Background to this inspection
Updated
19 March 2020
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 Care Act 2014.
Inspection team
One inspector completed the inspection.
Service and service type
This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats.
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
Inspection activity started on 14 February 2020 and ended on 27 February 2020. We visited the office location on 14 February 2020.
What we did before the inspection
The provider was not asked to complete a provider information return prior to this inspection. This is information we require providers to send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We took this into account when we inspected the service and made the judgements in this report.
During the inspection
We spoke with one person who used the service and three relatives about their experience of the care provided by telephone. We visited another two people in their own homes. We spoke with four members of staff including registered manager.
We reviewed a range of records. This included six people’s care records and two 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.
After the inspection
We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. We looked at recruitment and medicine records. We contacted four professionals.
Updated
19 March 2020
About the service
Hightower Care services is a domiciliary care agency providing personal care to older people living in their own homes. At the time of this inspection, nine people received the regulated activity, personal care.
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
People felt safe with staff and there were systems in place to safeguard people from the risk of abuse. Risks to people's health and welfare were identified and actions taken to mitigate the risk. People received their prescribed medicines safely, from staff who had completed the required training and had their competency to do so assessed. Recruitment practices required strengthening and the registered manager addressed this straight away.
People received care from a small team of staff who were well trained and very well supported. People and their relatives praised staff's knowledge and felt they had the necessary skills to meet people's needs. Staff promoted people's health by supporting people to access health care services when required. They supported people with eating and drinking where this was identified as a need in their care plan.
People said they were treated with kindness and in a respectful way by the staff. People's privacy and dignity was maintained. Staff knew it was important to encourage people to maintain their independence.
Staff were knowledgeable about people's support needs. A clear complaints process was in place. Whilst no-one was currently receiving end of life care we have made a recommendation about documenting people's future wishes for end of life care.
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.
There were quality assurance systems in place to help monitor the quality of the service. Staff told us they enjoyed working at the service and the management team supported them.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
This service was registered with us on 17/05/2018 and this is the first inspection.
Why we inspected
This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.
Follow up
We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.