Opieka Limited Office

Updated 20 March 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.

The provider was given notice before our visits and advised of our plans to carry out a comprehensive inspection of the service. This was because the location provides a domiciliary care service and we needed to be sure that the registered manager would be available to provide information we would require as part of the inspection process.

The inspection team consisted of an 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. On the 19th December 2017 the Expert by Experience spoke by telephone with four people who were receiving a service and three relatives. On the 25th and 26th January 2018 the inspector completed the inspection at the provider's office.

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 information we held about the service, such as notifications which the provider had told us about. We also contacted the local authority and safeguarding team to seek their views about the service. We were not made aware of any concerns about the care and support people received.

During this inspection we spoke with the registered manager, strategy manager, administrator, a field care supervisor and three care staff. We visited and spoke with one person in their own home, and observed how their care was provided. We spoke by telephone with four people and three relatives. We also received feedback from two health care professionals to obtain their feedback about this service. We looked at four people's care plans and associated records to see if people were receiving the care they needed. We reviewed four staff files including the recruitment process and reviewed some of the provider's quality assurance and audit records to see how they monitored the quality of the service and other records related to the day-to-day running of the service.

Updated 20 March 2018

This was an announced inspection which took place on the 19th December 2017, and 25th and 26th January 2018. The inspection was announced to ensure that the registered manager would be available to assist with the inspection visit. This was our first inspection of this service since they registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

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 people with a range of needs, including people living with dementia. At the time of our inspection there were 37 people using the service.

Not everyone using Opieka Limited was receiving the 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.

The services provider is also the registered manager. A registered manager 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.

People who used the service and their relatives had a positive view of the care and support they received. People we spoke with told us they felt safe and could trust the care staff to look after them. One person told us, "I am always comfortable with the care workers." People's needs were met in a timely manner by sufficient numbers of experienced staff.

Staff understood how to keep people safe and risks to people's safety and well-being were identified and managed. Recruitment practices ensured that staff were of good character and suitable for the roles they performed.

Staff were trained in infection prevention and control and provided with appropriate protective equipment to help minimise the risk of cross infection.

People's prescribed medicines were administered safely, in accordance with the provider's policy. Staff had their competency to administer medicines checked to ensure they maintained their skills and knowledge.

Staff had the knowledge and skills necessary to meet people's needs and promote their health and wellbeing. People's health and personal care needs were met and support plans guided staff in how to do this. People were supported to access healthcare professionals promptly when needed.

The service worked in line with the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005.

People and their relatives complimented the staff team for being caring and kind. Staff had a good awareness about peoples preferred support needs and preferences. People's privacy and dignity was respected and they had been involved in planning their care and support where able.

The service had a clear person centred culture which was reflected during our discussions with staff and the registered manager.

There was a complaints policy in place. People and their relatives told us they could speak with staff if they had any worries or concerns and they would be listened to.

The provider had a system to request and receive feedback from people who used the service, their relatives and staff about the services provided. Quality assurance procedures and audits were used to monitor the service delivery.