We inspected this service on 14th and 15th January 2015. We gave notice of the inspection the day before the visit. This in line with our methodology for inspecting services of this kind.
There was a registered manager at the service at the time of our inspection. 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.
J.A.D Direct Limited is a domiciliary care agency that is registered to provide personal care to adults living in their own homes. The agency office is located in Aintree, Liverpool.
People who used the service were protected from avoidable harm and potential abuse because the provider had taken steps to minimise the risk of abuse. Clear procedures for preventing abuse and for responding to an allegation of abuse were in place. Staff were confident about recognising and reporting suspected abuse and the registered manager was aware of their responsibilities to report abuse to relevant agencies.
There were appropriate numbers of staff employed by the agency to meet people’s individual needs and lifestyle choices and to keep people safe. Staff recruitment checks were robust and staff were only employed to work at the agency when the provider had obtained satisfactory checks on their suitability.
The registered manager had a good knowledge and understanding of the Mental Capacity Act (2005) and their roles and responsibilities linked to this. They knew about their responsibilities to work alongside family members and relevant health and social care professionals if they needed to consider making a decision for a person in their best interests.
People were provided with care and support that was tailored to meet their individual needs. The service was person centred. This means that the way in which the service is delivered is based on the individual needs of the people who use it.
People who used the service had a support plan which was detailed, personalised and provided clear guidance on how to meet their needs. Risks to people’s safety and welfare had been assessed as part of their care plan and plans to manage any identified risks were in place.
People were well supported to maintain their health and wellbeing. People had been supported to access a range of healthcare professionals as appropriate to their individual needs.
The provider had good processes in place to ensure people were supported appropriately with their medicines. Staff were provided with detailed guidance about how to support people with their medicines and information about what people’s medicines were prescribed for.
Staff presented as caring and we saw that they treated people with respect during the course of our inspection.
Staff were well supported in their roles and responsibilities. Staff had been provided with relevant training and they underwent annual refresher training in a range of topics. Staff attended regular supervision meetings and team meetings.
Staff were aware of their roles and responsibilities and the lines of accountability within the service.
They told us they would not hesitate to raise concerns if they had any. They felt confident that any concerns they did raise would be dealt with appropriately. Throughout our inspection staff demonstrated how they supported the aims and objectives of the service in ensuring it was person centred, inclusive and promoted people’s independence.
Systems were in place to regularly check on the quality of the service and ensure improvements were made. These included regular audits on areas of practice and seeking people’s views about the quality of the service. The registered manager and registered provider were keen to develop the service in response to people’s views and to changes in practice guidance.