Background to this inspection
Updated
24 November 2021
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 planned this inspection to check whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.
Inspection team
The inspection team consisted of one inspector.
Service and service type
My Homecare Barnet is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own homes.
The service had recently recruited a manager who was in the process of completing their recruitment checks and registering with the Care Quality Commission as the registered manager. This means they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.
Notice of inspection
We carried out the inspection visit on 19 October 2021. It was announced. We told the provider two days before our visit that we would be coming. We did this because the manager is sometimes out of the office supporting staff or visiting people who use the service. We needed to be sure that they would be available at their office.
What we did
Before our inspection, we reviewed the information we held about the home which included statutory notifications and safeguarding alerts. The provider was not asked to complete the Provider Information Return (PIR). The PIR is a form that asks the provider to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make .
During our inspection we went to the service's office and spoke with the nominated individual. We looked at two care records and three staff records; we also looked at various documents relating to the management of the service. After the inspection visit, we spoke to two care staff. one relative and one person who used the service.
Updated
24 November 2021
About the service
My Homecare Barnet provides personal care services to people in their own homes. At the time of our inspection two people were receiving a personal care service.
People’s experience of using this service
Risks were not consistently well managed. Staff did not always have the information they needed to follow a consistent approach to ensure risks of harm and injury were minimised.
People told us people they were happy with the care and support they received because they felt safe and all their needs were met by kind and caring staff.
People had access to healthcare services and were involved in decisions about their care. Partnerships with other agencies and health professionals had not yet been established.
Staff had completed safeguarding training and understood their role in identifying and reporting any concerns of potential abuse or poor practice.
Staff had undertaken training so that they were skilled and knowledgeable to effectively meet people’s needs. Staff understood their responsibilities to report any concerns.
Staff encouraged people to be as independent as possible and respected people’s privacy and dignity. Staff knew people well.
People told us that staff were able to meet their needs and were respectful of their individual preferences. Care plans lacked information about each person’s individual support needs and preferences in relation to their care.
We were not assured about the management structure of the service. Management oversight was poor and there was not a registered manager in post
Recruitment practices were safe and relevant checks had been completed before staff worked at the service.
Staff had a basic understanding of the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and understood the importance of gaining consent from people.
People confirmed the service did not miss any care calls and that staff were always on time.
People received care and support from a small group of staff, which provided consistency.
The service actively sought the views of people and their relatives about the running of the service and they dealt promptly with any concerns that people raised.
Rating at the last inspection
The service was registered with us during November 2018 and this was their first inspection.
Why we inspected
This was a routine inspection; the service had not been inspected since it was registered with us.
Enforcement
We have identified breaches in relation to Regulation 12 – Safe Care and Treatment and Regulation 17 – Good Governance. Please see the action we have told the provider to take at the end of this report.
Follow up
We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our inspection programme. If any concerning information is received, we may inspect sooner. For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk.