Archived: Jays Homecare Limited

Updated 16 December 2014

We inspected Jays Homecare Limited on 4 August 2014.

The inspection was carried out by two inspectors and an Expert by Experience, who had experience of older people’s care services. An Expert by Experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of service.

Before we visited Jays Homecare Limited we checked the information that we held about the service and the service provider. The provider also completed a Provider Information Return (PIR) This is a form that asks the provider to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make.

During our inspection we looked at eight care records for people who used the service, 13 staff records and various records about how the service was managed.

We did not send out questionnaires as part of this inspection.

We contacted 30 people who used the service and their relatives, but only 10 people who used the service and relatives of eight people who used the service agreed to speak with us. We spoke with two care co-ordinators and five care workers.

This report was written during the testing phase of our new approach to regulating adult social care services. After this testing phase, inspection of consent to care and treatment, restraint, and practice under the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) was moved from the key question ‘Is the service safe?’ to ‘Is the service effective?

The ratings for this location were awarded in October 2014. They can be directly compared with any other service we have rated since then, including in relation to consent, restraint, and the MCA under the ‘Effective’ section. Our written findings in relation to these topics, however, can be read in the ‘Is the service safe’ sections of this report.

Updated 16 December 2014

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 and to pilot a new inspection process being introduced by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) which looks at the overall quality of the service.

Jays Homecare Limited is a home care agency providing personal care to people living in their own home. The service supports more than 300 people who live in the London Boroughs of Enfield and Brent.

We inspected Jays Homecare Limited on 4 August 2014. The inspection was announced, we gave the provider 48 hours’ notice. During our last inspection on 12 August 2013 the provider was not in breach of the regulations of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 we inspected.

There was a registered manager in post. A registered manager is a person who has registered with CQC to manage the service and has the legal responsibility for meeting the requirements of the law; as does the provider. The registered manager was not present during our inspection on 4 August 2014, we were assisted by two care co-ordinators during this inspection.

Most people told us that they were extremely satisfied with the care they received. They told us that care workers were usually on time for their visits and if they were late would contact them immediately. They told us that they felt “safe” and care workers were “caring and understanding”. They also told us that care workers “are experienced and know their job well.”

Recruitment checks were carried out to protect people from the risks of employing unsuitable staff. Staff demonstrated good understanding of the Mental Capacity Act (2005) and gave practice examples in how they would support a person who lacked capacity.

Staff were up to date with their mandatory training. Regular unannounced spot-checks were carried out on care workers to evaluate their care practices. An out of hours on call system ensured that management support and advice was available for care workers 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

People received safe care and care workers had detailed risk management plans to follow to help to ensure people were protected from injury and harm.

People’s health and care needs were assessed and care plans were put in place to help staff to deliver the care people needed and to keep them safe. However, care plans were of different standard across the two boroughs. Care plans for people who used the service in one area were basic and not always person centred compared with the other area.

All care workers we spoke with demonstrated a good understanding of people’s care needs, likes and dislikes, preferences and routines. They also understood the provider’s safeguarding procedures and could explain how they would protect people if they had any concerns.

Care was designed to be flexible. People who used the service and care workers told us the service accommodated last-minute changes and responded to their requests.

Care workers and care co-ordinators told us that the registered manager provided strong leadership and people using the service, their relatives and care workers we spoke with told us that the agency promoted a high standard of care.