No Place Like Home

Updated 5 April 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:

One inspector carried out this inspection.

Service and service type:

A domiciliary care agency provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats in the community. The service also supported people who did not receive a regulated activity; CQC only inspects the service being received by people provided with ‘personal care’’ help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do we also take into account any wider social care provided.

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 72 hours’ notice of the inspection visit because it is small service and we needed to be sure that the registered manager would be available.

Inspection site visit activity started on 6 February and ended on 7 February. On 6 February we spoke to people and relatives. On 7 February we visited the office location to see the registered manager and office staff; 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 in May 2016. This included details about incidents the provider must notify us about, such as abuse or when a person dies. 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. We also received feedback of an exceptionally positive nature from an occupational therapist, nurse clinical specialist and service manager from a dementia charity. The full details are included in this report.

During the inspection we looked at the following:

• Two people’s care records

• Medicines records

• Records of accidents, incidents and complaints

• Three staff recruitment records

• Staff training

• Audits

• Surveys

•Quality assurance reports and improvement plans.

• We spoke with two people in their own homes

• We spoke with eight relatives

• We spoke with the provider, registered manager, two care coordinators and six personal assistants/care staff.

Updated 5 April 2019

About the service:

No Place Like Home is a domiciliary care agency that provides personal care for people living in their own homes in Canterbury, Herne Bay, Whitstable, Faversham and Sittingbourne and surrounding areas. The aim of the service is to help people make the most of later life through providing companionship, developing confidence and tailoring the service to people’s wishes. The service supports older people and specialises in caring for people living with dementia by providing minimum two hourly visits. At the time of this inspection the service was providing care for 11 people.

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

People’s experience of using this service:

The service continued to be exceptionally effective, responsive and well-led. Staff had worked continuously to further develop and nurture these areas and the areas of safe and caring. As a result, it provided an exceptionally outstanding service for the benefit of people and their family members.

The service met its mission and values to help people make the most of later life through growing people’s confidence and providing companionship designed around their needs and wishes. A relative told us, “The provider explained the mission and values of the service. It has been that organisation and delivered 100% on it”.

Staff had outstanding skills and an excellent understanding of people’s individual preferences. Staff training was developed and delivered around people’s individual needs and this had made a significant impact on people’s quality of life. A relative told us, “I started in a situation where I was upset. But having found this agency it made me realise that dementia is not the end of the world. You can live with it. I couldn’t speak highly enough of them”.

There was a strong, visible person-centred culture. Developing positive and trusting relationships with people was at the heart of the service. Time was invested in making sure that staff employed shared the values of the service and in matching them with the interests and personality of the people they supported. A relative told us, “I am overwhelmed with the wonderful care. The service is set up like a family who is going to do the right thing”. A health care professional said, “The ethos and ethics of the team wholly reflect the need for person centred care that responds to individual needs. The whole team have quickly grasped the crux of situations and have always done their utmost to provide the correct level of support as quickly as possible, ensuring that they match the right people for the best outcomes”.

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 practice.

Staff had real empathy for the people they cared for and went ‘the extra mile’. A relative told us, “They were caring all the way up to and after mum’s funeral. They kept popping in to see if we were OK. They are authentic and compassionate”.

The service was an important part of its community and had developed links to reflect the needs of people. It worked with charities, health and social care professionals and engaged and acted on research to deliver improved outcomes and experiences for people.

Rating at last inspection: OUTSTANDING (Report published 29 July 2016)

Why we inspected: This was a planned inspection based on the rating at the last inspection. The service has improved in two domains and all domains are now outstanding. .

Follow up: We will continue to monitor this service and plan to inspect in line with our reinspection schedule for those services rated Outstanding.