Background to this inspection
Updated
6 January 2018
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.
This inspection was unannounced. We gave the service 48 hours’ notice of the inspection visit because the manager is often out of the office supporting staff or providing care. We needed to be sure that they would be in.
Inspection site visit activity started on 23 November 2017 and ended on 11 December 2017. It included visits to people in their own homes on the 29 November 2017 and discussions with care workers on the 11 December 2017. We visited the office location on 23 November 2017 to see the manager and office staff; and to review care records and policies and procedures.
The inspection team consisted of one inspector and included an expert-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. The expert-by-experience had experience of dementia care.
Before this inspection we reviewed the information we held about the service, such as notifications we had received from the registered provider and information we had received from the local authority who commissioned a service.
We used information the provider sent us in the Provider Information Return (PIR). This is information we require providers to send us at least annually to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make.
During the inspection we spoke with 15 people over the telephone and visited and spent time with three people who received a service in their own home. We spoke with five relatives of people who received a service over the telephone. We spoke with the registered manager and a care co-coordinator. We spoke with four carer workers who provided people with care and support in the community.
We looked at records which related to people's individual care which included the care planning documentation for six people. We also looked at four care workers recruitment and training records, records of audits, policies and procedures and records of meetings and other records associated with running a community care service.
Updated
6 January 2018
Heritage Healthcare York is a domiciliary care agency and is registered to provide personal care to people of all ages in their own homes. At the time of our inspection 67 people were receiving a service from the provider.
At the last inspection, the service was rated Good. At this inspection we found the service remained Good.
At the last inspection in October 2015, we asked the provider to take action to make improvements to record keeping and this action has been completed.
We gave the service 48 hours’ notice of the inspection visit because the manager is often out of the office supporting staff or providing care. We needed to be sure that they would be in.
Inspection site visit activity started on 23 November 2017 and ended on 11 December 2017. It included visits to people in their own homes on the 29 November 2017 and discussions with care workers on the 11 December 2017. We visited the office location on 23 November 2017 to see the manager and office staff; and to review care records and policies and procedures.
There was a registered manager in post who supported us during our 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.
Systems and processes were maintained to record, evaluate and action any outcomes where safeguarding concerns had been raised which helped to keep people safe from avoidable harm and abuse.
The provider ensured there were sufficient skilled and qualified care workers to meet people's individual needs and preferences.
People received their medicines as prescribed and safe systems were in place to manage people's medicines.
People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and care workers supported them in the least restrictive way possible. The policies and systems in the service supported this practice.
People and their relatives were encouraged to participate in the planning of their care and support.
People were supported to eat healthily and any dietary needs were assessed, recorded and responded to.
Care workers had a good understanding of people's needs and were kind and caring. They understood the importance of respecting people's dignity and upholding their right to privacy.
People were encouraged to live full lives. The provider held coffee mornings and promoted free transport to encourage people to avoid social isolation.
There was information available on how to complain People were encouraged to raise their concerns and these were responded to.
There were systems of audit in place to check, monitor and improve the quality of the service. Associated outcomes and actions were recorded and these were reviewed for their effectiveness.
The provider worked effectively with external agencies and health and social care professionals to provide consistent care.
Everybody spoke positively about the way the service was managed. Care workers understood their levels of responsibility and knew when to escalate any concerns.
Further information is in the detailed findings below.