Background to this inspection
Updated
14 May 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 two inspectors and an 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
This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own homes.
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
This inspection was announced. We gave the service 5 days’ 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 30 March 2022 and ended on 11 April 2022. We visited the location’s office on 31 March 2022.
What we did before the inspection
We reviewed information from the service’s last inspection and information we had received about the service since then. This included notifications sent to us by the service. 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 five people who used the service and four people’s relatives about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with the two owners (one of whom was the registered manager and nominated individual) and four care staff. The nominated individual is responsible for supervising the management of the service on behalf of the provider.
We reviewed a range of written records including four people's care plans, three staff recruitment files and information relating to the auditing and monitoring of service provision.
Updated
14 May 2022
About the service
Caring Companions is a domiciliary care service providing care and support to people in their own homes.
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. At the time of our inspection 18, mainly older people, were being supported with personal care.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
People and relatives felt the service was safe. The service was impacted by low staffing levels and the management team had been supporting with care calls to ensure people got the care and support they needed. Risks to people were managed effectively and people were safeguarded from the risk abuse. People’s medicines were managed safely and people were protected from the risk of infection. Staff were recruited safely.
New staff completed inductions and shadowing to support people effectively. People had full assessments of their care needs in place and this information was readily available. People told us they were supported to eat and drink. The service worked with other agencies to provide effective care for people.
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; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.
The service put people and their care first. People told us they received person-centred care. The service was recruiting more staff to reduce staffing pressures. Staff received training and refresher training to ensure the best support for people. The service involved people and their relatives in their care. The service learned from incidents to improve outcomes for people.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk.
Rating at last inspection and update
The last rating for this service was requires improvement (published 21 August 2019) and there were breaches of regulation. The provider completed an action plan after the last inspection to show what they would do and by when to improve. At this inspection we found improvements had been made and the provider was no longer in breach of regulations.
Why we inspected
We carried out an unannounced comprehensive inspection of this service on 26 and 27 June 2019. Breaches of legal requirements were found in safe care and treatment and good governance. The provider completed an action plan after the last inspection to show what they would do and by when to improve.
We undertook this focused inspection to check they had followed their action plan and to confirm they now met legal requirements. This report only covers our findings in relation to the Key Questions Safe, Effective and Well-led which contain those requirements.
For those key questions not inspected, we used the ratings awarded at the last inspection to calculate the overall rating. The overall rating for the service has changed from requires improvement to good. This is based on the findings at this inspection.
You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Caring Companions on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.
Follow up
We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.