Background to this inspection
Updated
6 October 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
This inspection was carried out by one 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 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 48 hours’ 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 14 September 2022 and ended on 20th September 2022. We visited the location’s office on 14 September 2022. We made calls to people and their relatives on 20th September 2022.
What we did before the inspection
We reviewed information we held about the service. 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 took this into account when we inspected the service and made the judgements in this report. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.
During the inspection
We contacted people who use the service and their relatives. We spoke with five relatives about their experience of the care provided to their loved ones. We sought written feedback from four members of staff and received feedback from two. We also spoke with the registered manager. We reviewed a range of records. This included two people's care records and medicine records, three staff files in relation to recruitment, staff training records and staff supervision records for two staff members. A variety of records relating to the management of the service including the staff rotas, and policies and procedures were also reviewed.
Updated
6 October 2022
About the service
Hearten UK LTD is a domiciliary care agency providing personal care to people in their own homes. The service is registered to provide support to people living with learning difficulties, autistic people, older people, people living with dementia and people with a physical disability or mental health difficulties. At the time of our inspection the service was providing personal care to eight people.
We expect health and social care providers to guarantee people with a learning disability and autistic people respect, equality, dignity, choices and independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. ‘Right support, right care, right culture’ is the guidance CQC follows to make assessments and judgements about services supporting people with a learning disability and autistic people and providers must have regard to it.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
Right Support
People were supported to have maximum possible choice and control of their lives and staff sought to support them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; however, the policies and systems in the service did not always support this practice.
People were supported by staff to be involved in decisions about their care and support. People received personalised care and support tailored to their needs and preferences. People had their own small staff team who they knew and trusted. Staff advocated for people.
Right Care
People's care and support plans did not always contain sufficiently detailed and accurate information and had not been regularly reviewed.
People received kind and compassionate care. Staff respected and promoted people's privacy and dignity. They understood and responded to people’s individual needs.
Right culture
People had control over their lives because of the ethos, values, attitudes and behaviours of the management and staff.
People and those important to them were involved in planning their care.
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 29 October 2020 and this is the first inspection.
You can see what action we have asked the provider to take at the end of the full report.
Why we inspected
This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service.
Enforcement
We are mindful of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our regulatory function. This meant we took account of the exceptional circumstances arising as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic when considering what enforcement action was necessary and proportionate to keep people safe as a result of this inspection. We will continue to monitor the service and will take further action if needed.
We have identified breaches in relation to safe care and treatment, need for consent, and good governance. Please see the action we have told the provider to take at the end of this report.
Follow up
We will request an action plan from the provider to understand what they will do to improve the standards of quality and safety. We will work alongside the provider and local authority to monitor progress. We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.