11 December 2014
During a routine inspection
This inspection took place on 11 December 2014 and was announced. The provider was given 48 hours’ notice because the location provides a domiciliary care service and we needed to be sure that someone would be in. The service was last inspected on 12 December 2013 and was found to be meeting all the regulations we checked at that time.
The service provides support with personal care to adults and children living in their own homes. Sixty six people were using the service at the time of our inspection. The service had a registered manager in place. 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. Safeguarding procedures were in place and staff knew how to respond to allegations of abuse. Risk assessments were in place which provided information about how to reduce the risks people faced, including risks associated with behaviours that challenged the service. There were enough staff to meet people’s assessed needs and robust staff recruitment procedures were in place. Medicines were administered in a safe way.
Although staff undertook regular training and were provided with supervision from senior staff they did not always have an annual appraisal of their performance and development needs. We recommend that all care staff receive an annual appraisal of their performance and development needs to help support them to develop their knowledge, skills and understanding.
People told us they were able to make choices about their care and staff sought consent from people before providing personal care. People were supported to eat and drink in a safe manner. The service worked with other care providers to help meet people’s needs.
People told us they were treated with dignity and respect. The service sought to meet people’s needs in relation to equality and diversity issues.
The service carried out assessments of people’s needs to determine if they could be met before they commenced providing care. Care plans were in place which set out people’s support needs and staff had a good understanding of the needs of the people they worked with. People told us care was provided in a personalised manner. There were effective systems in place for dealing with complaints.
There was a clear management structure in place and staff told us that senior staff were approachable and helpful. The service had various quality assurance and monitoring systems in place. Some of these included seeking the views of people that used the service.