G Care

Updated 28 July 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 carried out by one inspector.

Service and service type

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

The service had a manager registered with the CQC. The registered manager was also the provider. This means that they 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 72 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because it is a small service and we needed to be sure that the registered manager would be in the office to support the inspection.

Inspection activity started on 19 May and ended on 23 June 2021. We visited the office location on 19 May.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since registering. We sought feedback from the local authority 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. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with four people who used the service and three relatives about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with six members of staff including the registered manager, supervisor, senior care workers and care workers. We spoke with one health professional that worked alongside the service.

We reviewed a range of records. This included four people’s care records and multiple medication records. We looked at two staff files in relation to their recruitment and supervision. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures, training information and quality assurance documents were reviewed.

After the inspection

We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found.

Updated 28 July 2021

About the service

G Care is a domiciliary care service providing personal care to older and younger adults, including those with physical disabilities and living with dementia. The service was supporting 29 people at the time of our inspection.

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.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

The service had been developed with a clear person-centred focus. The provider was dedicated to improving and driving up standards of care. Quality assurance was used effectively to support this; learning was shared amongst staff. This approach inspired staff. Feedback from people and staff was used to inform changes.

People felt their care was safe and reliable. Staff followed infection prevention and control guidance and wore PPE appropriately to protect people against the risk of infection. Staff supported people using positive risk taking, supporting their independence.

People received a consistent standard of effective care from staff who were knowledgeable and skilled at providing care. The provider was committed to staff development. This had a positive impact on the quality of people’s care. One relative told us, “The care is consistent across the staff team, they are all friendly.” Staff worked effectively as a team and with health and social care professionals.

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.

Feedback from people and their relatives on the caring approach from staff was consistently positive. People benefited from this, with staff respecting their wishes and values. People were central to decision-making about their care. One care worker said, “I would absolutely have G Care look after my family.”

People’s care was developed responsively to suit their changing needs. The provider was very aware of the risks linked to people’s social isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic. Staff monitored people’s wellbeing. People’s communication needs were supported, staff used this information to guide their approach.

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

Rating at last inspection

The service was registered with us on 31/10/2019 and this is the first inspection.

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on when the service was registered.

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.