Home Instead

Updated 28 August 2019

The inspection

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act) as part of our regulatory functions. We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act. We looked at the overall quality of the service and provided a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

Inspection team

A single inspector carried out this inspection.

Service and service type

This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats.

The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was announced. We gave the service 72 hours’ notice of the inspection visit to ensure the registered manager would be present and ensure people’s consent was gained for us to speak with them for their feedback. Inspection activity started on 22 July 2019 and ended on 24 July 2019. We visited the office location on 23 July 2019.

What we did before inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We sought feedback from professionals who work with the service. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return. This is information providers are required to send us with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. This information helps support our inspections. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We looked at four people’s care records, two staff recruitment records, records relating to the management of the service such as medicines, quality assurance checks and policies and procedures. We spoke with three staff members, the registered manager and the director of operations about how the service ran and what it was like to work there. We spoke with four people using the service and four relatives. We visited one person at their home and spoke with them to gain their views about the care and support they received.

After the inspection

We continued to seek clarification from relatives, staff, a health care professional and the provider to validate evidence found. We looked at training data and quality assurance records.

Updated 28 August 2019

About the service

Home Instead Senior Care is a domiciliary care agency registered to provide personal care to people living in their own homes. At the time of this inspection the agency was providing a service to 32 people. Not everyone who used the service received personal care. CQC only inspects where people receive personal care. This is help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do we also consider any wider social care provided.

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

The service was rated Outstanding in caring at our last inspection. The service continued to be Outstanding in the way they cared for people. Staff demonstrated a real empathy for the people they cared for. They had a clear understanding of people’s needs and had developed positive relationships with them and their family members. One person told us their regular care worker was consistent and excellent. A relative said the provider offered a genuinely caring and outstanding service.

The service had safeguarding and whistleblowing policies and procedures in place and staff had a clear understanding of these procedures. Appropriate recruitment checks had taken place before staff started work and there were enough staff available to meet people’s care and support needs. People’s medicines were managed safely. Risks to people had been assessed to ensure their needs were safely met. The service had procedures in place to reduce the risk of infections.

People’s care and support needs were assessed before they started to use the service. Staff had the skills, knowledge and experience to support people appropriately. Staff were supported through induction, training and regular supervision. People were supported to maintain a healthy balanced diet and had access to health care professionals when they needed them. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

The provider had achieved positive outcomes for some people when they had been discharged from hospital. A relative told us after a month of support from the agency their loved one’s health had dramatically improved and they hadn’t looked back since. The service supported people to avoid social isolation and to take part in activities that were relevant to them. People and their relatives (where appropriate) had been consulted about their care and support needs. The service had a complaints procedure in place. There were procedures in place to make sure people had access to end of life care and support if it was required.

The registered manager had worked in partnership with health and social care providers to plan and deliver an effective service. The provider took people and their relatives views into account through satisfaction surveys. Staff enjoyed working at the service and said they received good support from the registered manager.

Rating at last inspection

The last rating for this service was Good (published 10 January 2017).

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.