Quality Care Dorset Ltd

Updated 19 November 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 team consisted of one inspector and an Expert by Experience. An Expert by Experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.

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 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 registered manager would be in the office to support the inspection.

Inspection activity started on 12 October 2021 and ended on 15 October 2021. We visited the office location on 12 and 15 October 2021.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since it was registered. 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 the service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. This information helps support our inspection. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with eight people and their relatives who used the service, about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with six members of staff including the registered manager, the office manager and an independent consultant.

We reviewed a range of records. This included six people’s support and care plans, daily monitoring charts and three people’s medicine administration records. We also looked at a range of records relating to the management and monitoring of the service. These included staffing rotas, three staff recruitment, supervision and training records, spot check observation records and a range of the providers quality assurance records, compliments and policies and procedures.

After the inspection

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

Updated 19 November 2021

About the service

Quality Care Dorset Ltd is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care and support to people living in their own homes. Not everyone who used the service received personal care. At the time of this inspection 23 people were receiving the regulated activity of personal care from the service. 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 protected from abuse and avoidable harm. Staff demonstrated good understanding around safeguarding procedures and processes and knew how to recognise and report abuse. People and their relatives told us they felt safe with staff, who were well trained and demonstrated kind, caring and effective care. Staff told us they were given the support and training to ensure they had the necessary skills to support and care for people safely.

Care plans were detailed and gave clear explanations for staff on how people preferred their personal care and support to be given. Staff knew people well and understood how they preferred to be supported. Risk assessments were in place that gave clear detail to staff to ensure people were supported safely.

People received care from a consistent team of care staff who knew their care and support needs well.

Medicines were managed and administered safely. Staff supported people to take their medicines safely and had received appropriate medicine administration training. There were sufficient numbers of trained, experienced staff to ensure people’s needs were met. Staff were recruited safely; recruitment procedures were in place to ensure the required checks were carried out on staff before they commenced their employment.

People were involved in their care and consulted when planning and agreeing their care and support needs. People felt confident any concerns they raised would be listened to and appropriate action taken.

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.

People and staff spoke highly of the registered manager, stating they had an open, friendly and supportive approach. The registered manager was readily available to people, relatives and staff to offer advice and guidance when required.

The service had established good working relationships with health and social care professionals.

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 29/05/2020 and this is the first inspection.

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection.

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.