Background to this inspection
Updated
24 October 2019
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 Care Act 2014.
Inspection team
This inspection was carried out by one inspector and one 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 homes.
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
We gave the service 48 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because we needed to be sure that the provider or registered manager would be in the office to support the inspection.
Inspection activity started on 22 August 2019 and ended on 27 August 2019. We visited the office location on 22 August 2019.
What we did before the inspection
We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return. This is information providers are required to send us with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. This information helps support our inspections. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.
During the inspection
We spoke with the registered manager and reviewed a range of records. These included four people’s care plans, associated monitoring records, daily notes and medicine records. We looked at six staff files in relation to recruitment. We also looked at a variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures; training and supervision logs; complaints and compliments; audits and staff meeting records.
After the inspection
We spoke with nine people who use the service and five relatives about their experience of the care provided. We also received feedback from eight members of staff and three community professionals.
Updated
24 October 2019
About the service
Care 1st Homecare – Berkshire is a domiciliary care service providing personal care to people in their own homes. Not everyone who uses the service receives 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. At the time of our inspection there were 57 people receiving a service.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
People were treated with exceptional care and kindness. They thought highly of the staff and praised their caring, thoughtfulness and their willingness to go above and beyond the call of duty for them. The registered manager and staff had created lasting and meaningful relationships with people. Those relationships enabled the service to provide excellent care, which achieved highly positive outcomes for people. The management and culture of the service demonstrated a caring approach and staff were also valued and cared about.
People received a truly person-centred service which promoted excellent outcomes for them and which included supporting their independence and having control over their lives. People received care and support that was personalised to meet their individual needs. Staff worked extremely well together for the benefit of people and the ethos of the service focused on the needs of the people and their wellbeing. One community professional commented, "The registered manager and her staff work well as a team. Staff retention is very good, which in turn ensures clients' [people's] needs are met."
People were encouraged to be as independent as possible and continue activities that were meaningful to them. People were consulted about their care and support and could change how things were done if they wanted to. People were treated with respect and their dignity was upheld. This was confirmed by people and their relatives who provided feedback. People's diverse needs were identified and met and their right to confidentiality was protected.
People were protected from the risks of abuse and said they felt safe with the staff providing their support and care. Risks to people’s personal safety had been assessed and plans were in place to minimise those risks. Staff recruitment and staffing levels supported people to stay safe while living as independent a life as possible.
People received effective care and support from staff who knew them well and were well trained. People received effective health care and support where needed. Medicines were handled correctly and safely. People's rights to make their own decisions were protected. They 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.
People benefitted from staff who were happy in their work and felt well managed and supported. People benefitted from a service which had an open and inclusive culture and encouraged suggestions and ideas for improvement from people who use the service, their relatives and staff.
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 8 February 2017).
Why we inspected
This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.
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.