Archived: St Christopher's Home Care Limited

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and to pilot a new inspection process being introduced by CQC which looks at the overall quality of the service. This was an announced inspection.

St Christopher's Home Care Limited provides personal care to people in their homes. The support hours provided varied depending on the person’s needs. At the time of our inspection, 11 people were using the service.

A registered manager was employed by this service. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service and has the legal responsibility for meeting the requirements of the law as does the provider.

We looked at the provider’s recruitment processes. It is the legal requirement for providers to obtain full employment history together with a satisfactory written explanation of any gaps in employment. Employment history and gaps were not fully explored or clearly recorded.

The focus of this service was to help people live fulfilling lives and be independent as much as they could. Staff had detailed knowledge of people’s needs and preferences that contributed to the quality of the care and support provided to people. Each person was supported in the way they preferred and staff respected that. People and relatives spoke positively about the service they have received and praised the staff.

People were encouraged to take part in the planning of their care and to actively feedback on the support they received. People felt able to be open and honest with staff and the management team because good relationships have been built between them. Risks were managed in a way that balanced people’s right to make choices with their right to be safe and independent. Staff and the management team supported and encouraged people to achieve their goals and enjoy life. They also understood and followed legal requirements regarding making choices and decisions, and making sure people’s rights and liberties were protected.

The registered manager was knowledgeable about the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA).  This legislation provides a legal framework that sets out how to act to support people who do not have capacity to make a specific decision. Staff had been trained to understand their responsibilities. The provider had taken appropriate action with the local authority to review and ensure if anyone was being restricted of their rights and liberties. At the time of our visit no one was deprived of their liberty and no applications were made. Staff were following the principles of MCA when supporting people who lacked capacity to make a decision.

People and their relatives were complimentary about the service they received. People were treated with kindness and respect and we observed that. Staff told us they would challenge poor practice if it occurred and were confident it would be addressed by the registered manager. Staff received appropriate training and support that helped them understand and provide good quality support. They were confident and passionate about helping people to achieve their aims in life.

The registered manager had quality assurance systems in place to monitor the quality of the service provided. This was also linked to a learning culture where staff and people were encouraged to comment on the running of the service. Any feedback received, incidents and accidents were used for learning the lessons and prevent this from happening in the future. Staff told us the registered manager was supportive and approachable. They were confident any issues would be addressed promptly.