Lotus Home Care Leeds

Lotus homecare is a domiciliary care service which supports people in their own home to live as independently as possible.

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, the service supported 26 people with personal care.

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

The service provided safe care which met people’s needs. On the whole, people and relatives told us they felt comfortable in the presence of staff, who were competent, caring and compassionate. We spoke with the registered manager in relation to a concern that was brought to our attention. This was dealt with in line with their complaints policy. Staff had received training in safeguarding and knew how to report any concerns. Care visits were completed timely, with staff remaining for the allocated length of time. The service was proactive in letting people know if staff were running late due to traffic congestion. People received their medicines safely from staff who had been trained and assessed as competent.

People were involved in the assessment process prior to their care package commencing. This enabled them to discuss what support they wanted and ensure the service could meet their needs. 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.

Most people and relatives confirmed they received good care from staff who respected their privacy and dignity. People’s views were sought through reviews and surveys, to ensure the service was meeting their needs. Care files contained detailed information about each person and how they wished to be supported. We spoke with the registered manager about the importance of ensuring all care records contained appropriate up to date information.

We found a range of systems and processes were used to monitor the quality and effectiveness of the service, areas of any concerns raised were investigated and followed up appropriately.

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

Rating at last inspection

The last rating for this service was Good (report published 1 August 2019).

Why we inspected

We undertook this inspection as part of a random selection of services rated good and outstanding to test the reliability of our new monitoring approach.

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.

Lotus Home Care agency is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats in the community. It provides a service to younger and older adults. At the time of inspection 65 people were using the service.

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 said they felt safe with the service provided. They trusted the workers who supported them. There were enough staff hours available to meet people's needs in a safe and consistent way.

People were supported to access healthcare advice and assistance with their nutrition and hydration when this was needed. People and their relatives told us they were involved in and directed their care, making their own choices and decisions.

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 and relatives said staff were kind, caring and supportive of people and their families. Privacy and dignity were respected and people’s independence was promoted.

Systems were in place for people to receive their medicines in a safe way. Risk assessments were in place and they identified current risks to the person as well as ways to keep them safe.

Records provided some guidance to staff to ensure people received safe and appropriate care and support. Information was accessible to involve people in decision making about their lives.

Staff had a good understanding and knowledge of people’s care and support needs. They received regular supervision and support.

We have made a recommendation about staff training.

Communication was effective and staff and people were listened to. Staff said they felt well-supported and were aware of their responsibility to share any concerns about the care provided.

People's views and concerns were listened to and action was taken to improve the service. The provider undertook a range of audits to check on the quality of care provided.

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

Rating at last inspection

This service was registered with us on 29/06/2018 and this is the first inspection.

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on when the service was registered.

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.