Background to this inspection
Updated
14 September 2021
The inspection
We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our
regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider was meeting the legal
requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008, to look at the overall
quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.
Inspection team
Inspection team
The inspection was carried out by four inspectors 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
Global Caring Group Ltd is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own homes.
The service did not have a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission in line with the requirements of the provider's registration. A new manager had been recruited and they were in the process of registering with CQC. When registered, this means they are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided with the Care Quality Commission.
Notice of inspection
This inspection was announced. We gave the manager short notice of the inspection. This was because it is a small service and we needed to be sure that the manager would be in the office to support the inspection. Inspection activity started on 19 May 2021 and ended on 21 May 2021. We visited the office location on 20 May 2021.
What we did before the inspection
We reviewed the information we had received about the service since registration. 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. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.
During the inspection
We spoke by telephone with four people’s relatives and one person’s friend about their experience of the
care provided. We gathered feedback from four staff members via the telephone. We spoke with the manager and the business manager during our site visit. We reviewed a range of records. This included four people's care records, three staff recruitment records, staff training data and records of the checks the managers completed to assure themselves people received a safe and good quality service.
After the inspection
We requested information via email and continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. We also shared our inspection findings with local authority commissioners.
Updated
14 September 2021
About the service
Global Caring Group Ltd is a domiciliary care service providing personal care to adults and children in their own homes. At the time of the inspection 13 people received personal care.
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
The providers governance systems to monitor the quality and safety of the service were inadequate. The provider had not ensured they were compliant with the conditions of their registration in line with requirements. The lack of robust governance systems meant the provider had failed to identify and address issues that we found. Opportunities to learn lessons could have been missed.
Enough staff were employed to provide the care people needed but the provider was unable to demonstrate staff had been recruited safely. Relatives felt their loved ones were safe with staff and staff had received training to protect both adults and children from the risk of harm. However, the management team had not always shared information ensure people were kept as safe as possible.
Risk management needed to be improved. Known risks were not always assessed, and risk assessments did not contain the information staff needed to provide safe care. Staff administered one person’s medicines safely. National guidance in relation to infection control was not always followed. However, relatives told us staff wore personal protective equipment (PPE) and followed safe infection prevention practice in their homes.
Assessments of people’s needs were completed before they started using the service. 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’s care did not always achieve good outcomes. Some relatives felt staff did not have the skills and experience they needed to provide effective care and staff provided mixed feedback about the training they received to help them do their jobs well. Training records were maintained, and observational checks of staff practice did take place.
People arranged their own health appointments or were supported to do so by their family members. The service could offer this support if it was required. Staff understood their responsibility to seek advice if they noticed any signs of illness.
People were offered daily choices. Peoples dignity was maintained, staff described how they promoted people’s independence and respected their right to privacy.
People and relatives had opportunities to provide feedback on the service. However, feedback was not always used to drive forward improvement. Overall, staff felt supported by their managers. They told us communication was good and they received enough guidance to help guide them with their work.
The management team acknowledged and welcomed our inspection feedback and demonstrated commitment to making improvements to benefit people.
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 29/06/2018 and this is the first inspection.
Why we inspected
This was a planned inspection of this newly registered service.
Enforcement
We are mindful of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our regulatory function. This meant we took account of the exceptional circumstances arising as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic when considering what enforcement action was necessary and proportionate to keep people safe as a result of this inspection.
We will continue to discharge our regulatory enforcement functions required to keep people safe and to hold providers to account where it is necessary for us to do so.
We have identified breaches in relation to safe care and treatment, staff recruitment and good
governance.
Full information about CQC's regulatory response to the more serious concerns found during inspections is
added to reports after any representations and appeals have been concluded.
Follow up
The overall rating for this service is 'Inadequate' and the service is therefore in 'special measures'. This means we will keep the service under review and, if we do not propose to cancel the provider's registration, we will re-inspect within six months to check for significant improvements.
If the provider has not made enough improvement within this timeframe and there is still a rating of inadequate for any key question or overall rating, we will take action in line with our enforcement procedures. This will mean we will begin the process of preventing the provider from operating this service.
This will usually lead to cancellation of their registration or to varying the conditions the registration. For adult social care services, the maximum time for being in special measures will usually be no more than 12 months. If the service has demonstrated improvements when we inspect it, and it is no longer rated as inadequate for any of the five key questions it will no longer be in special measures.