Background to this inspection
Updated
17 February 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
Our inspection was conducted by 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
Newdon Health Care Ltd is a domiciliary care service, registered to provide personal care to people living in their own homes.
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 three days’ 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 13 January 2021 and ended on 27 January 2021. We visited the office location on 19 January 2021.
What we did before the inspection
In planning our inspection, we reviewed information we had received about the service. This included information shared with us by other organisations including the clinical commissioning group, the local authority contract monitoring and adult safeguarding teams.
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. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.
During the inspection
We spoke with the nominated individual, the registered manager; the office manager and four members of the care staff team. The nominated individual is responsible for supervising the management of the service on behalf of the provider.
We spoke with 17 people or their relatives about their experiences using the service.
We reviewed a range of written records including parts of eight people's care plan, five staff recruitment files, six supervision records and information relating to the monitoring of service provision.
After the inspection
We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. We looked at further staff information and quality assurance records.
Updated
17 February 2021
About the service
Newdon Health Care Ltd is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own homes. The service currently operates in the Chesterfield and Alfreton areas of Derbyshire. Not everyone who used the service received personal care. The Care Quality Commission (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, approximately 26 people were receiving a personal care service.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
There were systems in place to monitor the quality and safety of the service, however these were not always effective. The audits had not identified the concerns we found during the inspection. This area required improvement.
The oversight of people's medicines was not always managed safely where medicines were included as part of a care package. Although they were administered in accordance with prescribing instructions reducing any impact for people, guidance for staff was not always available for application of creams to specific areas. Auditing by managers had not picked up these issues.
There were enough staff to effectively meet the current packages of care which supported people’s needs. People were supported safely and any risk regarding their care was assessed. Staff were aware of how to report any concerns about neglect or abuse and were confident if they raised a concern It would be addressed.
People were supported by a regular team of care staff and said they generally received their calls on time. People were confident care staff had received appropriate training to meet their needs; we saw this was in line with current guidelines. When people needed support with their nutritional intake, this was recorded and reflective of their care needs.
People’s care was provided by kind and caring staff and people told us they treated them with respect. People's individual risk assessments and care plans reflected individual needs and were reviewed regularly.
The provider worked in partnership with other agencies to make sure people received the right care and support.
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 had access to sufficient supplies of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and received regular updates from the provider on the management of risks related to COVID-19.
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 27 August 2019 and this is the first inspection.
Why we inspected
This was the first comprehensive ratings inspection of the service. The inspection was prompted in part due to concerns received about the service regarding some management arrangements. A decision was made for us to inspect and examine those risks.
We looked at infection prevention and control measures under the Safe key question. We look at this in our inspections, even if no concerns or risks have been identified. This is to provide assurance that the service can respond to coronavirus and other infection outbreaks effectively.
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.