Background to this inspection
Updated
19 October 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 announced comprehensive inspection took place on 5 September 2018 by two inspectors and telephone calls were made to people using the service and their relatives on 6 September 2018 by 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. Our expert by experience had previous knowledge and experience of home care services.
This was the first comprehensive inspection.
We checked the information we held about the service including statutory notifications. A notification is information about important events which the provider is required to send us by law.
During this inspection we spoke with four people using the service and six relatives. We spoke with the registered manager, the provider’s Quality Service Improvement Manager and four care staff. We also contacted the local authority that commissioned people’s care who told us they had no concerns.
We looked at the care records for 13 people who used the service including their daily records and medicines charts. We also examined other records relating to the management and running of the service. These included five staff recruitment files, training records, supervisions and appraisals. We looked at the staff rotas, complaints, incidents and accident reports and quality monitoring information.
Updated
19 October 2018
This inspection took place on 5 September 2018 and was unannounced.
This was the first comprehensive inspection carried out at Carewatch (Harborough) since they registered with CQC in July 2017.
Carewatch (Harborough) is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats. It provides a service to older adults and younger disabled adults. On the day of our visit, there were four people receiving supported living and 95 people receiving personal care in their own homes.
The service had a registered manager. 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 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.
The registered manager and provider had identified key areas for improvement such as reviews of people’s risk assessments, care plans and staffing. The registered manager was receiving support from the provider to meet the actions required to meet the provider’s requirements for compliance with their policies and standards.
Risk assessments were in place but these were not always reviewed regularly; people received their care as planned to mitigate their known risks.
People did not always receive care from staff they knew. Although staff worked extra shifts and everyone received their planned care, there were unfilled vacancies. The registered manager was actively recruiting staff.
People received care from staff that had received training and support to carry out their roles. Staff understood their roles and responsibilities to safeguard people from the risk of harm.
People were supported to access relevant health and social care professionals. There were systems in place to manage medicines in a safe way.
Staff demonstrated their understanding of the Mental Capacity Act, 2005 (MCA). Staff gained people's consent before providing personal care. People were involved in the planning of their care which was person centred and updated regularly.
People were encouraged to make decisions about how their care was provided and their privacy and dignity were protected and promoted. People had developed positive relationships with staff. Staff had a good understanding of people's needs and preferences.
People were supported to express themselves, their views were acknowledged and acted upon and care and support was delivered in the way that people chose and preferred.
People using the service and their relatives knew how to raise a concern or make a complaint. There was a complaints system in place and people were confident that any complaints would be responded to appropriately.