Harvlightcare Services Limited

Updated 16 November 2021

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

This inspection was carried out by one inspector.

Service and service type

This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own homes.

The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. This means that they are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.

Notice of inspection

We gave the service seven days’ notice of the inspection. This was because it is a small service and we needed to be sure that the registered manager would be in the office to support the inspection. We also gave time for the registered manager to send us inspection information, so we did not have to spend an extended amount of time in the office of the service.

Inspection activity started on 7 October 2021 and ended on 13 October 2021. We visited the office location on 11 October 2021.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service and we sought feedback from the local authority. The provider sent us a provider information return. This is information providers are required to send us with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. This information helps support our inspections. We took this into account when we inspected the service and made the judgements in this report. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection we spoke with three people who used the service and three relatives about the experience of the care provided. We spoke with two care staff members and the registered manager. We reviewed a range of records. This included two people's care records. We looked at 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 registered manager to validate evidence found, which was sent to us. This included revised quality assurance procedures and amendments to procedures.

Updated 16 November 2021

Harvlightcare Services is a domiciliary care agency, providing personal care to people in their own homes. At the time of inspection, nine 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.

Details of how to reduce risks to people's safety were not always included in people’s care plans. Care plans did not reflect people's individual needs and preferences.

Safe recruitment practices were not fully robust to ensure that only suitable staff worked at the service.

Enough staff were employed to meet people's needs, although calls providing personal care had not always been timely.

Quality assurance systems were not in place to ensure that risk assessments to promote people’s safety were in place, calls were timely or that staff recruitment systems were robust.

The majority of people and relatives said safe care was provided with protection against abuse, neglect and discrimination. Where this had not happened, the registered manager acted and reported the issue to the safeguarding authority.

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.

Everyone, except one person and one relative, told us they were treated with respect and dignity and staff had a caring and friendly approach to them. They said they had good relationships with staff. Staff respected people’s privacy and encouraged them to maintain their independence and do as much for themselves as they wanted to.

People were supported to have choice and control of their lives.

The registered manager understood their responsibilities and worked in an open and transparent way. People were aware of how to approach the registered manager to raise concerns or complaints. They said the registered manager always listened to any concerns and acted on them.

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

Why we inspected

This service was registered with us in May 2019 and this is the first inspection.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our reinspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.