Archived: Mountaincare Ltd

Mountaincare Ltd is a domiciliary care agency. At the time of the inspection it was providing personal care to one person living in their own home.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

The person and their relatives spoke positively about the care provided. The service had a small staff team who worked closely together and knew the person well.

The systems in place for monitoring the quality and safety of the service were not robust.

We have made recommendations about the management of medicines, staff training, end of life care and oral health care.

Risks to the person were assessed and monitored but records were not always updated. Staff did not always have appropriate, up to date training to meet the person’s needs.

Staff were trained in the administration of medicines. However, medicines records were not always completed accurately.

Staff had received safeguarding training and knew what action to take to protect the person from the risk of harm. There were enough staff available to support the person.

The service worked closely with other health professionals and accessed health services when needed.

The person was supported with their nutritional needs.

The person was supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

Care was personalised. Staff were kind and caring and treated the person with dignity and respect.

The person and their relatives knew how to raise concerns and told us they were confident action would be taken by the service if necessary.

Staff felt supported by the registered manager. The service sought regular feedback from the person and their relatives.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

Rating at last inspection

The last rating for this service was Good (published 19 July 2016)

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.

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. 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 were safeguarded because staff had an awareness of how to protect people from harm and ensure that their rights were upheld. People were cared for safely by staff who had been recruited and employed after appropriate checks had been completed. People’s needs were met due to staff having up to date information about their support needs. Care and treatment was planned and delivered in a way that was intended to ensure people's safety and welfare.

Where appropriate, support and guidance was sought from health care professionals, including GPs and hospices. People were supported with their nutrition and hydration needs. Staff supported people with their medication as required.

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. Staff were attentive to people's needs and treated people with dignity and respect.