Background to this inspection
Updated
13 July 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 is 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.
This was an announced inspection that took place on 7 June 2018. We gave the provider 48 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because of the service’s smaller size and we needed to be sure the registered manager would be available.
The provider completed a Provider Information Return (PIR) in advance of the inspection. This is a form that asks the provider to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make.
Before the inspection, we checked notifications made to us by the provider, and information we held on our database about the service and provider.
The inspection was carried out by one adult social care inspector. There were 11 people receiving regulated activities from the service, and nine care staff, at the time of our inspection. During the inspection, we received feedback about the service from one person using it, the relatives and representatives of three other people, and one community health and social care professional. We also spoke with six staff members, the registered manager and the director of compliance and corporate affairs. During this report, any references to ‘the management team’ mean these latter two people.
During our visit to the office premises we looked at the care files of four people receiving a personal care service, the personnel files of four staff members, and other records relating to the care delivery and management of the service such as visit planning records. We were also provided with, on request, a copy of certain documents such as survey results and training certificates following our visit.
Updated
13 July 2018
This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats in the community. It provides a service to adults of all ages, including people with dementia or physical disabilities.
This was the first inspection of this service, which took place on 7 June 2018 and was announced. Not everyone using the service receives a regulated activity. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) only inspects the service being received by people provided with personal care, which is help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do we also take into account any wider social care provided. At the start of our inspection there were 11 people using the service in this respect.
The service had a registered manager which is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission 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.
At this inspection, there was positive feedback from people using the service, relatives and a community care professional. Everyone recommended the service.
The service had enough staff to meet people’s needs. Staff were introduced to people at the start of a care package, and people consistently received the same team of staff.
The service and its staff treated people with kindness, respect and compassion, and gave emotional support when needed. People's privacy and dignity were respected and promoted.
People's needs were comprehensively assessed to help ensure their specific needs were identified and addressed. The registered manager demonstrated good knowledge of the wider community resources available in support of this. This meant the service worked well in co-operation with other organisations such as healthcare services to deliver effective care and support.
People were supported to have choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible. People’s views on the service were regularly sought and acted on, particularly through regular visits from managers who were also checking how well the service was meeting people’s needs.
People’s individual needs were met through the way the service was organised and delivered. This included helping some people regain skills and independence, and for providing compassionate and responsive end-of-life care to others.
The service took steps to assess and manage safety risks to people, and to protect them from abuse. Where part of the agreed care package, it also supported people to eat and drink enough and to take prescribed medicines.
The service listened and responded to people’s concerns and preferences, and used this to improve the quality of care.
The service promoted a positive and inclusive culture in support of achieving good outcomes for people. Staff reported being well-supported overall.
Systems at the service enabled sustainability and growth, and supported continuous learning and improvement.
We have made one recommendation in respect of staff recruitment practices. This was because we found concerns relating to how thorough the service’s checks of staff members’ Disclosure and Barring Scheme (DBS) disclosures were. These disclosures are checks of police records and a list of people legally recorded as unsafe to provide care to adults. The provider sent us supporting evidence shortly after our visit, to show they were taking robust actions to address these concerns This would prevent a reoccurrence of the same issues. The recommendation will help the provider to sustain appropriate standards.