Guardian Homecare (Blackburn)

Updated 8 September 2023

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

3 inspectors 1 medicines inspector and 2 Experts by Experience undertook the inspection. 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. The service also provides care and support to people living in specialist ‘extra care’ housing. Extra care housing is purpose-built or adapted single household accommodation in a shared site or building. The accommodation is rented and is the occupant’s own home. People’s care and housing are provided under separate contractual agreements. CQC does not regulate premises used for extra care housing; this inspection looked at people’s personal care and support service.

Registered Manager

This provider is required to have a registered manager to oversee the delivery of regulated activities at this location. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Registered managers and providers are legally responsible for how the service is run, for the quality and safety of the care provided and compliance with regulations. At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was announced. We gave a short period of notice to enable the provider to support the inspection.

What we did before the inspection

We looked at the information we held about the service. This included feedback and notifications the provider is required to send to us. We asked for feedback from a range of professionals. 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. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with 20 people and 13 relatives over the telephone. We visited 6 people, with permission, in their own home. We checked 11 people’s care records, daily records, 20 medicines administration records and associated documents. We also checked staff files, training records and records relating to the operation and oversight of the service. We spoke with 15 staff and asked for feedback from staff. These included, care staff, office staff, the team co-ordinator, the deputy manager, the regional manager and the registered manager.

Updated 8 September 2023

Guardian Homecare Blackburn is a domiciliary care service supporting people in their own homes as well as within an extra care housing setting where people live in their own flats. At the time of the inspection 605 people were in receipt of care with 22 of these in the extra care housing setting.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

People told us they felt safe and systems had been developed to investigate concerns. Staff were recruited safely. People told us visits were mostly on time and duty rotas were completed on the electronic system. Risks were assessed and managed. Records confirmed the action taken as a result of incidents and accidents and supported lessons learned. Infection control policies and guidance was seen and staff had access to plenty of supplies of PPE.

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. People told us they were asked permission before undertaking any activity. Staff had received training, spot checks and competency checks which ensured they had the skills to undertake their duties. Assessments for people’s needs had been completed and were ongoing. Records detailed people’s health needs and people told us staff guided them to seek health reviews where required. People were supported with their nutritional needs as required.

People were happy with their care and were treated with dignity and respect. Most people said their choice of staff gender was provided. The registered manager confirmed the actions they would take if people’s preferences were not available.

Care records had been developed to provide information to staff about people’s individual needs. Electronic and paper log books with information about daily care provided was seen. Good use of technology was in place. Staff had received further training on end of life care and work was ongoing to develop specific care plans to support people with their end of life needs. A system to manage complaints had been developed. The registered manager provided assurance in relation to a concern which had been raised.

Positive feedback about the registered manager was noted however, not all people knew who the registered manager was. Certificates of registration and the ratings from the last inspection were on display. Audits and monitoring was ongoing and people’s views had been obtained. Meetings were taking place and newsletters had been developed.

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 good (published 6 June 2019).

At our last inspection we recommended that the service seeks advice and guidance from a reputable source about end of life care. At this inspection we found the provider had acted on our recommendations.

Why we inspected

This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service.

Follow up

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