Archived: Choices Homecare

Choices Homecare Limited is a domiciliary care service, providing personal care and support to people living in and around Huddersfield. 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. On the day of inspection, 31 people were receiving the regulated activity of personal care.

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

We found improvements were needed in some aspects of managerial oversight and governance of the service. Staff supervision had fallen behind and had not been carried out in line with the provider’s policy. Audits and checks of care records and medicines records had not always been completed. This meant some errors with medicines records had not been identified and people had not received their medicines as prescribed.

People and their relatives told us they felt safe using the service. There were enough staff available to meet people's needs at their requested time. The service had a robust recruitment process which ensured suitable staff were employed. Staff followed correct infection control practices.

People and their relatives were complimentary of the care provided by Choices Homecare Limited. They told us they were supported by kind and patient staff who helped them maintain their independence.

People's needs were assessed before they started using the service and the information was used to devise their care plans. New staff received a induction programme and all staff had completed a range of training which gave them the skills and knowledge to care for people in their own homes. 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.

Why we inspected

This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service.

Rating at last inspection

The last rating for the service under the previous provider was good, published on 26 July 2019.

Enforcement

We have identified a breach in relation to the governance of the service. Please see the action we have told the provider to take at the end of this report.

Follow up

We will request an action plan from the provider to understand what they will do to improve the standards of quality and safety. We will work alongside the provider to monitor progress. We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.