Comfort Call-North Tyneside

Updated 25 May 2019

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. This inspection was planned to check 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 Care Act 2014.

Inspection team: The inspection was conducted by one inspector and one 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: Comfort Call – North Tyneside is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own homes up to 24 hours per day. It predominantly provides support to older people. Not everyone using the service receives regulated activity; CQC only inspects the service being received by people provided with 'personal care'; help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do, we also consider any wider social care provided.

The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. 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.

Notice of inspection: This inspection was announced. We gave the provider 24 hours’ notice of the inspection to ensure that staff were available in the office to assist us to access records.

What we did: Prior to the inspection, we reviewed the evidence we already held about the service. We asked for feedback from the local authority commissioning team and safeguarding team. We also checked records held by Companies House.

We asked the provider for a Provider Information Return (PIR). This is information we require providers to send us at least once annually to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We received this in March 2019.

We visited Comfort Call – North Tyneside on 24 April 2019 to review records, policies and procedures. We spoke with the registered manager. We reviewed six people’s care records, six staff personnel files and records related to the safety and quality of the service. On 29 April the Expert by Experience spoke with nine people and one relative. After our site visit, we sent an email to all staff asking for their views of the service and their employer. We received ten responses.

Updated 25 May 2019

About the service: The service is a domiciliary care agency which provides personal care to people living in their own homes throughout North Tyneside. At the time of this inspection there were 60 people using the service.

People's experience of using this service: People received high quality, individualised care from an exceptionally well-led service. The registered manager passionately fostered a culture of high-quality, person-centred care.

The quality and safety of the support people received was robustly monitored through routine checks and audits. The registered manager strived to achieve consistently high standards through continuous development and improvements.

Person-centred care planning was fully embedded into the service. People received personalised support which met their varying needs and wishes in a timely manner.

The service was safe. Measures were in place to minimise the likelihood of people coming to harm. Staff recognised the signs of abuse and reported their concerns to the registered manager. Safeguarding policies and procedures were in place. Medicines were well managed, and staff had regard for infection control.

There were enough staff employed to manage the service safely and effectively. Recruitment processes were robust. Staff had received beneficial training and were competent in their roles which helped them to provide high quality care to people.

People had achieved positive outcomes through good support from staff. People had access to external healthcare professionals as needed.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and were supported in the least restrictive way possible. Staff assisted people to regain or maintain their independence wherever their ability allowed.

Staff demonstrated caring values. People told us staff treated them with kindness, patience, dignity and respect. Most people said they were cared for by regular and reliable staff who knew them well.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

Rating at last inspection: This was our first inspection of this service since it's registration in May 2018.

Why we inspected: This inspection was part of our scheduled plan of visiting services to check the safety and quality of care people received.

Follow up: We will continue to monitor the service to ensure that people receive safe, compassionate, high quality care. Further inspections will be planned for future dates in line with our inspection programme.