Background to this inspection
Updated
26 January 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 was 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.
The inspection took place on 1 December 2017 and was announced. The provider was given 48 hours’ notice because the location provides a domiciliary care service; we needed to be sure that someone would be in. The inspection was undertaken by two adult social care inspectors and an expert by experience who conducted telephone interviews with some people who used the service. An expert by experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service. Our expert had experience of domiciliary care.
We used information the provider sent us in the 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 improvements they plan to make. We considered this information during our inspection. We also looked at the notifications received and reviewed all the intelligence the Care Quality Commission held. We spoke with the local authority to obtain their views about the service prior to our visit. We reviewed all of this information to help us to make a judgement about the service.
During the inspection we spoke with two people who used the service, three relatives, the provider, a management consultant involved with the service and four staff. We also visited one person in their own home to gain their views.
We looked at a selection of documentation relating to the management and running of the service. This included three staff recruitment files, supervision records, staff training records and staff rotas. It also included three people's care records and medicine charts, where this support was provided. Minutes of meetings, quality assurance audits, policies, procedures and complaint and compliment information. Further quality assurance information was supplied to us, as requested, following our visit.
Updated
26 January 2018
The service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own homes. It provides a service to people who are living with dementia, have learning disabilities or autistic spectrum disorder, mental health needs, physical disability, sensory impairment, young adults and older people. The majority of people using the service live in or around Beverley. At the time of our inspection there were 27 people using the service.
Not everyone using ARU Recruitment receives regulated activity; CQC only inspects the service being received by people provided with ‘personal care’; help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do we also take into account any wider social care provided.
This was the first inspection of this service. The inspection was undertaken on 1 December 2017, by two inspectors and an expert by experience.
The service had a registered manager in place. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) 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. A manager had been appointed and they were going to make a registered managers application to the CQC.
People who used the service told us they felt safe with the staff. Staff understood how to identify signs of abuse and knew how to report concerns to protect people from harm and abuse. Infection prevention and control measures were robust. Risks present to people’s wellbeing, and those present in their home environment were assessed and monitored by staff to protect the wellbeing of all parties. There were sufficient staff provided to meet people’s needs.
Accidents and incidents were monitored and assessed to help to prevent further incidents from occurring. A business continuity plan was in place to inform the staff of the action they must take to maintain the service in the event of an unexpected emergency. Staff undertook training in health and safety and medicine management to help to maintain people’s wellbeing.
Staff received training and supervision and an annual appraisal had started to occur. This helped to monitor and develop the staff’s performance. Spot check visits occurred to assess the staff’s skills and observe the quality of the service provided to people.
People’s independence was promoted, potential risks to people's wellbeing were known by staff. Staff shared information with relevant health care professionals, with people's permission, to promote their wellbeing. People were supported to go out and socialise, where this was required.
People’s capacity was assessed and care and support was provided in line with the Mental Capacity Act 2005, which helped to protect people’s rights.
People were treated with kindness and their privacy, dignity and diversity was respected. People’s confidentiality was maintained and care records were stored securely, in line with data protection legislation. Advocates were provided to people to help them raise their views, if necessary.
People had personalised care records detailing their individual preferences for their care and support. People’s communication needs were recorded and staff were aware of this information. People's dietary needs were met, staff offered choices of food and drinks in line with people's preferences.
There was a complaints policy and procedure in place, feedback was welcomed from people their relatives and staff. Any issues raised were investigated and this information was used to improve the service provided to people.
The providers visions and values were clear and the registered manager was working to develop the quality assurance audits and checks for all aspects of the service. Further time was required to ensure these were embedded at the service. We will look at the quality assurance in more detail at our next inspection.