All inspections: Care 4 Me Limited - Care Quality Commission

The inspection took place on 23 March 2015 and was announced.

Care 4 Me Limited provides personal care for people in their own homes. There were approximately 100 people using the service when we inspected and there was a registered manager in post.

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 told us they felt safe and were protected from the risk of harm and that they were happy with the staff that visited them in their own home and felt that the care staff understood them and their needs in order to care for them safely. People had their individual risks reviewed and plans were in place to manage them safely. People were supported to take their medicines when required.

Staff received regular training and supervisions. They told us this helped them understand how to care for people and were given regular feedback on their performance. Staff told us they had the training to support people with care and that training they had targeted training when this was required too.

People were cared for by staff that understood how to care for them. People’s care needs were detailed in care plans and they told us they were involved in making decisions about their care. People regularly spoke to the manager and care staff about they needed and feedback on the care delivered. People were supported to prepare meals and were supported by staff to access health professionals where this was appropriate. People told they thought highly of the care staff and that there had never been a reason to complain.

People received care from a regular staff team that knew them well and understood how to treat them with dignity. People told us that their home was treated with respect and that care staff ensured that they were happy with the care. Care staff followed people’s requests and left people’s home exactly as they would want it left.

People told us they felt the manager was accessible and open. People felt comfortable contacting the manager if needed and telling them about any issues they may have. The manager made regular checks to ensure people received they care they needed and that they were happy with the service provided. The manager liaised with the provider to ensure that the provider had a good understanding of the service and were working together to develop the service further.

This agency provided care for 75 adults in their own homes. During this inspection we spoke on the telephone with five people who used the agency and six relatives. We spoke with the registered manger, two managers, and three care staff at the agency office.

Consent from people had been obtained before care and support had been provided. Most people we spoke with were happy about the care and support that they received. One person said: 'I couldn't have had any better. They have been so kind.' Another person said: 'It's very good, I have no quibbles.' However, some relatives of people who received care had not been happy with care they had received. They said care plans had not been updated so they had not always reflected people's needs. We found evidence that confirmed what we had been told.

We found that the provider's recruitment processes did not meet essential standards. This was because people's working histories had not been fully checked. Staff had been provided with training that helped them to provide support and care to people. They had been supported to develop their skills further if they had wanted to.

The provider had systems of audit in place to enable them to monitor the quality of the service provided to people. The provider's checks had identified areas that needed improvement and actions to that made changes had started.

We found that people had been involved in making decisions about their care and when they needed care and support from the agency staff. People were all satisfied with the care provided by staff and the people we spoke with told us they felt safe when receiving care. The representative for one person told us, when describing the care, 'It has been a safety net. I am quite happy with it'.

Care plans had been recorded for each person. These plans provided information for staff when they visited people to ensure their individual needs would be met. When we spoke with staff they told us about the care people received and this matched the information in their care support plans.

We saw that there were effective recruitment and selection processes in place and the people we spoke with told us staff were competent and caring.

There were arrangements in place for monitoring the quality of the service which included annual surveys to people who used the service. People who used the service and the staff we spoke with told us they had no difficulties raising issues of concern and knew that they would be listened to.

We contacted 12 people that used the service by telephone. When we made the telephone calls we spoke with the person who used the service, their partner or a relative.

They told us they had been 'very satisfied with them' and 'extremely happy with the care and the workers'. They told us they had 'regular group of care workers' and one person told us 'Having the same carers helps reduce my embarrassment'. They told us they had been involved in the initial assessment of their care package and were happy to make changes to their care plans. One person told us 'I tell them what I want and they get on with it'.

People who used the service or their relatives told us that the care workers 'looked after them well' and that they 'always knew what to do'. They felt the service listened to them and 'We are asked monthly about the care' and 'Matching carers was a problem, this is now brilliant'. One person commented 'I never have to complain, but if I did have a problem, I have the phone number of the office and they are always very nice when I call'

Archived: Care 4 Me Limited

All Inspections

23 March 2015

During a routine inspection

18 November 2013

During a routine inspection

9 January 2013

During a routine inspection

2 February 2012

During an inspection in response to concerns