Genuine Carers - Buckinghamshire

Updated 9 March 2023

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 Health and Social Care Act 2008.

Inspection team

The inspection was carried out by 1 inspector.

Service and service type

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

Registered Manager

This provider is required to have a registered manager to oversee the delivery of regulated activities at this location. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Registered managers and providers are legally responsible for how the service is run, for the quality and safety of the care provided and compliance with regulations.

At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post.

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 24 February 2023 and ended on 27 February 2023. We visited the location’s office on 24 February 2023.

What we did before the inspection

In planning our inspection, we reviewed information we had received about the service. This included any notifications (events which happened in the service that the provider is required to tell us about) and any feedback about the service. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return (PIR). This is information providers are required to send us annually with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with the relative of the person using the service and had discussions with the registered manager, a registered manager from another branch who was supporting the inspection and the nominated individual. The nominated individual is responsible for supervising the management of the service on behalf of the provider. We also had a telephone discussion with the staff member who was providing care and support.

We reviewed a range of records. This included the person’s care records and risk assessments. We looked at the staff file for the staff member providing care and support. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, staff training and supervision records, quality assurance information and feedback from people and staff were reviewed.

Updated 9 March 2023

Genuine Carers Limited is a domiciliary care agency that provides personal care to people living in their own homes.

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. At the time of this inspection 1 person was receiving support with personal care.

We expect health and social care providers to guarantee people with a learning disability and autistic people respect, equality, dignity, choices and independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. ‘Right support, right care, right culture’ is the guidance CQC follows to make assessments and judgements about services supporting people with a learning disability and autistic people and providers must have regard to it.

At the time of the inspection, the location did not care or support for anyone with a learning disability or an autistic person. However, we assessed the care provision under Right Support, Right Care, Right Culture, as it is registered as a specialist service for this population group.

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

There were systems and processes in place to safeguard people from potential harm. Staff completed training about safeguarding and knew how to report abuse. Risks to people were assessed and measures were put in place to reduce them.

There were safe infection control procedures in place including enough supplies of personal protective equipment (PPE) for staff. There were systems in place to ensure, if it was required, people received their medicines safely and as prescribed. The person using the service was supported by regular, consistent staff who knew them and their needs well.

There were systems in place to ensure lessons were learned when things went wrong, so that improvements could be made to the service and the quality of care provided.

Staff received an induction and ongoing training that enabled them to have the skills and knowledge to provide effective care and meet people’s needs.

The person’s needs and choices were fully assessed before they received a care package. Their care plan included information needed to support them safely. The person using the service was supported to eat and drink enough to meet their dietary needs.

The person was 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.

The provider involved the person and their relative in the care planning process and reviews of their care. There was a complaints procedure which was accessible to the person and their relative, so they knew how to make a complaint. There had not been any complaints received at the time of our inspection, but systems were in place to address and investigate complaints.

The service had governance systems in place to ensure the service and quality of care provided were continuously assessed and monitored. A range of audits were in place to monitor the quality and safety of service provision.

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

Rating at last inspection and update

This service was registered with us on 03 July 2020 and this is the first inspection.

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection following registration.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.