Helping Hands Bristol

Helping Hands Bristol is a domiciliary care agency that provides personal care and support to people living in their own homes. At the time of our inspection, 54 people were using the service and receiving the regulated activity 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

We were assured staff were following safe infection prevention and control procedures to keep people safe in their own homes. Providing a written record each time equipment used for training purposes had been cleaned prior to and after use would further evidence the services good practice. Anyone visiting the branch office must be reminded to wear a mask as per the policy of the provider.

Rating at last inspection

The last rating for this service was good (published 31 October 2018).

Why we inspected

We received information of concern about infection control and prevention measures at the branch office. The concerns were relating to measures in place when moving and handling training was being provided to three staff during their induction. This was a targeted inspection looking at the infection control and prevention measures the provider had in place for visitors at the branch office. In addition, we checked to see if staff were following correct, updated guidance when supporting people in their own homes. This was to provide assurance that the service could respond to coronavirus and other infection outbreaks effectively.

We found no evidence during this inspection that people were at risk of harm from the concerns raised. Please see the safe section of this report.

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.

The inspection was carried out by one adult social care inspector. This service is a domiciliary care service. It provides personal care to people living in their own homes. At the time of this inspection the service was providing a service to 41 people who received the regulated activity of personal care. The services were managed from an office in Bristol.

There was not registered manager in post at the time of the inspection. 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. A manager had been appointed and was in the process of completing their induction.

The feedback we received from everyone we spoke with was very positive throughout. Those people who used the service including relatives and staff, expressed satisfaction and spoke highly of all staff and support provided.

The safety of people who used the service was taken seriously and staff were aware of their responsibility to protect people’s health and wellbeing. There were systems in place to ensure that potential risks to people’s safety and wellbeing were identified and addressed.

The staff were motivated and proud of the service. A programme of training and supervision enabled them to provide a good quality service to people. Staff understood the principles of the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) 2005 and, worked to ensure people's rights were respected.

Staff understood people’s care needs and had the skills and knowledge to meet them. People received consistent support from staff who knew them well. People had positive, caring relationships with the staff and were confident in the service. There was an emphasis on key principles of care such as compassion, respect and dignity and promoting independence. People who used the service felt they were treated with kindness and said their privacy and dignity was always respected.

People received a service that was based on their personal needs and wishes. Changes in people’s needs were quickly identified and their care package amended to meet their changing needs. The service was flexible and responded very positively to people’s requests. People who used the service felt able to make requests and express their opinions and views.

People benefitted from a service that was well led. The vision, values and culture of the provider were clearly communicated to and understood by staff. The provider had implemented a programme of ‘planned growth’ that had been well managed. They were committed to continuous improvement and demonstrated strong values and a desire to learn about and implement best practice throughout the service. There were effective quality assurance systems and processes in place to monitor quality and understand the experiences of people who used the service.