Background to this inspection
Updated
22 July 2022
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
The inspection was carried out 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 and flats.
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 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 21 June 2022 and ended on 28 June 2022. We visited the location’s office on 21 June 2022.
What we did before the inspection
We reviewed information we had received about the service. We sought feedback from the local authority and professionals who work with the service, but we received no feedback. The provider was not asked to complete a Provider Information Return (PIR) prior to this inspection. A PIR is information providers send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We used all this information to plan our inspection.
During the inspection
We spoke with one person and one relative about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with four member of staff and the registered manager.
We reviewed a range of records. This included two people’s care records and risk assessments. We looked at 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.
Updated
22 July 2022
About the service
Gillingham Road is a domiciliary care agency providing personal care to two people at the time of the inspection. People who used the service were older people.
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
We received positive feedback from people who used the service and relatives. Comments included, “Yes, I feel safe with the staff”, “They do give me choice at all times.” And “They do arrive on time. I do turn up unannounced and I meet them there. They are good.”
We expect health and social care providers to guarantee people with a learning disability and autistic people respect, equality, dignity, choices and independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. ‘Right support, right care, right culture’ is the guidance CQC follows to make assessments and judgements about services supporting people with a learning disability and autistic people and providers must have regard to it. At the time of the inspection, the care agency was not providing support to anyone with a learning disability or autism.
The service was not able to demonstrate fully how they were meeting the underpinning principles of Right support, right care, right culture.
Right Support
The service (or staff) supported people to have the maximum possible choice, control and independence be independent and they had control over their own lives. However, staff recruitment had not fully promoted safety. Recruitment processes were not always fully carried out in line with legislation.
Staff supported people to take part in activities and pursue their interests in their local area.
Staff supported people to make decisions following best practice in decision-making. Staff communicated with people in ways that met their needs.
Right Care
Care plans contained risk assessments which were linked to their support needs. However, some risks were not assessed and there was no information for staff about how to support people to remain safe in such areas.
Staff promoted equality and diversity in their support for people. They understood people’s cultural needs and provided culturally appropriate care.
People received kind and compassionate care. Staff protected and respected people’s privacy and dignity. They understood and responded to their individual needs.
Staff understood how to protect people from poor care and abuse. The service worked well with other agencies to do so. Staff had training on how to recognise and report abuse and they knew how to apply it.
The service had enough appropriately skilled staff to meet people’s needs and keep them safe.
Right culture
There were no robust audit systems in place to check the quality of the service. We found no audits of the areas of concerns found.
People’s quality of life was enhanced by the service’s culture of improvement and inclusivity.
Staff were skilled in carrying out their role. The registered manager ensured staff were appropriately trained.
People’s needs were assessed prior to receiving a service including their protected characteristics under the Equalities Act 2010. Staff ensured risks of a closed culture were minimised so that people received support based on transparency, respect and inclusivity.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
Rating at last inspection
This service was registered with us on 8 May 2018 and this is the first inspection.
Why we inspected
This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service.
We have found evidence that the provider needs to make improvements. Please see Well Led sections of this full report.
You can see what action we have asked the provider to take at the end of this full report.
Enforcement
We have identified a breach in relation to governance at this inspection.
Please see the action we have told the provider to take at the end of this report.
Follow up
We will request an action plan from the provider to understand what they will do to improve the standards of quality and safety. We will work alongside the provider and local authority to monitor progress. We will return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.