by one inspector.

On this occasion we did not ask the provider to send us a Provider Information Return. This is information we require providers to send us at least once annually to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and what improvements they plan to make. However, during the inspection we offered the provider the opportunity to share information they felt relevant with us.

During our inspection we spoke with the registered manager. We looked at records including care records for one person, and recruitment and training records for three members of staff. We checked staff related documentation to see if staff recruitment, training and support were sufficient to ensure staff were able to deliver good quality care. We also looked at other records relating to the monitoring of the quality of the service, including audits completed by the provider. After the inspection we contacted one relative of the person receiving care, two members of staff and one health care professional.

Updated 2 February 2018

We carried out this announced inspection on 5 January 2018.

This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats. It provides a service to older adults, younger disabled adults and people living with dementia. Not everyone using the service receives regulated activity, and the CQC only inspects the service being received by people provided with 'personal care. Personal care involves any tasks related to personal hygiene, care and eating. Where people are provided with such care, we also take into account any wider social care provided. At the time of this inspection, Star Projections Limited Trading As Eaton Care Services was supporting three people, one of whom was receiving regulated activity.

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. The registered manager was available throughout the inspection.

A relative of the person provided with regulated activity told us they felt safe and were very happy with the care the person received. They emphasized the caring nature of staff and described the service as reliable. The person was supported by the same regular members of staff who knew them well. This ensured consistency of care and enabled staff to identify even slight changes in the person's health or overall well-being.

Systems were in place to ensure the person was protected from the risk of abuse. Staff were able to identify different types of abuse and knew how to report any concerns. The registered manager had identified potential risks to the person and had put plans in place to support staff to reduce these risks. Medicines were administered safely.

The provider had sufficient numbers of staff available to provide care and support to the person. Staff had been recruited following pre-employment checks, such as criminal background checks, to ensure they were safe and of good character.

Staff told us they were supported and trained to ensure that they had the skills needed to support the person effectively.

The registered manager and staff had a clear understanding of the Mental Capacity Act 2005. They were knowledgeable about protecting legal rights of people who did not have the mental capacity to make decisions for themselves.

The provider sought advice from health professionals if there were concerns about the person’s health. The person was registered with health care professionals, such as a GP, and staff contacted them in emergencies.

The person was supported to have their nutritional and hydration requirements met by staff, who provided them with sufficient amounts of fluids and balanced meals.

Staff knew the person’s needs and preferences thoroughly and treated the person with kindness and compassion. The person’s privacy and dignity were respected and upheld by staff.

Care records were person-centred and included information about how the person wanted to be supported. There was a complaints procedure in place and the person’s relative knew how to complain. The relative was confident these would be responded to.

Staff felt well supported by the registered manager. The quality of care was assessed and monitored to ensure appropriate standards were met and maintained. Feedback was received from the person’s relatives to check whether they were satisfied with the service and to help make improvements. The registered manager told us they had ensured conclusions had been drawn from a recent incident and relevant measures had been taken to prevent its recurrence.

The registered manager carried out regular spot checks on staff to ensure they followed the correct procedures and the person always received safe care.

The registered manager understood the requirements of their registration and informed us of information that we needed to know. The manager promoted an open culture, which put people at the heart of the service.