We carried out a review of the data available to us about Community Life Choices Head Office on 6 July 2023. We have not found evidence that we need to carry out an inspection or reassess our rating at this stage.
This could change at any time if we receive new information. We will continue to monitor data about this service.
If you have concerns about Community Life Choices Head Office, you can give feedback on this service.
Community Life Choices Head Office provides home care services enabling people to be cared for while living their own homes. The service is managed from the registered office in Preston and services are provided to people living in parts of Lancashire and Derbyshire. 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
Staff supported people to take their medicines as they had been prescribed. However, some records were not always clear, and inspectors had to seek clarification of the records to be sure people had received their medicines correctly. There were no written protocols for staff to follow to ensure the use of ‘as and when required’ (PRN) medicines were used safely and effectively.
We have made a recommendation about the recording and guidance for medicine administration.
People's needs had been assessed and people received the level of support they required. However, we noted that some specific risks, for example the use of additional equipment such as wheelchairs were not always recorded.
We have made a recommendation about ensuring records for assessing risks are completed for all equipment that might be used by staff.
There were enough staff available to support people. However, people we spoke with told us they had differing experiences in the different counties with the consistency of their visit times. Systems were in place to protect people from abuse and harm. Lessons were learned from any incidents to maintain and improve the safety of the service. We looked at infection prevention and control measures under the safe key question. We were assured the infection prevention and control practises were satisfactory.
Staff were trained and their competencies had been checked to ensure they could provide appropriate care. The staff supported people as they needed when preparing their meals and drinks. The staff identified if people required medical assistance and supported them to access appropriate healthcare services. People made decisions about their care and their rights were protected. 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 told us the staff treated them with respect and were kind and caring towards them. People were regularly asked for their views about their care and service they received. People’s care plans were written in a person-centred way that took account of their preferences. The registered provider had an effective procedure for receiving and managing complaints about the service. People had received the support they needed at the end of their lives and families were very complimentary about the support that had been given.
There were systems in place to assess the quality and safety of the service. People were asked for their views about the support they received. The registered manager and staff team worked closely with other agencies and healthcare professionals to make sure people received good care. The provider and registered manager understood their responsibilities under the duty of candour. Staff told us they felt supported by the management team.
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 25 March 2019 and this is the first inspection.
Why we inspected
The inspection was prompted in part due to concerns received about infection prevention and control, lack of staff skills, care delivery, management of the service and quality of care records. A decision was made for us to inspect and examine those risks.
We found no evidence during this inspection that people were at risk of harm from this concern. Please see the five sections of this full report.
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.