21 June 2017
During a routine inspection
Empathy Care offers support with personal care to people living in their own homes. Social support and assistance with domestic tasks was available in some cases but is outside the scope of this inspection. We reviewed the support people received in areas such as getting into and out of bed, with washing and dressing, and with eating and drinking. At the time of this inspection, there were 11 people receiving this sort of support from the agency.
There was a registered manager in post, who had been managing the service since it was set up. The registered manager was also a director of the company which provided the service. 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.
Improvements were required in relation to the safety of the service, particularly in how recruitment processes contributed towards protecting people. The registered manager completed checks to see if applicants had a criminal record that might make them unsuitable for care work, and to ensure they were not barred from working in care services. However, checks on applicants’ employment histories were not robust enough. There were also potential risks to people's safety in the event of an accident or emergency occurring while staff were supporting people. This was because staff were not trained in first aid so they could deliver it while they waited for support from emergency services.
There were enough staff to meet people's needs effectively and safely. Staff were aware of the importance of reporting any suspicions that people were at risk of harm or abuse so people's safety was promoted. Staff also knew how to report and share information about any changes in people's wellbeing or health. This included reporting anything which might mean the registered manager needed to review people's care with them.
The registered manager involved people in reviews of their care so that the service was responsive to their wishes. Where people also wished their family members to be involved, the registered manager ensured this happened.
If it was a part of people's care packages, staff supported them with preparation of meals and drinks of their choice. They offered support and assistance to eat or drink if people needed it.
When people expressed views and preferences about their care, the registered manager adjusted their care plans and ensured he made staff aware of the changes. Staff were aware of the importance of asking people for their consent before they delivered care and of acting in people's best interests. They also understood people's interests so that they could engage well with people when they delivered care.
Staff had developed warm and compassionate relationships with the people they supported. They supported people in a way that promoted people's dignity and privacy, as well as encouraging their independence. If people had any concerns about the way staff treated them, or about their care in general, they were confident that the registered manager would deal with them.
People were confident in the leadership and management of the service, and the approachable nature of the registered manager. They were satisfied they received a good quality service and could express their views openly about it.
The registered manager had identified where they needed to make improvements in the organisation of the service, in particular around recording systems for staff competence and checks. They had already implemented systems that were leading to improvement.
Staff had a clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities. People felt that staff worked well as a team to deliver their care. Staff also understood the importance of treating people as individuals and in the way they would want one of their own family to be cared for.