Background to this inspection
Updated
13 March 2021
The inspection
This was a focused inspection to check on concerns we had received about infection control, staffing levels and communication.
Inspection team
The inspection was carried out virtually 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.
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
This inspection was announced.
We gave the service 48 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because it was a large service operating during the pandemic 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 23 November 2020 and ended on 4 February 2021.
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 authorities 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 communicated with nine people who used the service and nine relatives about their experience of the care provided. Not everyone who used the service, communicated verbally or wished to speak on the telephone, therefore they gave us permission to speak with their relative. We spoke with nine members of staff including the registered manager, one care co-ordinator, one service co-ordinator and six care workers.
We reviewed a range of records. This included four people’s care records and medicine records. We looked at three staff files in relation to recruitment. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures were reviewed.
After the inspection
We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found.
Updated
13 March 2021
Care at Home (Wearside) is a service that provides personal care to people in their own home. The service was supporting 86 people at the time of inspection.
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
People said they felt safe with the service provided. Staff knew about safeguarding procedures. Safe recruitment processes were in place. Staff worked well with other agencies to ensure people received care and support.
All people and relatives were complimentary about the direct care provided by support staff. They trusted the carer workers who supported them. They said staff were kind, caring and supportive of people and their families.
People and staff said communication could be improved. Not all people said they had regular care workers and they were not informed if they were going to be late. There were opportunities for people, relatives and staff to give their views about the service.
People received person-centred care from their regular carers. However, records did not all provide guidance to ensure people received consistent, person-centred care and support from all staff members.
We have made a recommendation about systems becoming more robust to ensure communication is more effective and that people receive person-centred care from all staff.
A quality assurance system was in place to assess the standards of care in the service. However, it needed to be strengthened. Audits that were carried out had not identified issues that we found at inspection.
We were assured that the provider was monitoring the use of PPE for effectiveness and people’s safely.
Systems were in place to manage medicines safely where support was required.
People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives, 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
The last rating for this service was good (published 20 September 2019).
Why we inspected
We received concerns in relation to staffing levels, infection control during the pandemic and communication. As a result, we undertook a focused inspection to review the key questions of safe and well-led only.
We reviewed the information we held about the service. No areas of concern were identified in the other key questions. We therefore did not inspect them. Ratings from previous comprehensive inspections for those key questions were used in calculating the overall rating at this inspection.
We have found evidence that the provider needs to make improvements. Please see the safe and well-led sections of this full report.
We received assurances improvements were being made as there was ongoing staff recruitment, an electronic system was in place to monitor calls and care provision and people were being surveyed to gather feedback about their call preferences.
You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Care at Home Wearside on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.
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.