Natgab Care

Updated 16 April 2019

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. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

Inspection team:

• The inspection was carried out by two adult social care inspectors and an expert by experience, who made phone calls to people who used 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. The expert had experience caring for people older and people living with dementia.

Service and service type:

• Natgab Care is a domiciliary care agency, providing care to people in their own homes.

•The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. They were also the registered provider. This means that they 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 visit because it is small and the manager is often out of the office supporting staff or providing care. We needed to be sure that they would be in.

• Inspection site visit activity started on 11 March 2019 and ended on 14 March 2019. We visited the office location on 11 March 2019 to see the registered manager and staff; and to review care records and policies and procedures. On 13 and 14 March 2019, we spoke with four people who used the service and 10 relatives via telephone.

What we did:

Before the inspection

• We looked at information we held about the service including registration information and statutory notifications. Statutory notifications include information about important events which the provider is required to send us by law.

• The provider sent us their Provider Information Return [PIR]. This is information we require providers to send us at least once annually to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make.

• We requested for feedback from the local authority and external professionals the service worked with.

During the inspection

• We looked at three people's care records.

• We reviewed records of safeguarding, accidents, incidents and complaints.

• We checked audits and quality assurance records, as well as three staff’s recruitment and supervision records. We also looked at training information for all staff.

• We spoke with the registered manager, administrator and three care staff.

• We requested additional evidence to be sent to us after our inspection. This was received and the information was used as part of our inspection.

Updated 16 April 2019

About the service:

• Natgab Care is a domiciliary care agency for adults of all ages who may have dementia, mental health, physical disabilities, sensory impairments, a learning disability or an autistic spectrum disorder.

• The service was providing personal care to 15 people at the time of the inspection.

Rating at last inspection:

• Requires Improvement (Report published 15 March 2018). We identified five breaches of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014, in respect of safe care and treatment, recruitment, staffing, governance of the service and the requirement to notify CQC of significant events. At this inspection, we found that improvements had been made.

People’s experience of using this service:

• People told us they felt safe with the staff who knew how to meet their needs, in the way they preferred. One person told us, “Yes I do feel safe. If I ask for help, they listen.”

• People were at the centre of their care and support; care plans enabled people to maintain their independence.

• The registered manager had implemented new systems to record checks that had been completed on people's care records, daily logs and medication administration records.

• Systems were in place when recruiting new staff to assess that their experience and character was appropriate to the role.

• The registered manager monitored staff's ongoing working practice and training needs to help ensure they were competent and confident in their role.

• Staff had access to training which was appropriate to their role.

• Records relating to consent for care were completed accurately.

• People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

• Staff knew what action to take to protect people from the risk of abuse and the registered manager notified CQC of significant events as required.

• Individual risks to people and the environment had been identified and assessed and measures put in place to manage them and minimise the risk of avoidable harm occurring.

• We found that complaints raised had been listened to and investigated by the registered manager.

• People who used the service, their relatives and staff told us the registered manager was approachable and helpful.

Why we inspected:

This was a planned inspection based on the rating at the last inspection.

Follow up:

We will continue to monitor the service to ensure that people receive safe, compassionate, high quality care.

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