Connect Nursing

Updated 16 February 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

This inspection was carried out by one inspector 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 flats and specialist housing.

Registered Manager

This provider is required to have a registered manager to oversee the delivery of regulated activities at this location. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Registered managers and providers are legally responsible for how the service is run, for the quality and safety of the care provided and compliance with regulations.

At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was unannounced.

Inspection activity started on 16 December 2022 and ended on 20 December 2023. We visited the location’s office on 16 December 2022.

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. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return (PIR). This is information providers are required to send us annually with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with the registered manager and nurse manager, 1 health professional, 5 care staff, 3 nurses, 2 people and 4 relatives. We looked at 4 care plans, 7 recruitment files, supervisions and appraisals, complaints, policies and procedures.

Updated 16 February 2023

About the service

Connect Nursing is a domiciliary care service providing support to people within their own homes who have complex health needs, which include people who had suffered a stroke and spinal cord injury. At the time of our inspection 13 people were using the service. Staff provide support with personal care to people living in their own houses and flats in the community.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

People told us they felt safe and their relatives observed staff keep their family member safe while receiving care.

Risk was assessed and regularly reviewed to ensure people were not at risk of potential harm.

Staff knew the different types of abuse people may face and how to report and escalate if they wanted to whistleblow.

Staff were recruited safely following policy and procedures and there were enough staff to provide care to people on time.

People were protected from the risks of acquiring an infection as staff wore appropriate protective equipment and clothing and disposed of it safely.

Staff training was effective and in-depth. People and their relatives told us staff showed they had the skills to care for complex health needs. Staff were regularly supported by the management team and other nursing staff who provided training. People were confident knowing that staff received specialist training and competency checks before supporting their health needs.

An assessment of need involved people, their relatives and appropriate health professionals.

Consent to care was requested before care could begin and people were supported to make their own decisions. Where this support was provided, people were given enough to eat and drink.

Care was given by kind and patient staff who respected people’s diversity. People’s privacy, dignity and confidentiality was respected. People were encouraged to make choices and decisions about their care.

Care was planned with the person at the centre and staff respected their preferences. Staff were able to get to know people and understand how people liked to have care provided.

People and their relatives knew how to raise a complaint and were reassured and satisfied once they had received an outcome from their complaint.

The service had a clear management structure where people knew who they could contact if they had any queries about care. Staff enjoyed working with the service and felt empowered to give people the best care as they were developing skills in complex care.

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.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

Rating at last inspection and update

The last rating for this service was good (published 3 October 2018).

Why we inspected

This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service.

Follow up

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