TLC Support Services Limited

Updated 13 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 30 November and 4 December 2017 and was announced. We gave the service 48 hours’ notice of the inspection visit because it is small and the manager is often out of the office supporting staff or providing care. We needed to be sure that they would be in.

Inspection site visit activity started on 30 November 2017 and ended on 4 December 2017. It included visiting two people in their own homes and the agency office. We also telephoned one person, two relatives and one care worker. We visited the office location on 30 November 2017 to see the registered manager and office staff and to review care records, policies and procedures.

We reviewed the information sent to us in the provider information return (PIR). The PIR is a form that asks the provider to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. Before this inspection we reviewed information we have about the service including notifications. A notification is a report about important events which the service is required to send us by law.

The inspection was carried out by one inspector. We spoke with the two people using the service and one relative, the registered manager and nominated individual and one senior care worker. Following the inspection we spoke on the telephone to one person using the service, two relatives of people using the service and one care worker. We reviewed two care records for people who received personal care and checked two records relating to staff recruitment and training and quality assurance records. We also contacted health and social care professionals involved with the service.

Updated 13 February 2018

This inspection took place on the 30 November and 4 December 2017 and was announced.

TLC Support Services Limited is a domiciliary care agency providing personal care and support for fourteen people in their own houses and flats homes in the community. It provides a service to older people and younger adults age 18-65. This was the first inspection of the service since it was registered with CQC in November 2016.

Not everyone using TLC Support Services Ltd receives regulated activity. CQC only inspects the service being received by people provided with ‘personal care’ and help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do we also take into account any wider social care provided.

There was a registered manager. 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.

Risks to people’s safety were identified, assessed and appropriate action was taken. Staff had completed safeguarding adults training and knew how to keep people safe and report concerns. People’s medicines were generally safely managed but we made a recommendation to ensure good practice at all times.

There were thorough recruitment checks completed to help ensure suitable staff were employed to care and support people. People were protected by staff having regard to the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA). The MCA provides the legal framework to assess people’s capacity to make certain decisions.

People were supported to maintain good health and be involved in decisions about their health. Healthcare professionals monitored their health and agency staff contacted them with any concern they had. People were provided with individualised care and support. Staff had the knowledge and skills to carry out their roles and their training was updated. Staff knew people well and treated them with dignity and respect. One person told us the staff were “extremely good” and they would recommend the agency.

Quality assurance procedures were used to monitor and improve the service. People were included in developing their care and support when they had regular reviews of their care with staff. Feedback from surveys people and their relatives or supporters completed was used to improve the service.