Walton Out Care

Updated 14 October 2022

The inspection

We carried out this performance review and assessment under Section 46 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act). We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements of the regulations associated with the Act and looked at the quality of the service to provide a rating.

Unlike our standard approach to assessing performance, we did not physically visit the office of the location. This is a new approach we have introduced to reviewing and assessing performance of some care at home providers. Instead of visiting the office location we use technology such as electronic file sharing and video or phone calls to engage with people using the service and staff.

Inspection team

This inspection was completed by one inspector.

Service and service type

This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses, flats and specialist housing

Registered Manager

This service is required to have a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. 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.

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 we completed this inspection using technology including sharing electronic files and needed to give the provider time to send us the required information.

Inspection activity started on 15 August 2022 and ended on 18 August 2022.

What we did before the 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.

During the inspection

This performance review and assessment was carried out without a visit to the location's office. We used technology such as telephone calls to enable us to engage with people using the service and staff, and electronic file sharing to enable us to review documentation. We spoke with the registered manager by video call and telephone on 15 and 16 August 2022.

On 16 and 17 August 2022 we made phone calls to two people, three relatives of people using the service and two staff to gather feedback about the care provided. We viewed a range of records, this included the care records for three people using the service, and three staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures were reviewed.

We continued to seek clarification from the registered manager to validate evidence found, which was sent to us. This included quality assurance information and they sent information to us within the required timeframe.

Updated 14 October 2022

About the service

Walton Out Care is a domiciliary care service. It provides care for people living in their own houses and flats. People are supported in their own homes so that they can live as independently as possible. CQC regulates the personal care and support. There were 7 people who received personal care at the time of the inspection. 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

Care and treatment was planned and delivered in a way that ensured people's safety and welfare. They were systems in place to minimise the risk of infection. There were safe medicine procedures for staff to follow.

Safe recruitment practices were in place to ensure suitable staff worked at the service. The current staffing levels were adequate to meet people's needs. Systems and processes were in place to help people receive safe care and be protected from harm and abuse.

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. People and their representatives were involved in their care to enable them to receive support in their preferred way.

People were supported to maintain their health and well-being and had access to healthcare professionals such as GP's when required. Where staff supported people with their meals and drinks, their dietary preferences and choices were known.

Staff treated people with respect and their dignity and privacy was respected. People were supported by staff to maintain their independence.

The provider's complaints policy and procedure were accessible to people who used the service and their relatives. People and relatives knew how to make a complaint.

The registered manager and staff understood their roles and responsibilities and ensured peoples assessed care was delivered. People were cared for and supported by staff who had received appropriate training and supervision.

Effective quality assurance and governance measures were in place to monitor and drive improvements when needed. The provider worked in partnership with others to help ensure good care outcomes for people using the service.

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 Good (published 23 April 2019).

Why we inspected

We undertook this inspection as part of a random selection of services rated Good and Outstanding.

Follow up

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

This was an ‘inspection using remote technology’. This means we did not visit the office location and instead used technology such as electronic file sharing to gather information, and video and phone calls to engage with people using the service as part of this performance review and assessment.