Archived: Inter-County Nursing & Care Services Chichester

Updated 24 November 2020

This was a targeted inspection to check on a specific concern we had received about Infection prevention and control practice. The inspection was carried out by one inspector.

Inter-County Nursing & Care Services Chichester 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.

The inspection took place on the 5 November 2020 and was unannounced.

What we did before inspection

Before the inspection we reviewed the information, we held about the service and the service provider. We looked at the notifications we had received for this service. Notifications are information about important events the service is required to send us by law. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

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

The inspection involved a visit to the service's office, and telephone conversations with a person who uses the service, and two relatives of people who use the service. During the inspection we spoke with two office- based staff and three care staff. We looked at a range of records relating to infection prevention and control policies that included Covid- 19 procedures. Staff Covid-19 risk assessments, training records, personal protective equipment protocols and cleaning schedules.

We reviewed assessment processes and documents completed prior to when people started to receive care from the service.

Updated 24 November 2020

We inspected Inter-County Nursing and Care Services Limited, Chichester, on the 17 September 2018. The inspection was announced. We gave the provider two days’ notice of the inspection. This ensured that staff were available in the office and people were prepared, to receive a telephone call, from the inspection team.

Inter-County Nursing and Care Services Limited, Chichester is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats in the community. At the time of the inspection the service was providing care to 29 people who lived in, or around Chichester. This service provided both planned visits to people’s home and a live-in service.

At our last inspection we rated the service as good. At this inspection we found the evidence continued to support the rating of good and there was no evidence or information from our inspection and ongoing monitoring that demonstrated serious risks or concerns. This inspection report is written in a shorter format because our overall rating had not changed since our last inspection.

At this inspection we found the service remained Good.

The service provided safe care. Staff considered how to maintain people’s safety and followed safeguarding procedures. There were sufficient staff available for the care visits and they had appropriate pre-employment checks, before starting work. The service provided continuity of care. Staff received relevant information, before visiting people for the first time. People’s medicines were managed appropriately and there was a good standard of infection control.

Staff received sufficient training, to maintain high standards of care. If the service was due to support new people, with specific care needs, additional training was sourced. New staff received training and were assessed, before visiting people on their own. Staff received regular supervision and told us that they felt supported by the management team.

People received a good standard of care. People were assessed before care visits started and were involved in planning their care. Assessments included a full review of the individual’s needs and were person-centred. Each person had appropriate risk assessments and care plans were detailed and specific. People’s communication needs were identified and there were systems in place to provide information in an accessible format, when needed. Ways of maintaining people’s independence and encouraging social activities, were documented, within the care plans. People were supported with their eating and drinking. The service liaised with health care professionals, for example GPs, as necessary. The service provided end of life care and consideration was given to the needs of relatives and staff at this challenging time.

There was a registered manager in post, who was supported by the provider. The service continuously monitored the standard of care provided, with a variety of audits and quality assurance systems. There were systems in place to ensure lessons were learnt if things did go wrong. The service actively sought feedback, from both people and staff, with the aim of continually improving the standards of care provided. They worked closely with outside organisations and reviewed and updated their policies and procedures regularly. They had a complaints procedure in place and people told us they felt complaints were dealt with in a quick and appropriate manner.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice. We received positive comments from people and their relatives about the kind and compassionate care they received. People’s privacy and dignity was maintained and consideration was given to ensuring information was kept confidential and secure. People told us they were supported by staff and that the service responded to their changing needs.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.