Seraphim Home Care

Updated 15 March 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, and to provide an updated rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

This inspection of Seraphim Home Care was completed on the 23 and 25 January 2018 and was announced. We gave the service short notice of our visit to the office, because we wanted to make sure the people we needed to speak with were available. The inspection team consisted of two adult social care inspectors. The last inspection to the service was completed in May 2015 when we rated the service as good.

Before the inspection, we asked the provider to complete 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.

We reviewed information we held about the service, including the notifications we had received from the provider. Notifications are changes, events or incidents the provider is legally obliged to send us within required timescales.

We looked at the care records of five people, the recruitment and personnel records of three staff, training records, staff schedules and other records relating to the management of the service. We looked at a range of policies and procedures including, safeguarding, whistleblowing, complaints, mental capacity, recruitment, confidentiality and complaints.

The provider asked people if they were willing to speak to us prior to our visit. On the 24 January 2018, we spoke with two people who used the service and five relatives on the telephone about their experience of the service. We talked with five care staff, the care coordinator, the office administrator, the trainee manager and the registered manager. We also sought feedback from three health and social care professionals. You can see what they have told us in the main body of the report.

Updated 15 March 2018

We undertook an announced inspection of Seraphim Home Care on the 23 and 25 January 2018. When the service was last inspected in May 2015, there were no breaches and the service was rated good.

At the time of the inspection, the service was providing personal care and support to 31 people living in their own homes. The service employed a registered manager, a trainee manager, a care

co-ordinator an office administrator and 22 care staff.

There was a registered manager in post at the service. The registered manager was the owner of the business. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service and has the legal responsibility for meeting the requirements of the law; as does the provider. 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.

At the last inspection, the service was rated Good. At this inspection, we found the service remained Good.

Why the service is rated Good:

People told us staff turned up on time and stayed for the full duration of the visit. Staffing was planned flexibly to meet people’s individual needs. There were sufficient numbers of staff who ensured people received the planned care they needed. There was an on call system to offer staff support in the event of an emergency. Office staff supported people and provided care where there was a shortfall. They had been trained to provide administration support and care to people.

People had their needs assessed and clear plans of care were in place about how the person wanted to be supported. These were personalised and up to date. People were involved in their care. There was an emphasis on encouraging people to be as independent as possible enabling them to live independently in their own homes. People felt confident that their care needs would be met and gave positive feedback about the staff that supported them. It was evident the service was very responsive to people’s changing needs and adjustments made to the care and support to enable them to continue to live the life they wanted.

People had access to a range of health professionals when required. Some people looked after their own health care appointments. People’s nutritional needs were being met. Medicines were managed safely with people receiving their medicines appropriately.

Staff had a good understanding of safeguarding and knew what to do if they were concerned about the welfare of people or an allegation of abuse had been made. People had risk assessments to keep them safe whilst receiving personal care. This included environmental risk assessments. People told us they felt safe whilst being supported by staff. Staff were recruited in a safe and consistent manner.

Staff were kind, caring and supportive and demonstrated a good understanding of their roles in supporting people. Staff received training and support that was relevant to their roles and the people they supported. Staff were passionate about delivering care that was tailored to the person enabling them to live in their own home.

People were provided with a safe, effective, caring and a responsive service that was well led. People’s views were sought to improve the service. Staff were valued and their views sought through regular supervisions, meetings and annual surveys. Feedback was positive about the support that was in place for staff and providing a flexible service to people.

There were systems to monitor the quality of the care provision, through spot checks of staff and annual surveys completed by people who use the service and care reviews. However, we have recommended the provider review systems as the service grows to ensure there are central records of complaints, accident and incidents and audits of care and medicines records. This would enable them to look for any themes or trends.