Brightening Lives Ltd

Updated 30 October 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 was undertaken by one inspector.

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 five 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 site visit. It also allowed us to speak with people using the service to discuss their experiences ahead of the site visit.

Inspection activity started on 14 September 2021 and ended on 23 September 2021 We visited the office location on 15 September 2021

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since they registered with CQC. We sought feedback from the local authority and professionals who work with the service. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return. This is information providers are required to send us with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. This information helps support our inspections.

During the inspection

We contacted eight relatives of people who use the service and one person who use the service to discuss their experience of the care received. We used all of this information to plan our inspection. We spoke with the provider, registered manager and administrator. We reviewed a range of records. This included two people’s care records and multiple medication records. We looked at three staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including management oversight of care, accidents and incidents and training records.

After the inspection

We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. We looked at audits and quality assurance records, policies, feedback forms and team meeting notes. We spoke with three members of staff.

Updated 30 October 2021

About the service

Brightening Lives Ltd is a domiciliary care agency providing personal and nursing care to 19 people at the time of the inspection. 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 were safeguarded from the risk of abuse or neglect. Risks were assessed and managed to minimise the risk of harm.

There were enough staff to meet people’s needs and they received support from the registered manager to provide high quality care. Staff received a comprehensive induction and ongoing training and development. We have made a recommendation about recruitment practices and procedures.

Medicines were managed safely. Risks associated with infection prevention and control were managed effectively. Staff monitored people’s food and fluid intake and worked with health and social care professionals to ensure people’s needs were met.

People were supported to make their own choices and were actively involved in making decisions about their care and support.

Staff treated people with dignity and respect. The provider had developed a culture of personalised care to meet people’s needs. Innovative methods were used to meet people’s communication needs and when seeking consent.

The service was not supporting anyone with end of life care. The provider had systems and processes in place to respond to complaints and concerns.

The registered manager acted within their duty of candour requirement and legal responsibilities. The registered manager was clear about their role and had a good oversight of risk and events within the service.

Staff regularly engaged with health and social care partners. People benefitted from a service which continuously learnt and developed.

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.

We expect health and social care providers to guarantee autistic people and people with a learning disability the choices, dignity, independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. Right Support, right care, right culture is the statutory guidance which supports CQC to make assessments and judgements about services providing support to people with a learning disability and/or autistic people.

The service was able to demonstrate how they were meeting the underpinning principles of Right support, right care, right culture. People received care how they wanted it with a focus on choice and promoting independence. People were treated with dignity and respect with the care putting the person at the centre of decision making. The staff had the right approach by having a positive attitude, caring behaviours and supported people to lead confident, inclusive and empowered lives.

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

Rating at last inspection

This service was registered with us on 21 October 2019 and this is the first inspection.

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection as the service has not been inspected since registered with CQC.