Archived: Emergency Personnel Homecare Ltd

Updated 13 March 2021

The inspection

This was a targeted inspection to check whether the provider had met the requirements of the specific concern we had about safe recruitment practices. We will assess all of the key questions at the next inspection of the service.

Inspection team

The inspection was carried out by one inspector.

Service and service type

Emergency Personnel Homecare Ltd is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own homes.

The service had a manager who was awaiting their application and was in the process of becoming registered with the Care Quality Commission. A registered manager is a person who is legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided. The manager informed us after the inspection they had their registered manager interview scheduled on 3 March 2021.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was announced with less than 48 hours’ notice. We gave the provider a short notice period because we were aware the management team were at times working remotely due to COVID-19 and we needed to ensure somebody would be available to assist us with the inspection. The provider was not informed about the information of concern we received when notice was given.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. 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 reviewed the previous inspection report and we sought feedback from the local authority and health and social care professionals who work with the service. We also reviewed the information of concern that had been shared with us via our contact centre which triggered this inspection. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We reviewed 10 staff files in relation to recruitment and training and external audit reports related to the provider’s recruitment agency contracts compliance. We spoke with four staff members. This included the manager, a director, the head of operations and the compliance and quality manager.

Updated 13 March 2021

This comprehensive inspection took place on 8 and 13 November 2018 and was announced. At the previous comprehensive inspection on 4 April 2018 we were unable to rate the service. At the time of the inspection, only one person had been receiving personal care for a limited period of time. This meant that although we were able to carry out an inspection we did not have enough information about the experiences of a sufficient number of people using the service over a period of time to give a rating to each of the five questions and an overall rating for the service.

This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides nursing and personal care to people living in their own homes in the community. It provides a service to older adults, younger disabled adults and children. At the time of the inspection they were supporting 11 people across the London Boroughs of Wandsworth, Enfield, Croydon, Bromley, Camden, Barnet, Southwark, Lewisham and also Essex. Nine of these people were young children. Not everyone using Emergency Personnel Homecare Ltd receives 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.

There was a registered manager in post at the time of our inspection. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

Risks to people were identified during an initial assessment. Detailed guidance was in place with information from health care professionals to enable staff to support people safely and meet their complex care needs. Risk assessments were updated when people’s needs changed and information was shared with staff that supported them.

People who required support with their medicines received them safely. Care records included information about people’s medicines and the level of support they needed. All staff had completed training in medicines within the last six months and was scheduled to be refreshed annually.

Relatives told us that they felt safe using the service and staff were confident that any concerns would be investigated and dealt with. All staff had received training in safeguarding adults and children from abuse and had a good understanding of how to identify and report any concerns.

People were supported to maintain their health and wellbeing through access to health and social care professionals, such as paediatricians, community nurses, social workers and respiratory consultants. The provider worked closely with them to ensure effective communication and any changes in health were reported and updated accordingly.

The provider understood the legal requirements of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA). Agreements were in place and recorded how people consented to their care and support.

Registered nurses and care workers received specialist training to support them in meeting people’s complex needs. Shadowing opportunities and staff competency assessments were completed before staff started work with people. Staff felt supported and were happy with the supervision they received and the content of the training available.

People’s nutritional needs were recorded in their care plans with detailed information about the level of support required. Nutritional risks were highlighted with further guidance available for people who needed extra support.

Relatives told us that staff were kind and compassionate and knew how to provide the care and support they required. People had regular nurses and care workers who had built up positive working relationships with them and their families. Staff respected people’s privacy and dignity and worked closely with relatives to help meet their needs.

Care was personalised to meet people’s individual needs and was reviewed regularly if there were any significant changes. The provider ensured people and their relatives contributed to their assessment and listened to how people wanted to be supported. People were provided with information on how to make a complaint and felt comfortable raising concerns if they needed to.

There were a range of checks and meetings in place to understand the experiences of people who used the service and monitor the quality of the service provided. Relatives and staff were regularly contacted by the management team to ensure people’s needs were met.

The service promoted an open and honest culture and staff spoke highly of the working environment and the support they received. Staff were confident they could raise issues or concerns at any time, knowing they would be listened to and acted upon immediately.

We will continue to monitor this service. When services are rated ‘Good’ we aim to return within 30 months.