Archived: Ark Home Healthcare Whinndale

Updated 15 December 2017

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 was a comprehensive inspection.

This inspection took place on 23 October 2017 and was unannounced. There was one adult social care inspector who visited the office and an expert by experience who spoke with people and relatives by telephone. An expert by experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service. On 27 October 2017 the inspector spoke with six staff over the telephone.

We gathered information before the inspection from notifications and liaising with other stakeholders. We spoke with the manager and two senior care staff. We spoke by telephone with four people who used the service, two people’s relatives and six staff. We viewed three staff files, three people’s care records and documentation to show how the service was run.

Updated 15 December 2017

Whinndale is an extra care housing scheme for people who live independently within their own self-contained homes which is managed by South Yorkshire Housing Association. Ark Home Healthcare, provides domiciliary care services for people living in the extra care housing scheme at Whinndale. There were 29 people being supported at the time of the inspection.

At the last inspection, the service was rated Good.

At this inspection we found the service remained Good.

Individual risks to people’s safety were known by staff. Staff were confident in supporting people with medicines and the manager was considering how call times impacted upon the way people were supported with their medicines.

Staff had regular opportunities to update their skills and professional development. Staff demonstrated an understanding of the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) 2005. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

Staff were motivated and worked well as a team, with effective support from one another and from managers in the organisation.

Care records contained clear information covering all aspects of people’s individualised care and support and staff had a caring approach to working with the people who used the service.

There was a clear management structure so that all staff knew their roles and responsibilities. There was an open and transparent culture in which staff felt valued and able to approach managers.

Further information is in the detailed findings below