Clarity Homecare Bury

Updated 3 June 2021

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. 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

The inspection team comprised one inspector and an Expert by Experience. An Expert by Experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.

Service and service type

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

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. This was because it is a small service and we needed to be sure that the provider or registered manager would be in the office to support the inspection.

Inspection activity started on 17 May 2021 and ended on 21 May 2021. We visited the office location on 19 May 2021.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service. The provider was not asked to complete a provider information return prior to this inspection. This is information we require providers to send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We took this into account when we inspected the service and made the judgements in this report.

During the inspection

We spoke with two people who used the service and seven relatives about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with seven members of staff including the registered manager, the care coordinator and community care staff.

We reviewed a range of records that included five people’s care records, four people’s medicines records and training data for staff. We looked at three staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision.

After the inspection

We reviewed a variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies, procedures and quality assurance records. We sought feedback from the local authority’s commissioner.

Updated 3 June 2021

About the service

Clarity Homecare Bury is a domiciliary care service that provides care and support to adults in their own homes. At the time of the inspection the service provided support to 25 people. 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

People received the care they needed to keep them safe and well. Staff used risk assessments and care plans to support people with their individual care needs. Staff complied with good infection control practices when supporting people such as wearing personal protective equipment. People received their medicines safely. The service had a stable staff team who worked with the same people most of the time.

People received the care they needed from the service. Staff worked closely and flexibly with other health and care workers to meet people’s needs and ensure consistency and continuity of care. Staff received the appropriate training and supervision to help them support people effectively. People received support that gave them maximum choice and control of their lives. 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 knew people well and supported them based on their needs, preferences and choices. Staff developed good working relationships with people and their relatives. The registered manager ensured staff had the time they needed to provide care effectively. The service kept in regular contact with people and their relatives to check they were happy with the service provided.

The service developed personalised care plans that accurately reflected people’s needs and preferences. The service assessed people's communication needs and took them into account when planning care. Staff, the people they supported, and relatives could contact the office at any time during working hours and had access to an on-call system outside of office hours. The service invited feedback from a range of sources to and took action to address any concerns identified.

The service promoted high quality, person-centred care and had an open and honest culture. People and their relatives gave positive feedback about all aspects of the service. They described the staff as dedicated, caring and well-trained, and the registered manager as knowledgeable and accessible. Staff seemed happy in their jobs; they found the registered manager very supportive and inspiring. Managers used a range of governance systems, tools and processes to assess the quality of the service and identify areas that needed attention.

Rating at last inspection

This service was registered with us on 10 September 2019 and this is the first inspection.

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection because the service had not been inspected before.

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.