Your Home Care

Updated 22 July 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 (EXE). An EXE 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

We gave the service 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 19 May and ended on 27 May 2022. We visited the office location on 19 and 20 May 2022.

What we did before the inspection

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 reviewed information we had received about the service since registration. We sought feedback from the local authority, other health and social care professionals and Healthwatch. Healthwatch is an independent consumer champion that gathers and represents the views of the public about health and social care services in England. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with five people and seven relatives by telephone and visited a further two people and their relatives within their own home. We also spoke with a person’s personal assistant. We asked them about their experiences of the care provided. We spoke with or received responses to a questionnaire from 20 members of staff. This included, 12 members of the care staff, client team leader, community care leader, training officer, recruitment officer, call scheduler, the registered manager and two directors, one of whom was the nominated individual. The nominated individual is responsible for supervising the management of the service on behalf of the provider.

We reviewed a range of records. This included six people’s care records, medication administration records and the daily notes recorded by care staff. We looked at staff files in relation to recruitment, supervision and training. We also viewed a variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures and training records.

A number of health and social care professionals as well as others gave us their views on the quality of the care provided. This included; a registered nurse and a pharmacist.

Updated 22 July 2022

About the service

Your Home Care is a domiciliary service providing care for people within their own homes. At the time of our inspection there were 39 people using 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

The service was exceptionally well managed. People, relatives, staff and professionals all commented on the positive approach of the provider and registered manager. Staff were highly motivated to perform to their very best. Exceptional performance by staff that resulted in positive outcomes for people was rewarded by the provider for going above and beyond. The provider focused on ensuring people had small, but effective regular teams of staff focusing on providing the best individualised care. People and relatives praised this approach and reported numerous improvements in people’s wellbeing as a result. Staff worked in collaboration with other health and social care professionals to identify the early signs of health deterioration. This has resulted in early signs of poor health being identified and acted on before impacting people’s health. The provider constantly reviewed the performance of all staff but with a clear direction of developing and supporting their careers in adult social care. Health and social care and other professionals praised the management of this service.

People received exceptional person-centred care and support. People and relatives felt involved with decisions about their care. The provider used innovative methods to ensure that all people received information in a format they could understand; reducing the risk of discrimination. People were encouraged to live their lives to the full. People were supported to follow and pursue the activities, education opportunities and employment that were important to them, embracing new challenges and striving for success. Age, disability and the ability to communicate were not seen as barriers to success but were seen as obstacles that could be overcome with help and support to help people achieve their best. People thrived with the care provided by staff. Innovative methods were used to ensure people received the best care as they neared the end of the life. People rarely complained about the care received; when they did, the provider acted quickly to ensure there was minimal impact on people and this was used for future learning and improvement.

People received care from staff who were exceptionally kind and caring. There was a strong, visible person-centred culture at this service. Staff cared for people in a way that exceeded expectations. People felt like they mattered, that their views counted, and they felt respected. Staff provided high-quality and dignified personal care. People felt at ease with staff and this, in turn, offered reassurance to their relatives. An equality, diversity and human rights approach to supporting people’s privacy and dignity was well embedded in the service. People were provided with the support to live their lives in their chosen way, free from discrimination. People felt staff respected their backgrounds and choices and provided care in a respectful manner. People’s independence improved significantly from the care provided. This was especially evident when supporting people living with dementia.

People received care that kept them safe from harm. Risks were assessed and reviewed. When needed, care records were updated to reflect the change in risk. Care plans were thorough and addressed all risks to people’s health and safety, but in as least a restrictive way as possible. Staff arrived to calls on time, they completed all tasks and spent any spare time talking with people. Recruitment processes were thorough. People’s medicines were managed safely. The provider had ensured people were protected from the risk of the spread of infection. Accidents and incidents were investigated, and actions taken to prevent the risk of recurrence.

People’s care was provided in accordance with best practice guidelines and legislation. Staff were supported to develop their careers through extensive training programmes and completing externally recognised qualifications. Staff felt supported by the management team. People were supported to maintain a healthy lifestyle through making wise food choices. Staff worked alongside other health and social care professionals to provide people with high quality, relevant and timely care.

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

This service was registered with us on 1 October 2020 and this is the first inspection.

Follow up

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