Archived: Human Support Group Limited - Nottingham

Updated 7 September 2016

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, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

We visited the service on 11 May 2016 and this was an announced inspection. We gave 48 hours’ notice of the inspection as we needed to be sure that the registered manager would be available. The inspection team consisted of one inspector.

Before the inspection, the provider 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 any improvements they plan to make. We used the information contained in the PIR to assist us with our planning. We also reviewed information received about the service and statutory notifications received from the provider. A notification is information about important events which the provider is required to send us by law.

Local commissioners of the service, Healthwatch Nottinghamshire, Healthwatch Nottingham and health and social care professionals involved with the service were contacted to obtain their views about the quality of the care provided by the service.

During our inspection we spoke with three people who used the service, six relatives and one person’s friend. We also spoke with three members of care staff, a care coordinator, area manager and registered manager. We looked at the care plans of four people who used the service and any associated daily records such as the daily log and medicine administration records (MAR). We looked at four staff files as well as a range of records relating to the running of the service such as quality audits and training records.

Updated 7 September 2016

This inspection took place over 11, 12, 16 and 23 May 2016. The Human Support Group Limited is a domiciliary care service which provides personal care and support to people in their own home.

At the time of our inspection a service was being provided to 87 people living in the Nottinghamshire area. Their main client group was people aged over 65.

There was a registered manager in place who was available during the inspection. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. 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.

People were very satisfied with all aspects of the service provided and spoke highly of both staff and managers. People who used the service told us they were treated with compassion and kindness and that their privacy and dignity were respected.

People who used the service and relatives we spoke with told us they felt staff provided safe and effective care. Staff we spoke with had a good understanding of the various types of harm and their roles and responsibilities in reporting any safeguarding concerns. Staff had also received safeguarding adults training.

People’s care plans reflected their individual needs and personal wishes. People told us they were involved in the development of their care plans and were enabled to express their views on an ongoing basis.

Staff were carefully recruited and were required to undergo a number of background checks prior to starting their employment. This helped to ensure that only people with the required skills and of suitable character were employed.

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People told us they received their medication as prescribed. Medicines administration records (MAR) checked confirmed this.

Staff received regular supervisions and annual appraisals and were able to reflect on the care and support they delivered and identified further training requirements. The management team encouraged feedback from all people involved with the service.