Archived: Outreach

Updated 8 December 2018

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

This inspection took place on 6 November 2018 and was announced. We gave the service 48 hours' notice of the inspection visit to ensure there was somebody at the location to facilitate our inspection.

The inspection was carried out by two inspectors who visited the provider's office and an expert-by experience who made phone calls to people and their relatives to gain their feedback on using 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.

Prior to our inspection, we reviewed information we held about the service, including notifications sent to us at the Care Quality Commission. A notification is information about important events which the service is required to send us by law. Due to technical problems, the provider was not able to complete a Provider Information Return. 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. This inspection was informed by the feedback from the funding local authority, commissioning teams and healthcare professionals.

During the inspection visit, we spoke to the registered manager, one team leader, two care coordinators and three care staff. We reviewed four people's care plans and risk assessments, five staff files including recruitment and training, and records related to the management of the service.

Following the inspection, we spoke to two people who used the service and eight relatives. We reviewed documents provided to us after the inspection including care plans and risk assessments, missed and late visits call logs, personnel information, satisfaction survey results, audits, and policies and procedures.

Updated 8 December 2018

This was a comprehensive inspection that took place on 6 November 2018. We informed the provider 48 hours in advance of our visit that we would be inspecting. This was to ensure there was somebody at the location to facilitate our inspection. This was the first inspection since the service was registered in March 2017.

This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats in the community. It provides a service to people living with dementia, with a learning disability or autistic spectrum disorder, mental health condition, physical disability, sensory impairment, older people, people who misuse drugs and alcohol, and younger adults.

Not everyone using Outreach receives regulated activity; CQC only inspects the service being received by people provided with ‘personal care’; help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do we also take into account any wider social care provided. At the time of this inspection, 26 people were receiving personal care support.

The service had a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are 'registered persons'. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

People told us they felt safe with staff and they were trustworthy. Staff knew how to safeguard people against harm and abuse, and how to escalate concerns of abuse and neglect.

People told us they were generally satisfied with staff timekeeping and punctuality and found them to be reliable. The provider monitored care visits to ensure staff arrived on time and stayed throughout the duration of the care visit.

People’s medicines were managed safely and were satisfied with the support. Staff followed safe infection control procedures to prevent the spread of infection.

There was enough staffing to meet people’s needs safely. The provider followed appropriate recruitment practices to ensure suitable staff were supporting people at risk.

Staff were provided with sufficient training and regular supervision to do their jobs effectively.

The provider had systems in place to learn and share lessons from when things went wrong to minimise its reoccurrence.

People’s needs were assessed before they started using the service. They told us their individual including dietary needs were met. People were supported to access healthcare services.

Staff received regular training and supervision to provide effective care. The provider delivered care in line with the Mental Capacity Act 2005 principles.

People told us staff were caring and treated them with dignity and respect. People’s cultural and spiritual needs were met and recorded in their care plans. People were supported to remain as independent as possible.

The provider ensured continuity of care and people told us the continuity of care enabled them to form positive relationships with staff.

People’s care plans were individualised and regularly reviewed. Staff knew people’s likes and dislikes and how to meet their personalised needs.

People and their relatives were encouraged to raise concerns and were generally satisfied with how their complaints were resolved.

The provider had end of life policy and systems in place to support people to have a dignified and pain-free death.

People and relatives spoke positively about the management. Staff told us they felt supported and enjoyed working with the provider. The provider had effective monitoring and auditing checks and systems to ensure the safety and quality of the service.

People, relatives and staff's feedback was sought to continuously improve the service.

The management worked with several organisations to improve the lives of people.