About the service:Helping Hands Worcester is a domiciliary care service that provides personal care to people in their own homes. At the time of our inspection visit, the service was mainly supporting older people who may have physical disabilities and/or dementia. 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, 35 people were using the service.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
People felt safe around the staff who provided their care. Staff had training on their role in protecting people from harm and abuse. The risks associated with people’s care were assessed, reviewed and managed. People received a reliable and consistent service from staff who underwent appropriate pre-employment checks. People had the level of support needed to safely manage their medicines. The provider took steps to protect people, staff and others from the risk of infections. The provider monitored any accidents or incidents involving people who used the service and sought to learn from these.
People’s individual needs and requirements were assessed with them before their care started. Staff had training and ongoing management support to enable them to succeed in their job roles. People had support to prepare meals and drinks where they needed this. Staff helped people access professional medical advice and treatment if they were unwell. 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.
Staff adopted a kind and caring approach towards their work. People and their relatives were supported to express their views about the care they received. People were treated with dignity and respect by staff and management.
People’s care plans were individual to them and encouraged a person-centred approach. People and their relatives understood how to complain about the service. Staff understood the need to work with community healthcare professionals to assess and address people’s end of life care needs.
People felt management and staff at the provider’s office were approachable and took their views on board. Most staff felt well-supported and valued by management. The provider used quality assurance systems and processes to monitor and drive improvement in the quality and safety of people’s care.
Rating at last inspection
This is the first inspection for this newly registered service.
Why we inspected
This was a planned inspection based upon the service’s registration date.
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.
For more details, please see the full report which on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk.