Reablement Service Waterton Hub

Updated 19 June 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.

We gave the service 48 hours’ notice of the inspection visit because it is small and the registered manager is often out of the office supporting staff or providing care. We needed to be sure that they would be in.

Inspection site visit activity started on 21 May 2018 and ended on 23 May 2018. It included speaking with people and their relatives by phone, speaking with staff at the provider’s office and reviewing records related to people’s care and the general running of the service. We visited the office location on 22 May 2018 to see the registered manager and office staff; and to review care records, policies and procedures.

The inspection was carried out by one inspector. Before the inspection we reviewed all the information we held about the provider, and contacted other bodies such as the safeguarding team, service commissioners and Healthwatch, none of whom had any adverse information to share. Healthwatch is a consumer champion that gathers information about people’s experience of using healthcare services in England.

During the inspection we spoke with five people who used the service. We also spoke with the registered manager, the service co-ordinator, the planner, a care practicioner and four members of care staff. We looked at three care plans in detail and other records including two staff recruitment records, training records and information relating to the running of the service.

Updated 19 June 2018

This inspection took place between 21 and 23 May 2018 and was announced. The provider was given short notice of our intention to inspect the service. This is in line with our current methodology for inspecting domiciliary care agencies to make sure the registered manager would be available. This was the first inspection of the service since they registered with the Care Quality Commission in April 2017.

The Reablement Service Waterton Hub is a domiciliary care agency registered to provide personal care. The service provides short term care and support to people following an illness or hospital stay with the aim of enabling people so they can continue living independently in their own homes. It provides a service to people over the age of 18. At the time of our inspection there were 12 people using the service. Not everyone using the service receives care provided by 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.

There was a registered manager in post when we inspected. 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 told us they felt safe using the service, and said staff arrived at the times agreed with them. Staff were safely recruited, had identification and uniforms which enabled people to identify them easily and they understood the importance of reporting any safeguarding concerns. People and staff were all highly complimentary about the quality of the service in all areas.

Risks were well assessed and we saw staff had access to clear guidance to help them minimise these risks as much as possible. People told us the support they received was kind, tailored to their needs and preferences, and very effective in helping them regain their independence. We saw people had choice and were consulted in the planning and review of their support.

People said they had good relationships with staff, and our conversations showed staff got to know people well. There was effective training and support in place for staff, who told us they had good leadership and morale. We saw communication amongst staff at all levels was effective and contributed to successful support delivery.

The registered manager had systems in place to monitor and measure quality in the service, and we saw people and staff were regularly asked for their opinions. There were good systems in place to work with other health and social care bodies to deliver good outcomes for people. We saw the service received regular positive feedback from people, their relatives and professionals.