Background to this inspection
Updated
18 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 an inspector 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
This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own homes.
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
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 someone would be in the office to support the inspection.
Inspection activity started on 14 June 2022 and ended on 8 July 2022. We visited the location’s office on 14 and 29 June 2022.
What we did before the inspection
We reviewed information we held about the service including any notifications. These are events the provider is required by law to tell us about. 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 the registered manager and two staff. We reviewed staff rotas and recruitment and training records for four staff. We reviewed four people’s care records and medicines records and other records relating to the management of the service. Our expert by experience spoke with four people and six relatives.
After the inspection
We continued to review and validate evidence we had been sent electronically. We spoke with two staff.
Updated
18 August 2022
About the service
Liberty Choice Southern Limited is a domiciliary care service providing care and support to people in their own homes. 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 our inspection there were 22 people receiving personal care.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
People told us they were very happy with the care from Liberty Choice. People told us the staff were “lovely,” and “amazing,” and caring”. People were safe from abuse or harm and told us they felt safe. There were enough staff on duty to provide care to people safely. The provider had systems in place to ensure only suitable staff were employed. Some people received support with their medicines and this was done in a safe way by staff who were trained and competent. The provider had robust systems in place to manage any risks to people, including risks of falls, mental health and from Covid 19 and other infections.
Staff received regular training, support and supervision to support them in their roles. Staff helped people with their healthcare needs when required. Everyone receiving care had the mental capacity to make decisions. However, systems were in place to monitor this and ensure, if necessary, that staff supported people in their best interests and in the least restrictive way possible.
People told us they were treated with respect, dignity and kindness. People were involved in decisions about their care, and in regular reviews, to ensure their care remained appropriate. Most people told us they knew the registered manager and office staff and would feel able to raise any concerns if they needed to.
The provider had robust systems in place to monitor the quality and safety of the service and take actions to improve where issues were identified. They understood their responsibilities under the Health and Social Care legislation. The registered manager and staff worked in partnership with other agencies to ensure people received holistic care in a timely way.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
Why we inspected
This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service.
Follow up
We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.