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Helping Hands Kensington & Chelsea

Overall: Good read more about inspection ratings

Unit F, 151 Freston Road, London, W10 6TH (020) 3326 6403

Provided and run by:
Midshires Care Limited

Report from 12 April 2024 assessment

Ratings

  • Overall

    Good

  • Safe

    Good

  • Effective

    Good

  • Caring

    Good

  • Responsive

    Good

  • Well-led

    Good

Our view of the service

Date of assessment 29 September to 26 November 2024. Helping Hands Kensington and Chelsea provides personal care to people in their own homes. There were 18 people using the service who were receiving personal care when we carried out the assessment. The assessment was carried out by 1 inspector. During the assessment we contacted 9 people or their relatives, and 15 staff, for their feedback about the service. We looked at 10 quality statements and identified that the service was safe for people to use, and staff to work in. Trained, professional, and appropriately recruited staff, provided the service, and people were supported to take acceptable risks. Staff enabled people to maintain their independence, and they had choices regarding the service they received, and were able to control it. People had equitable experiences of the service they received, and outcomes. However there was some communication issues identified between the registered manager, and staff team delivering care that was acknowledged, and work was being carried out to irradicate them, and improve communication. The general governance, and monitoring systems were well operated by staff who understood them. The rating remains good. For those areas and quality statements we did not assess, we used the ratings awarded at the last inspection to calculate the overall rating. We did not identify breaches of any Regulations during this assessment. We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next assess them.

People's experience of this service

People were enabled 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. People and their relatives said a safe service was provided, and skilled staff provided care and support, which enabled them to experience positive outcomes. They were supported to live safely, comfortably, and were protected from the risk of abuse or harm. The office team, and staff providing care were responsive to people’s changing care and support needs. Staff told the office of any concerns they or people using the service, and their relatives may have, and the office staff responded appropriately. People and their relatives were supported to understand safeguarding procedures, and how to raise concerns if they felt unsafe. People were supported to be involved in making decisions about how they wished to have their care delivered. Staff provided people with appropriate, prompt support, and worked well together as a team, to provide this. People and their relatives were given choice and control about how staff provided care, support and when. They were encouraged and supported to do as much as they could for themselves to maintain and improve their independence. However some people felt that the communication with the office, whilst very good at the care co-ordinator level, could be improved with more high profile management. They did say this had improved somewhat over the last few weeks.