23 July 2015
During a routine inspection
We undertook an announced inspection of the Easington District Crossroads on 23 July 2015. We gave the provider two days notice of our visit. The Easington District Crossroads is a domiciliary care agency which provides care services to people in their own homes.
At the time of our inspection the service was providing support to three people. One person was funding their own care, one person was funding their care through a direct payment and one person had their care purchased by a local authority.
Easington District Crossroads was last inspected by CQC on 27 January 2014 and was meeting the regulations inspected.
People who used the service were not able to share their experience of care due to their complex needs. People’s relatives were complimentary about the standard of care and support provided by Easington District Crossroads. One relative told us, “It’s a fantastic service”, “I can’t fault it” and “The staff are lovely and very helpful.”
The service had a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) 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.
The registered manager was accessible and approachable. Staff, people who used the service and their relatives felt able to speak with the registered manager and provided feedback on the service. The registered manager undertook monthly spot checks to review the quality of the service provided.
People were kept safe and free from harm. There were appropriate numbers of staff employed to meet people’s needs and provide a flexible service. Staff were able to accommodate last minute changes to appointments as requested by the people who used the service or their relatives.
The provider had an effective recruitment and selection procedure in place and carried out relevant checks when they employed staff. Staff were knowledgeable about their roles and responsibilities however some training was not up to date. Staff had the experience required to support people with their care and support needs.
Staff received supervision and appraisal which meant that staff were properly supported to provide care to people who used the service.
Staff knew the people they were supporting and provided a personalised service. Care plans were in place detailing how people wished to be supported and people were involved in making decisions about their care. Care plans were written in a person centred way and were reviewed annually or when people’s needs changed.
Staff supported people to help them maintain their independence. People were encouraged to care for themselves where possible. Staff treated people with dignity and respect.