The Care Quality Commission
  • Services in your home
  • Homecare service

Archived: MiHomecare - Brockley

Unit 43 Brockley Cross Business Centre, 96 Endwell Road, London, SE4 2PD (020) 7635 2240

Provided and run by:
MiHomecare Limited

All Inspections

12, 17 April 2013

During a routine inspection

Detailed plans of care were in place and followed in the service. Daily records were maintained of the care and support people received during care visits.

One person using the service told us, "The carers are good." Another person told us, "It [the care and support] is all fine."

The provider conducted annual surveys to seek the views of people using the service. The survey sought feedback about different aspects of the service including their care workers, the quality of care they received, and the office staff. The most recent responses from people using the service indicated people were mostly satisfied with the service they received.

Our previous inspection of 11 and 14 May 2012 found that the provider did not consistently ensure that people were protected from the risk of abuse and neglect, as we found occasions when assessed care needs were not provided as agreed service contracts. When we inspected the service on 12 and 17 April 2013, we found that improved arrangements to protect people using the service from the risk of abuse and neglect were in place.

Appropriate checks were undertaken before staff began work, which included background checks and references from previous employers. However, there was always evidence that new care workers were subject to spot checks early in their employment.

11, 14 May 2012

During an inspection in response to concerns

People we spoke with who used the service said they had been asked by Enara Community Care Brockley about the support they needed. They said the staff were aware of how to support them and that they were good at listening to them about any extra small jobs that needed doing. They said they knew there was a care plan for them, and that they were happy that we examined it as part of the inspection. They told us that the agency had visited them before they started providing a service to see their home and to ask them about their care needs. They said they were able to ask staff when they needed help or advice and were able to call the office whenever they had any problems.

People who used the service told us the same staff always visited and that they always had identification from the agency to show who they were. They said the staff were respectful, and they felt in safe hands when being supported as they knew how to support them from the information held in a file at their home. Some people told us they knew the manager, and that she was always willing to speak with them on the phone, and to visit them to sort out any problems they had.

The feedback we had from people who received support from the agency was positive about the way staff supported them, and about the quality of care they provided. Some comments we received which reflected peoples' views of the service were: 'I can leave my relative in safe hands while I have a much needed break' and 'This agency is very good and we are very happy with the staff who come to our home'.

We received evidence to show that some allegations of poor care had been made and substantiated against a small number of the agency's care staff. These incidents included some people not receiving their care on time and not being adequately supported to maintain their health and personal care.

30 September 2011

During an inspection in response to concerns

People we spoke to who use the service said they had been asked by the agency about the support they needed, and someone had come to meet them to do this. They said they knew there was a care plan for them, and that they were happy that we examined it as part of the inspection. They said that they spoke with the staff when they need help or advice, and that staff listened to them. They said that the staff would do extra jobs if they had time.

They said the staff that came to their homes were usually the same ones, and knew their care needs. They said the staff were respectful, and that they felt safe in their hands when being supported. One person said that sometimes weekend staff are late and miss some visits, but that there was no problem with the weekday staff.

These comments were reflective of the overall views we heard from the people who received a service.

Overall, the feedback we had from people who received support from the agency was positive about the way staff behaved when they came to their homes. They said they generally came on time and usually the same staff consistently came to provide the support.