Helping Hands Leicester

Updated 17 February 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 inspection took place on 8 January 2018 and was announced. We gave the provider notice of the inspection. This was because the location provides a personal care service to people living in their own homes. We needed to be sure someone would be available at the office from which the service is managed.

The inspection was carried out by one inspector and an 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.

Prior to our inspection, the provider had completed a Provider Information Return [PIR]. This is a form that asks them to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We looked at the PIR before our visit and took this into account when we made judgements in this report. We reviewed other information that we held about the service such as notifications. These detail events which happened at the service that the provider is required to tell us about. We also sent questionnaires to the people using the service, their relatives and staff members.

We contacted the local authority to see if they had any information about the service. We also contacted Healthwatch Leicestershire who are the local consumer champion for people using adult social care services to see if they had any feedback about the service. At the point of our visit neither had any information to inform our inspection planning.

At the time of our inspection there were 57 people using the service. We spoke with three people using the service and with nine relatives of other people using the service.

During our visit to the office we spoke with the registered manager, the head of care for the east region, the quality and risk officer, a field care supervisor and two support workers. We also contacted a further three support workers after our visit to gather their views of the service.

We reviewed a range of records about people’s care and how the service was managed. This included four people’s plans of care and associated documents including risk assessments. We also looked at three staff files including their recruitment and training records and the quality checking processes that the management team completed.

Updated 17 February 2018

This was our first inspection of Helping Hands Leicester. The visit was announced and was carried out on 8 January 2018. The provider was given notice because the location provides a domiciliary care service. We needed to be sure that someone would be in the office.

Helping Hands Leicester provided domiciliary care and support to people living in and around the town of Birstall, Leicestershire. At the time of our inspection there were 57 people, known as customers, using the service.

A registered manager was in post. 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.

People told us they felt safe using Helping Hands Leicester and felt safe with the support workers who supported them. Their relatives agreed with what they told us.

The staff team knew what to look out for and the procedure to follow if they felt someone was at risk of avoidable harm or abuse. A safeguarding procedure was in place and training in the safeguarding of adults had been provided.

The management team were aware of their responsibilities for keeping people safe from harm and knew to report any concerns to the local authority and CQC.

Risks associated with peoples care and support had been identified and appropriately managed.

Plans of care had been developed for the people using the service and these included their likes and dislikes and personal preferences. The staff team knew the needs of the people they were supporting.

Checks had been carried out for people wishing to join the staff team. Once employed, support workers had been provided with an induction into the service and appropriate training had been completed.

People told us there were enough staff members to meet their current needs. However some people experienced calls that were not carried out at the times agreed with themselves and the management team. The registered manager was is the process of streamlining the calls to address this issue.

The staff team had received training in the management of medicines and people were supported with their medicines as prescribed by their doctor and in line with the provider’s medicines policy.

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.

The staff team had received training on the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and always obtained people's consent before they provided their care and support. The management team and the support workers we spoke with understood the principles of the MCA.

The staff team felt supported by the registered manager and the management team. They explained they were given the opportunity to meet with them regularly and there was always someone available to talk to if they had any concerns or suggestions of any kind.

The staff team were kind and caring. People told us they were treated with respect and their dignity maintained when receiving their care and support.

People using the service and their relatives told us they knew what to do if they were unhappy with the service they received. People had received a copy of the provider’s complaints process when they had first started using the service.

People using the service and their relatives had the opportunity to share their views on the service they received. This was through visits to people’s homes, telephone conversations and through the use of annual surveys. The staff team also had an opportunity to share their thoughts of the service. This was through attendance at team meetings and individual supervision meetings with a member of the management team.

The registered manager and the management team monitored the service being provided on an on-going basis. This was to make sure people received the care and support they required.

The registered manager and management team were aware of their registration responsibilities including notifying CQC of significant incidents that occurred at the service.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.