Background to this inspection
Updated
6 August 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 care agency providing care for people with complex health needs 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 48 hours’ 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 05 July 2021 and ended on 15 July 2021. We visited the office location on 13 July 2021.
What we did before inspection
We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We sought feedback from the local authority and professionals who work with the service. 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.
During the inspection
We spoke with four people who used the service and five relatives about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with ten members of staff including the registered manager and management team, the provider’s quality lead and care workers. We received feedback from external professionals involved with the care of people who use this service. We reviewed a range of records. This included two people’s care records, complaints records and a variety of records relating to the management of the service.
Updated
6 August 2021
About the service
Sugarman Health and Wellbeing - Watford is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care and support to people living in their own homes in the community and in specialist housing. People who used the service received 12-hour support from care workers and some people had care workers live at their homes to provide 24-hour support. At the time of our inspection there were 43 people using the service.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
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. Care workers deliver person-centred care and promote people’s dignity, privacy and human rights. The ethos, values, attitudes and behaviours of leaders and care workers help ensure people using services lead confident, inclusive and empowered lives
People were safe and protected from avoidable harm because care workers knew how to identify and report any concerns relating to the risk of abuse. Risks to people’s health, safety and well-being were assessed and measures developed to remove or reduce the risks. People were supported by care workers who had been safely recruited.
People’s medicines were managed safely. Staff received appropriate training and had their competency assessed to help ensure they were sufficiently skilled and knowledgeable to safely administer medicines. Staff had received training in infection control practices and personal protective equipment was provided for them. The management team took appropriate action following any incidents and learning was shared with staff.
Before care delivery started assessments were completed to make sure people’s needs could be met by Sugarman Health and Wellbeing. Care workers received training and support to enable them to carry out their roles effectively.
Care workers knew people well and were able to promptly identify when people’s needs changed, and they sought professional advice appropriately. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and care workers supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.
People and relatives praised the kind and caring nature of the care workers. People received consistent care from a small team of staff. People told us they would be confident to raise any concerns with the management team.
The management team was committed to providing a high standard of care to the people they supported and understood their responsibilities under the Duty of Candour. People, their relatives spoke highly of the management team and told us that they were always available and supportive.
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 registered with us on 06 April 2020 and this is the first inspection.
Why we inspected
This inspection was carried out to check 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.
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.