Background to this inspection
Updated
23 June 2021
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. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.
Inspection team
One inspector carried out the visit to the agency’s office. Four inspectors made telephone calls to people, relatives and staff.
Service and service type
This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care and support to people living in their own homes.
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 24 hours’ notice of the inspection visit because we needed to be sure the registered manager would be available to support the inspection.
Before the inspection
We reviewed the information we had received about the service. This included any notifications of significant events, such as serious injuries or safeguarding referrals. Notifications are information about important events which the provider is required to send us by law. We sought feedback from professionals who had an involvement with the agency.
The provider was not asked to complete a provider information return prior to this inspection. This is information we require providers to send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We took this into account when we inspected the service and made the judgements in this report.
We used all of this information to plan our inspection.
During the inspection
Inspection activity started on 27 May 2021 and ended on 3 June 2021. We visited the office location on 27 May 2021 to speak with the registered manager and to review records.
We checked care records for five people, including their assessments, care plans and risk assessments. We looked at four staff files and records of quality monitoring checks and audits.
We spoke with five people who used the service and six relatives by telephone to hear their views about the agency. We received feedback from four staff about the training and support they received to carry out their roles.
After the inspection
The registered manager sent us further information, including staff training records. We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found.
Updated
23 June 2021
About the service
CHD Care at Home South West Surrey is a domiciliary care agency providing care and support to people in their own homes. The agency was supporting 77 people at the time of our inspection, seven of whom were receiving live-in care. Most people using the agency were older people, some of whom were living with dementia. Three people using the agency were younger adults with a learning disability.
Not everyone who used the service received 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
People received a safe and reliable service from consistent staff. People told us staff understood their needs and preferences about their care.
Risk assessments were carried out to identify and mitigate any potential hazards involved in people’s care. Staff maintained appropriate standards of infection prevention and control (IPC). People’s medicines were managed safely. Staff were recruited safely and understood their roles in protecting people from abuse.
The service was well planned and managed. The registered manager and office team communicated effectively with people, their relatives, staff and professionals. The agency had established effective working relationships with other professionals involved in people’s care. Staff told us they received good support to do their jobs and felt valued for the work they did.
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.
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 Requires Improvement (published 1 August 2019) and there was a breach of Regulation 17 Good governance of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014.
Why we inspected
We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection of this service on 21 May 2019. A breach of legal requirements was found. The provider completed an action plan after the last inspection to show what they would do and by when to improve good governance.
We undertook this focused inspection to check they had followed their action plan and to confirm they now met legal requirements. This report only covers our findings in relation to the Key Questions Safe and Well-led which contain those requirements.
The ratings from the previous comprehensive inspection for those key questions not looked at on this occasion were used in calculating the overall rating at this inspection. The overall rating for the service has changed from Requires Improvement to Good. This is based on the findings at this inspection.
You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for CHD Care at Home South West Surrey on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.
Follow up
We will continue to monitor intelligence 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.