About the serviceThe Healthcare Group (THCG) Ltd is a domiciliary care service providing personal care to people in their own homes. At the time of the inspection 41 people were receiving personal care, most of whom were elderly and required support to remain as independent as possible. 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 may not have been supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives because the provider did not always ensure the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) were followed in assessing people’s capacity in relation to specific decisions. Although there was no evidence people had been restricted, there was a risk that staff may not have supported people in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests.
The registered manager understood their responsibility to notify CQC of significant events, such as allegations of abuse, as required by law, although there had not been any since the service registered with us. The provider also displayed their CQC rating as required by law. The registered manager and their management and staff team understood their role and responsibilities although knowledge of the MCA and its codes of practice could be improved. The registered manager engaged and consulted well with people using the service and staff. Staff felt well supported by the registered manager.
People received the right support in relation to risks, such as those relating to age and frailty. There were enough staff to support people safely and staff timekeeping was good. The provider checked staff were suitable to work with people through recruitment checks. Staff received training in infection control practices, including the safe use of personal protective equipment (PPE) to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission. People received the right support in relation to their medicines and the provider had good oversight of this through electronic systems in real-time.
Staff received the training and support they needed to meet people’s needs. People were supported to maintain their mental and physical health and to maintain contact with professionals involved in their care. People received food and drink of their choice.
People liked the staff who supported them and developed good relationships with them. People received consistency of care from a small number of staff who knew them well. People were supported to improve their independent living skills as far as possible and staff treated people with dignity and respect. People were involved people in their care and their care plans were based on their individual needs and preferences. People were encouraged to raise any concerns or complaints.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk.
Rating at last inspection
This service was inspected on 4 June 2018 under a different provider and was rated good. This was the first comprehensive inspection since the service registered with us under a different provider.
Why we inspected
This inspection was prompted because the service required a comprehensive inspection as they registered with us on 28 November 2019.
Follow up
We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.