Background to this inspection
Updated
1 January 2020
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 and flats.
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 we needed to be sure that the provider or registered manager would be in the office to support the inspection.
Inspection activity started on 20 October 2019 and ended on 5 November 2019.
What we did before the 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. 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 of this information to plan our inspection.
During the inspection
We spoke with 12 people who used the service and three family members about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with fifteen members of staff including the provider, registered manager, office manager, senior care workers, care workers and members of the office-based support team.
We reviewed a range of records. This included 14 people’s care records and multiple medication records. We looked at nine 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.
Updated
1 January 2020
About the service
Unit 2 Watling Gate is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care and support to people living in their own houses and flats in the community. At the time of our inspection the service was supporting 120 people. A number of people using the service were receiving short term ‘reablement’ support to enable them to regain skills following their return home after hospital treatment. At the time of inspection all people using the service received personal care used the service received personal care. This changed on a regular basis as people receiving reablement support regained independence. 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 care and support provided to people was person centred. People’s care plans and risk assessments included information about their preferred care and support needs and preferences. Guidance for staff on ensuring that people were supported safely and in accordance with their wishes was included in people’s care records.
Staff had received training about safeguarding and knew how to respond to and report any allegation or suspicion of harm or abuse. They understood the importance of reporting concerns immediately.
The service’s recruitment procedures were designed to ensure that staff were suitable for the work they would be undertaking. New staff members were not assigned work until satisfactory references and criminal records disclosures had been received.
New staff received an induction to the service before starting work. All staff received regular training to ensure that they were able to meet the needs of the people they supported. Staff also took part in regular supervision sessions to support them in carrying out their roles.
People and their family were involved in decisions about their care. People had been involved in agreeing their care plans and participated in reviews of the care and support provided to them. People and family members said that staff asked people for their consent to carry out care and support tasks.
Information about people’s religious, cultural and communication needs was included in their care plans. People had been matched with staff who were knowledgeable about their needs.
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 were regularly asked about their views of the care and support that they received. Spot checks to look at the quality of care and support had taken place in people’s homes.
Processes were in place to manage and respond to complaints and concerns. People and family members were aware of the service’s complaints procedure and knew how to make a complaint if they needed to.
The provider undertook a range of audits to check on the quality of care provided. Actions had been taken to address any concerns.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
Rating at last inspection:
The last rating for this service was Good (published 4 May 2017).
Why we inspected:
This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.
Follow up:
We will continue to monitor intelligence we receive about the service until we return to inspect as part of our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.