Drury Healthcare Limited

Updated 9 September 2023

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 Health and Social Care Act 2008.

Inspection team

This inspection was carried out by 1 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.

Service and service type

This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own homes.

Registered Manager

This provider is required to have a registered manager to oversee the delivery of regulated activities at this location. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Registered managers and providers are legally responsible for how the service is run, for the quality and safety of the care provided and compliance with regulations.

At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post.

Notice of inspection

We gave the service 48 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because it is a small service and we needed to be sure that the provider or registered manager would be in the office to support the inspection.

Inspection activity started on 9th August 2023 and ended on 30 August 2023. We visited the location’s office on 15 August 2023.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return (PIR). This is information providers are required to send us annually with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with 4 members of staff; these included the registered manager and 3 office staff. We spoke with 7 people using the service and 4 family members. We looked at 3 people's care plans and medication administration records, 4 staff records in relation to recruitment, training, supervision and staff competencies and a variety of records relating to the quality assurance and management of the service.

Following the inspection to the domiciliary care office, we continued to seek clarification from the registered manager to validate evidence found. We spoke to a further 4 members of staff either by telephone or email correspondence.

Updated 9 September 2023

About the service

Drury Healthcare Limited is a domiciliary care agency providing personal care to people living in their own homes. At the time of our inspection there were 42 people using the service.

Not everyone who used the service received 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 and what we found

There were systems in place to monitor, maintain and improve the quality of the service. People and relative’s, spoke positively about the leadership of the service. However, whilst staff spoke about their passion and commitment for the work they do, their feedback was not always positive in relation to the registered manager and office staff’s support, communication, and response to concerns they raised.

People’s risks had been identified, reviewed, and updated where required. We have made a recommendation about the management of risk assessments.

People received safe care from staff who knew them well. There was a safeguarding policy in place and the registered manager and staff knew how to identify and report any concerns.

Staff had been safely recruited and pre-employment checks carried out, and the service had enough staff currently to meet the needs of the people using the service.

Staff had received an induction and training to enable them to meet people’s needs. We saw that supervisions, spot checks, competency checks and meetings for staff were carried out. People were supported with their medicines by trained members of staff where required.

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; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

Staff told us they had access to personal protective equipment (PPE) and there were effective infection control measures in place. People confirmed appropriate PPE was worn by staff when being provided with care and support.

Rating at last inspection

The last rating for this service was good (published 01 October 2018)

Why we inspected

This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service. We also received concerns in relation to staffing and poor management of the service. As a result, we undertook a focused inspection to review the key questions of safe and well-led only.

For those key questions not inspected, we used the ratings awarded at the last inspection to calculate the overall rating. The overall rating for the service remains good based on the findings of this inspection.

Recommendations

We have made a recommendation for the provider to seek support and guidance in relation to people's risks assessments for catheter care and anticoagulant medicines.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Drury Healthcare Limited on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.