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Caring Direct Ltd

9 The Square, Notley Green, Great Notley, Braintree, CM77 7WT (01376) 653162

Provided and run by:
Caring Direct Ltd

Important: This service was previously registered at a different address - see old profile

Inspection summaries and ratings at previous address

On this page

Background to this inspection

Updated 14 May 2019

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. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

Inspection team:

The inspection team consisted of two inspectors and two experts 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. Our experts by experience had personal experience of using domiciliary care services.

Service and service type:

Caring Direct is a domiciliary care service. It provides personal care to older and younger people, people with learning disabilities and/ or autism, physical or sensory impairments and people with dementia living in their own homes.

The service was required to have a registered manager. This means that the registered manager/s and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided. Two managers had made applications to apply to be registered with the Care Quality Commission and these were in progress at the time of the inspection.

Notice of inspection:

We gave the service nine days’ notice of the inspection because we needed to send letters to people letting them know that an expert by experience may be calling to speak to them about their views of the service.

Inspection activity started on 3 April 2019 and ended on 26 April 2019. It included making telephone calls to people who used the service to gather their feedback. We visited the office location on 16 April 2019 to see the manager and staff; and to review care records and policies and procedures.

Prior to the inspection we reviewed information we held about the service since their last inspection. This included any notifications received from the provider about deaths, accidents/incidents and safeguarding alerts which they are required to send us by law. The provider had also completed a Provider Information Return (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 looked at the care plans for six people. Records relating to the administration and management of medicines, five staff recruitment files, incidents, accidents, complaints and the quality assurance process were also checked to ensure they met the Regulations.

During the inspection we spoke with 11 people who used the service and 11 relatives. We met with the two managers, a director, administrative staff and two care staff and all made themselves available and very helpful during the inspection. We had emails from four staff along with correspondence from four health and social care professionals.

We requested additional evidence to be sent to us after our inspection. This was received in the timescales given and the information was used as part of our inspection.

Overall inspection

Good

Updated 14 May 2019

About the service:

Caring Direct is a domiciliary care service providing personal care to people in their own homes. At the time of the inspection, 66 people were using the service.

People’s experience of using this service:

People were cared for by a consistent team of staff who were skilled and competent in providing care and support. Staff knew how to keep people safe from harm. There were enough staff and they were appropriately recruited with relevant checks in place.

People’s needs were assessed and monitored and risks to their health and wellbeing were recorded.

However, we recommended that the provider refer to best practice guidance on managing the risks of emollients and smoking.

Safe infection control procedures were in place and people were given their medicines as prescribed.

The service followed good practice guidance and met their legal requirements. The service was meeting the requirements of the Accessible Information Standard. People’s capacity was considered and they or their legal representatives consented to their care.

Staff had effective induction, training and support to carry out their role. Staff were caring, kind and considerate.

Care and support were personalised and met people’s needs. People told us the service enabled them to remain as independent as possible and to live in their own homes.

Staff had access to up to date information about how to support people and communication with health and social care professionals was effective in ensuring people received joined up care.

Complaints had been dealt with appropriately, lessons had been learnt and improvements made.

The service was well led, and management and staff knew their roles and responsibilities. Systems were in place to audit the quality and delivery of care to people.

However, we recommended that the provider focus on how they will sustain good outcomes in the delivery of high quality care for everyone using the service.

Rating at last inspection:

The service was rated as Good in safe and effective and Requires Improvement in caring, responsive and well led with an overall rating of Requires Improvement. The last report was published 22 May 2018.

Why we inspected: This inspection was part of our scheduled plan of visiting services to check the safety and quality of care people received. Well led was given a rating of Requires improvement with an overall rating of Good.

Follow up: We will continue to monitor the service through the information we receive.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk