Archived: Cura Domi - Care at Home Ltd

Updated 1 November 2016

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 10 August 2016 and was announced. The provider was given 48 hours’ notice because the location provides a domiciliary care service and we needed to be sure that staff would be available to assist us during the inspection. The inspection was carried out by one inspector due to the size of the service.

Prior to this inspection we reviewed all the information we held about the service, including data about safeguarding and statutory notifications. Statutory notifications are information about important events which the provider is required to send us by law.

Before the inspection, the provider completed a Provider Information Return (PIR). This is a form that asks the provider to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make.

During the inspection we looked at a range of records about people’s care and how the service was managed. We looked at four care files, risk assessments, three staff files, training records, complaints logs and quality assurance monitoring records.

Following the inspection we spoke to two people and one relative to gain their views of the service. We spoke to the manager, one senior staff member and one care staff member.

This last inspection was in February 2014 and we found no concerns.

Updated 1 November 2016

Cura Domi – Care At Home Ltd is a domiciliary care agency providing people in their own homes. They provide live-in care to people. At the time of our inspection the agency was providing support to 17 people.

This inspection took place on 10 August 2016 and was announced. The provider was given 48 hours’ notice because the location provides a domiciliary care service and we needed to be sure that staff would be available to assist us during the inspection. This was a comprehensive inspection.

There was no registered manager at the service. The current manager was in the process of going through our registration process. 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.

Records did not demonstrate full compliance with the Mental Capacity Act 2005. Where people could not consent to care, relatives had signed their consent forms. There were no mental capacity assessments or best interests decisions documented. We recommended that records be updated with this information.

Staff understood their responsibilities under the Mental Capacity Act and demonstrated a good understanding of how to offer people choice.

The provider followed safe recruitment processes and there were sufficient numbers of staff to meet people’s needs.

Risks to people were assessed and reviewed regularly to ensure people's individual needs were being met safely. People’s medicines were administered by trained staff and records were up to date to ensure medicines were administered safely.

People and relatives told us they felt their family members were safe and were confident in the staff that supported them. A contingency plan was in place to ensure that people’s care could be provided safely in the event of staff being late or unavailable.

People told us that staff were competent and skilled in carrying out their role. The provider had effective arrangements in place to train, supervise and provide induction to staff. Staff told us they felt supported by the provider and could call for assistance at any time.

Assessments were completed prior to people receiving a service to ensure their needs could be met. Detailed care plans were in place and records were updated following reviews or changes in people’s needs. People were supported to access support from healthcare professionals where required.

People told us they were confident to raise any issues about their care. There was a complaints policy in place and there was evidence that complaints had been recorded, investigated and responded to.

The service had systems in place to monitor and improve the quality of the service provided through seeking people’s feedback and carrying out audits. People told us they had seen improvements in their care and responsiveness of the manager. The manager had a vision for the future of the service and was taking steps to overcome identified challenges.