Immediate Social Care Limited

Updated 16 March 2019

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. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

Inspection team:

The inspection was carried out by one adult social care inspector.

Service and service type: This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats. It provides a service to younger disabled adults

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:

We gave the service 48 hours’ notice of the inspection visit because it is small, and the manager is often out of the office supporting staff or providing care. We needed to be sure that they would be in.

We visited the office location on 23 January 2019 to see the manager and to review care records and policies and procedures.

What we did:

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. This included details about incidents the provider must notify us about, such as abuse; and we sought feedback from the local authority and other professionals who work with the service. We assessed the information we require providers to send us at least once annually to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection we spoke with two people who used the service to ask about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with four members of staff, including the registered manager.

We reviewed a range of records. This included three people's care records. We also looked at four staff files around staff recruitment. Various records in relation to training and supervision of staff, records relating to the management of the home and a variety of policies and procedures developed and implemented by the provider were also looked at by us. Some information in relation to risk assessments and safe recruitment practices were requested following the inspection. We received these in a timely manner.

Updated 16 March 2019

About the service: Immediate Social Care is a small domiciliary care agency which currently provides the regulated activity of personal care to three people. Care is provided by four care workers and the registered manager who is also the nominated individual of the service.

People’s experience of using this service:

Medicines were managed safely and appropriate procedures around the safe administration of medicine were followed.

People who used the service felt safe with the support they received from the staff. People who used the service told us, “I had the same carer for a long time, he knows me well and I feel safe with him.”

Care workers had good understanding of how to raise any concerns if they felt people who used the service were not safe or had been abused.

People and care workers told us they were listened to and that the provider would address any concerns they might have.

Usually the same care workers supported people who used the service. This maintained consistency and ensured that care workers knew people well and could build a friendly professional relationship with them.

Where people received support with their nutrition and hydration this had been documented clearly in their care plans.

Care workers received a wide range of training, which they said was useful. Care workers were supported by their manager and received frequent supervisions and of their performance and development.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this.

People received care that respected their privacy and dignity as well as promoted their independence wherever possible.

Most people were supported by their relatives to access external healthcare support, However, when people required support in this area, this was documented in their care plan and medical appointments were arranged if they felt unwell.

Care records and assessments were detailed and reflected people’s needs and wishes.

The registered manager demonstrated compassion and commitment to the needs of the people who used the service as well as the care workers who worked for them.

The service worked with external agencies. The registered manager promoted transparency, honesty and was approachable.

Rating at last inspection: Not Rated (Report published February 2016).

Why we inspected: This was a planned comprehensive inspection. During our last inspection we were unable to rate the service due to only person receiving the regulated activity personal care. At this inspection we rated the service ‘Requires Improvement’.

Follow up: We will continue to monitor intelligence we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If any concerning information is received, we may inspect sooner.