Friends Care Limited T/A Visiting Angels

Updated 26 October 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

This inspection was carried out by one inspector.

Service and service type

This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses, flats and specialist housing.

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 four days’ 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. This was as well as ensuring people and relatives could consent to us speaking with them.

Inspection activity started on 11 October and ended on 15 October 2021. We visited the office location on 15 October 2021.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since registration. This included events reported to us such as deaths. The provider was not asked to complete a provider information return. This is information providers are required to send us with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. This information helps support our inspections. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with three people who used the service and four people's relatives. We spoke with six staff including the registered manager and the nominated individual. The nominated individual is responsible for supervising the management of the service on behalf of the provider. We received feedback from a commissioner of the service, two social workers and a health professional.

We reviewed a range of records. We looked at three people’s care records and two staff files in relation to recruitment and supervision. We also looked at a variety of records relating to the management of the service, including quality monitoring audits, compliments, incidents, staff and management meeting minutes, staff training and supervision planning records and medicines administration records.

After the inspection

We sought further information about the management of risks.

Updated 26 October 2021

About the service

Friends Care Limited T/A Visiting Angels is a domiciliary care service providing personal care to people living in their own houses or flats. It provides a service for older people, and people with dementia, people with a sensory impairment, and people with a learning disability and autistic spectrum. At the time of the inspection 16 people were supported by the service.

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

There were systems and processes in place to help ensure that safeguards were effective in keeping people safe. One person told us, "I feel safe because I trust [staff]. They have never missed my care visit."

Risks were identified and managed including for infection prevention and control (IPC). People were supported to be independent with their medicines. There were skilled and competent staff to support this when needed.

Enough staff with the necessary skills were safely recruited; these staff knew how to effectively meet people's needs. Staff received effective training that supported them in their role.

An open and learning culture was in place and this helped lessons’ to be learned and shared amongst the staff team.

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. One person said “I like to choose what to eat. Staff help me with shopping, but it is always the choices I want."

Staff supported people to communicate effectively without discrimination, by treating people equally well, and upholding their confidentiality. Staff provided people with care that was kind and centred on the person by being respectful and promoting independence wherever possible.

Technology was used to more promptly and effectively respond to changes in people’s independence. Compliments showed what the provider did well, and these were used to inform good practices. There were processes, procedures and staff in place should any person require end of life care.

The registered manager carried out their role effectively and they knew what to report to the CQC. Staff were supported in their role to be open and honest by promoting the provider’s values. People had a say in how the service was run and managed.

The provider's monitoring systems were effective in identifying and implementing improvements. The provider worked well with others involved in people’s care to help ensure their care was joined up.

Rating at last inspection

This service was registered with us on 18 August 2020, and this is the first inspection.

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on the date of registration with CQC.

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

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.