Updated 31 August 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
The inspection team was made up of two inspectors.
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 activity started on 13 August 2019 and ended on 20 August 2019. We visited the office location on 13 August 2019. Calls were made on the 20 August 2019.
What we did before inspection
We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We sought feedback from professionals who work with 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 five people who used the service and two relatives about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with eight members of staff including the registered manager, care coordinator and care workers.
We reviewed a range of records. This included two people’s care records and three medication 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.
After the inspection
We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. We looked at quality assurance records. We spoke with one professional who regularly visits the service.