Care Connect Bury Ltd

Updated 9 August 2022

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 one inspector. An Expert by Experience made telephone calls to people and their relatives to gather their views on the service. 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 houses and flats.

Registered Manager

This service is required to have a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. 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. At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was announced. We gave the service 24 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 30 May and ended on 15 June. We visited the location’s service on 31 May 2022. An Expert by Experience carried out telephone calls to people and their relatives on 7 June 2022.

What we did before inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We sought feedback from the local authority and professionals who work with 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.

During the inspection

We spoke with five people who used the service and nine family members about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with and received feedback from four members of staff on site, including the registered manager and the nominated individual.

We reviewed a range of records. This included four people's care records and medication records. We looked at three staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures were reviewed.

After the inspection

We spoke with four care staff over the telephone to seek their views of the service. We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found and reviewed evidence requested and provided electronically.

Updated 9 August 2022

Care Connect Bury Ltd is a domiciliary care agency that provides personal care to people living in their own homes and flats in the community. The service had moved to new premises since our last inspection and no longer operated as a partnership. People receiving care had different support needs; some people had long-term health conditions.

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 the agency was supporting 92 people; 59 people received personal care.

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

People told us they felt safe. Staff understood the risks to people's safety and wellbeing and what they should do to keep people safe. Staff knew how to identify and raise concerns about safety; they were confident management would take them seriously. Medicines were managed safely.

Systems were in place to ensure the right staff were recruited. People were supported by enough staff who were inducted into the service with relevant training. The provider worked with other healthcare professionals for the benefit of people using the service.

There were safe infection control procedures in place including enough supplies of personal protective equipment (PPE). The provider had infection control measures in place and staff told us guidance and advice from management during the COVID 19 pandemic had been very good. People confirmed staff wore PPE.

Staff respected people's privacy and dignity. Core teams of staff supported the same people as much as possible. This meant staff knew the people they cared for well. People's care records were in place and reviewed regularly to guide staff on how to assist people safely and encourage their independence.

Policies and procedures were in place to guide staff on how to keep people safe and what they had to do if they had concerns. The registered manager, supported by the nominated individual, could monitor standards of care delivery with a range of quality checks and audits. There was good use of technology to help with this. Regular supervision of staff was a priority for the service. Feedback about the service was good, although people felt communication could be improved. Complaints procedures were in place and any concerns had been responded to appropriately.

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.

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

Rating at last inspection

The service was previously registered as Care Connect Homecare Services. It was last inspected at different premises and was rated good, published 21 January 2020.

Why we inspected

This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service. The overall rating for the service remains good based on the findings of this inspection.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Care Connect Bury Ltd on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

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