Archived: Diversity Health and Social Care Limited

Updated 31 August 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 checked 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 11,16 and 17 July 2018 and was announced. We gave the service 48 hours’ notice of the inspection visit because it is small and the manager is often out of the office supporting staff or providing care. We needed to be sure that they would be in.

We made telephone calls to people using their service and their relatives on the 11 and 17 July 2018. We visited the office location on 16 July 2018 to see the registered manager and office staff, visit people in their own homes and to review care records and policies and procedures.

The inspection was carried out by one inspector and an expert-by-experience. An expert-by-experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.

Before the inspection we reviewed the information we held about the service. This included any notifications about serious incidents or events in the service that the provider is legally required to tell us about within specific timescales.

During the inspection we spoke with six people and four relatives of people using the service. We visited two people in their own homes and spoke with their representative to gain their views of the service. We also spoke with the registered manager, the office administrator and four care staff.

We spent time looking at records, including three people's care records, three staff recruitment files, records relating to the day to day management of the service and the provider's policies and quality assurance systems.

Following our inspection, we asked the registered manager to provide us with information pertaining to polices and procedures. They did this in a timely way.

Updated 31 August 2018

This announced inspection took place on 11, 16 and 17 July 2018. This was our first inspection of this service since they registered with us.

Diversity Health and Social Care Limited is a domiciliary care agency which provides personal care to people who live in their own homes in Leicester. They support people with a range of needs, including health conditions and school-age children with complex needs. At the time of our inspection there were 18 people using the service. Not everyone using the service receives a 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. 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.

Potential risks people were exposed to had been identified. Records, such as risk assessments and behaviour management strategies, did not always provide the detail and guidance needed, or the measures staff needed to take to keep people safe.

There were robust recruitment policies in place. These helped to ensure staff were suitable to provide care and support. There were enough staff available to meet people's needs as assessed in their care plans. There were limited systems to evidence a systematic approach to the deployment of staff. The registered manager told us they would develop these following our inspection.

Staff had completed training to enable them to recognise signs and symptoms of abuse and felt confident in how to report concerns.

Systems were in place to ensure staff followed safe infection control procedures to prevent the risk of infection when providing care. Procedures were in place to enable staff to report and review accidents and incidents when they occurred.

People's needs and choices were assessed and their care provided in line with their wishes and preferences. Staff completed training that was relevant to their role and received support and supervision from the registered manager. This supported staff to gain the skills and knowledge they needed to meet people' needs.

People received enough to eat and drink and were supported to maintain their nutritional health if required. People were supported to access health services when required to make sure they maintained their health and well being.

Staff demonstrated they understood the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA). People, and appropriate representatives, parents or guardians were involved in making decisions about their care.

People had developed positive relationships with staff who were kind and caring. Staff treated people and their relatives with respect and protected people's right to be treated with dignity and have their privacy maintained at all times. Staff understood people's individual needs and preferred means of communicating which supported people to be involved in their care.

People, their relatives and representatives were consulted and involved in all aspects of their care and were able to make changes to how their care was provided. Care plans were regularly reviewed to ensure they reflected people's current needs. Care plans included guidance from health and social care professionals to ensure care was provided in line with best practice.

People, their relatives and representatives knew to raise concerns and complaints and were confident these would be listened to and acted upon.

The registered manager had developed an open, inclusive culture that was focussed on achieving the best possible outcomes for people through personalised care. Staff embraced these values, which were embedded in their working practices. People, those important to them and staff were able to share their views about the service. Staff worked in partnership with other agencies to ensure people's needs were met.

The registered manager monitored the quality of the service to ensure people received good care. They were clear on how they could drive improvements in order to develop the service.