Background to this inspection
Updated
12 February 2020
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 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 registered manager would be in the office to support the inspection.
What we did before the inspection
We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We sought feedback from the local authority and professionals who work with the service. 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.
During the inspection
We spoke with two people who used the service and four relatives about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with five members of staff including the registered manager, management support and three care workers.
We reviewed a range of records. This included two people’s care records and multiple medication records. We looked at two 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.
Updated
12 February 2020
About the service
Cardinal Care Services is a domiciliary care services providing personal care and support to people in their own homes. At the time of the inspection it was providing personal care to eight people. 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 and relatives said they felt safe and comfortable in the presence of staff and fully trusted them. Risks to people’s health and safety were assessed and mitigated. The service had enough staff and provided a timely and reliable service. Medicines were managed in a safe and proper way.
People received effective care from staff who knew them well. Staff received a good level of training and were well supported by the management team. People were supported to eat well. The service understood people’s healthcare needs and liaised with appropriate healthcare organisations to ensure they were met.
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 were kind and caring and treated people well. People had a small team of care workers who developed strong relationships with them. People were always introduced to new care workers and staff let people know if they were going to be late. People were respected and treated with dignity by the service.
People’s needs were fully assessed, and clear and detailed care plans were in place. The service provided high quality care, with staff arriving on time and not rushing them. The service was aware of people’s cultural needs and beliefs and ensured they were fully catered for. People found the registered manager approachable and willing to address any concerns or queries they had.
The service had significantly improved since the previous inspection with management support brought in to improve the quality of documentation. The registered manager was knowledgeable about people and how the service operated. A range of audits and checks were undertaken, and people’s feedback was sought to aid continuous improvement of the service.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
Rating at last inspection and update
The last rating for this service was requires improvement (published 18 July 2019). 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.