Brand Healthcare

Updated 11 September 2019

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

This inspection was carried out by one inspector.

Service and service type

This service 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.

Notice of inspection

We gave the service 48 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because it is a small service and we needed to be sure that the provider or registered manager would be in the office to support the inspection.

Inspection site visit activity started on 22 July 2019 and ended on 31 July 2019. We visited the office location on 22 July 2019 to see the manager and office staff, and to review care records, policies and procedures.

What we did before the inspection

Before inspection we looked at information we held about the service. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return. This is information providers are required to send us with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. This information helps support our inspections. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with four members of staff including the registered manager, director, quality assurance manager and care co-ordinator. We reviewed a range of records. This included three people’s care records and medicines records. We looked at three staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures were reviewed.

After the inspection

People using the service were unable to speak with us but gave permission to speak with their relatives. We spoke with three relatives about their experience of the care and support provided. We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. We looked at risk assessments, support plans, training data and quality assurance records. We spoke with three care staff and two professionals who commissioned care and support from the service.

Updated 11 September 2019

About the service

Brand Healthcare is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats. It provides a service to older adults. At the time of the inspection there were six people receiving personal care from the service.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

Relatives of people using the service told us they were happy with the care and support provided. They told us they felt the service was safe. Systems were in place to protect people against the risk of abuse. Risk assessments were completed to identify and manage risks to keep people safe. People were supported to take their medicines and measures were in place to protect people from the spread of infection. There were enough staff available to meet people’s needs. Pre-employment checks had been carried out to ensure staff were suitable to support people.

The service carried out assessments of people’s needs prior to the provision of care and support to ensure they could meet their needs. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice. Staff had completed required training to perform their roles effectively and felt supported in their role. Staff supported people to eat and drink enough to meet their needs. The service worked with other agencies to promote people’s health, safety and wellbeing.

People received care and support from staff who were caring and compassionate. Staff treated people in a caring and respectful manner maintaining their dignity and encouraging independence. Staff knew people well and understood the importance of meeting their needs and preferences. People’s privacy and confidentiality were respected.

Support plans were person-centred and included the individual needs of people. Support plans were subject to review to ensure they accurately reflected peoples changing needs. Complaints procedures were in place and people and their relatives were provided with a copy of the procedure.

People and staff told us they found the registered manager and management team approachable and supportive. Systems were in place for quality assurance and quality monitoring to ensure people received high quality care.

Rating at last inspection and update

The last rating for this service was Requires Improvement (published 13 June 2018). The provider completed an action plan after the last inspection to show what they would do and by when to improve. At this inspection we found improvements had been made and the provider was no longer in breach of regulations.

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk