Honeydew Healthcare Limited

Updated 3 November 2022

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

The inspection was completed by two inspectors. One inspector visited the provider’s office. The second inspector offered feedback opportunities through telephone conversations with people’s relatives to gather feedback about their experiences of the service and from staff members.

Service and service type

This is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own homes.

Registered Manager

This provider is required to have a registered manager to oversee the delivery of regulated activities at this location. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Registered managers and providers are legally responsible for how the service is run, for the quality and safety of the care provided and compliance with regulations.

At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was announced.

We gave short notice of our inspection on 11 October 2022 to the registered provider, who manages the service. This was because we wanted to ensure they would be available to support the inspection. We arranged a video meeting with them for 12 October 2022. A visit was made to the provider’s office on 17 October 2022.

A further feedback video meeting took place with the registered manager and operations manager on 18 October 2022.

Inspection activity started on 11 October 2022 and ended on 18 October 2022.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed the information we had received about the service since registration. We contacted the Local Authority and asked for feedback from them. The provider was asked to complete a Provider Information Return (PIR) prior to this inspection. A PIR is information providers send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make.

During the inspection

We used technology such as video calls and telephone calls to enable us to engage with people’s relatives and staff. We used electronic file sharing to enable us to review some documentation.

During this time, we spoke with two care staff, the senior co-ordinator, the business operation manager and the registered provider.

We spoke with one person’s relative and shared our contact details with another relative giving them the opportunity to share feedback with us.

We reviewed a range of records. This included two care plans and medication administering records, risk and health management records and daily notes. We reviewed three staff’s employment records and staff training and competency assessments. We reviewed policies and procedures and quality monitoring records the registered manager used to assure themselves people received a safe service.

Updated 3 November 2022

About the service

Honeydew Healthcare Limited (Nuneaton branch) is a domiciliary care agency which is registered to provide personal care and support to people in their own homes. The service provides daytime and night-time care and support. The service is registered to provide support to the ‘whole population’ and this includes children, younger adults and older people.

The service advertises as specialising in caring for people with a learning disability, autistic spectrum disorder, complex health care condition, mental health condition, dementia or physical disability. At the time of our inspection the service was supporting two people who were receiving 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

Whilst relatives were satisfied with the care and support loved ones received, we found improvements were needed to the provider’s risk management processes and documentation. Risks were not always correctly identified, assessed or mitigated which meant staff did not always have the information to refer to if needed.

The provider’s quality checks had not always identified where improvements were needed in risk management and care plan information. They had missed opportunities to learn lessons from inspection feedback (July 2022) on their other registered location in Wiltshire.

Improvement was needed in staff recruitment to ensure staff were always recruited in a safe way. There were sufficient staff to cover agreed care calls and people were cared for in a safe way because staff knew people well. Staff received training and checks on their skills had been completed by the provider.

People received their medicines as prescribed. People had individual plans of care and staff provided personalised care and support. People were supported by consistent staff who knew people well. Staff had a caring approach toward people and were described as kind in their hands-on day to day care.

People were protected from the risks of abuse and trained staff knew how to report any concerns they might have.

We expect health and social care providers to guarantee people with a learning disability and autistic people respect, equality, dignity, choices and independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. ‘Right support, right care, right culture’ is the guidance CQC follows to make assessments and judgements about services supporting people with a learning disability and autistic people and providers must have regard to it.

Right Support: Model of Care and setting that maximises people’s choice, control and independence.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff did support them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service did support least restrictive practices.

Right Care: Care was person-centred and did promote people’s dignity, privacy and human rights.

Right Culture: The ethos, values, attitudes and behaviours of leaders and care staff did ensure people using services led confident, inclusive and empowered lives.

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 and the report was published on 20 March 2018.

Why we inspected

This inspection was prompted in part by concerns identified through our inspection of the registered provider’s other registered location in Wiltshire.

Enforcement

We identified a breach in relation to the governance of the service.

We are mindful of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our regulatory function. This meant we took account of the exceptional circumstances arising as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic when considering what enforcement action was necessary and proportionate to keep people safe as a result of this inspection. We will continue to monitor the service and will take further action if needed.

Follow up

We will request a further action plan from the provider to understand what they will do to improve the standards of quality and safety. We will work alongside the provider and local authority to monitor progress. We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.