I Care Service

Updated 18 June 2020

The inspection

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 two inspectors over two days.

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 we needed to be sure that the provider or registered manager would be in the office to support the inspection. We also needed to gain consent to contact people using the service.

What we did before 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. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return. This is information providers are required to send us with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. This information helps support our inspections. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with nine people who used the service and one relative about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with ten members of staff including the registered manager, assistant manager and care workers. We reviewed a range of records. This included five people's care records in detail and samples from others. We looked at two staff files in relation to recruitment, supervision and training. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including quality assurance audits, policies and procedures were considered.

After the inspection

We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. We looked at training data and quality assurance records.

Updated 18 June 2020

About the service

I Care Service is a service based in Dereham, which provides personal care to people in their own home. At the time of our inspection the service was providing care to 68 people living within an approximate 10-mile radius of Dereham. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) only inspects the service being received by people provided with 'personal care'. Not everyone who used the service received 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

Feedback from people using the service and staff was positive and all the people we spoke with recommended the service.

People's individual needs and requirements were discussed with them before their care started. Staff received appropriate induction and training and people said staff were skilled in providing their care. Staff monitored people's health and helped them access health and social care services whenever needed. People were supported to have a balanced diet and assisted effectively with their care needs. 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. However, the policies and recording systems used in the service did not always support this practice. We have made a recommendation about recording mental capacity issues.

People felt safe around the staff who provided their care. Staff understood their role in protecting people from harm and abuse. Care plans and risks assessments were person-centred and detailed. Recruitment practice was thorough and ensured staff were of appropriate character to provide support. People felt their care was not rushed and there were sufficient staff to ensure people mostly received care from familiar staff. People were supported well to receive their medication as prescribed. Appropriate infection control measures were in place.

People described the staff as kind, helpful and respectful. Several people told us staff often went ‘the extra mile’ to help. People were encouraged to participate in their care planning and were given opportunities to feedback on the service provided. The staff actively encouraged people's independence and dignity.

The care planning was person-centred and responsive to people's needs and preferences. The provider was quick to respond to changes in need and reviewed the efficacy of the care provided regularly. People were actively encouraged and supported to access their social networks and community. People had rarely needed to make complaints but knew how to do so and felt communication with the service was effective and friendly. The provider worked with people and their community health professionals to plan and provide personalised and skilled end of life care.

People felt management and staff at the provider's office were well-organised, approachable and took their views on board. Staff enjoyed their work and felt well-supported and valued by management. The provider used quality assurance systems and best practice forums to monitor and drive improvement in the quality and safety of people's care.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

Rating at last inspection

The last rating for this service was ‘Requires improvement’ (published 1 March 2020).

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.