Archived: Crossroads Care In Norfolk

Updated 16 January 2015

The inspection team consisted of an inspector and 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. Our expert by experience had experience in inspecting services for children.

We looked at all the information we held about the service prior to the inspection. Before the inspection, the provider completed a Provider Information Return (PIR). This is a form that asks the provider to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and the improvements they plan to make.

The methods we used on our inspection included speaking with 28 people who used the service and some of their relatives. We spoke with three care staff members, one manager and looked at four sets of care plans, staff training records and two sets of recruitment records held in the main office for this service. All this information helped us with the inspection process.

Updated 16 January 2015

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 and to pilot a new inspection process being introduced by CQC which looks at the overall quality of the service.

This was an announced inspection. A previous inspection to this service had been completed in January 2014 and the service was found to be meeting the requirements of our regulations.

Crossroads Care in Norfolk provides support to carers of vulnerable children and adults. The service provided by care staff gives the carer a break from their caring role. It offers care and support to approximately 50 people in and around Dereham in Norfolk.

The service had a registered manager in post. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service and has the legal responsibility for meeting the requirements of the law; as does the provider.

People told us they felt safe and well cared for by a team of staff who had worked with them for a long time.

Records showed that staff went through robust procedures to ensure they were suitable to work with vulnerable people.

Risks were assessed and acted upon to reduce or remove the risk. We had not received any safeguarding or whistleblowing concerns.

The CQC is required by law to monitor the operation of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA).

Training was provided or planned for all staff and specialist training was given prior to specialist care being provided to ensure staff were skilled and able to do the job required.

We found the service offered care and support to people that was kind, caring, compassionate and respectful. Most people using the service could not find any fault with the care and support provided. They told us that they had received the same carers for a number of years who knew them well.

Family members were happy with the care provided but some told us the care plans were not up to date and that there were problems on occasions when contacting the office which sometimes caused problems when trying to change the care required.

Improvements were required on the methods used for communication in the office with answer machine messages not always acted upon.

The systems used for reviewing individual people’s needs required improvement to ensure the current information was recorded and that care provided was suitable.

People using the service were asked their opinion on the quality of the service and action was taken on areas requiring improvement. Complaints were dealt with and although some people did not know how to complain said they could find out if they had a complaint to make.