We carried out a review of the data available to us about Radfield Home Care Bexhill, Hastings & Battle on 6 July 2023. We have not found evidence that we need to carry out an inspection or reassess our rating at this stage.
This could change at any time if we receive new information. We will continue to monitor data about this service.
If you have concerns about Radfield Home Care Bexhill, Hastings & Battle, you can give feedback on this service.
Radfield Home Care Bexhill, Hastings & Battle is a domiciliary care agency providing personal care to people in their own home. Not everyone who used the service received personal care. The Care Quality Commission (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. At the time of our inspection there were 60 people using the service, of which 36 were receiving the regulated activity of personal care. People receiving a service were older and living with dementia, frailty and other age related conditions
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
We found areas of outstanding practice in the care provided by Radfield Home Care Bexhill, Hastings & Battle. The use of pioneering technology used in a person centred way ensured that people received outstandingly effective care that met their current and changing needs.
The provider had developed innovative and effective systems that promoted people’s health, improved their independence and enabled them to live in their own home for as long as possible. People and staff universally had their equality, diversity and culture celebrated, and their rights promoted and respected. The service was inclusive, educational and empowering.
People using the service were consistent in their view that the service was unique in its delivery of care and delivered outstanding care. Typical comments included, “What a fantastic team Radfield are, from the Manager to the office team, a true credit to the care staff, they are all very supportive of all my friend's care needs.” There was a culture of embracing learning and development within the service. People and their relatives felt confident in the skills of the staff and they received effective care that met their needs.
The registered manager and dedicated and enthusiastic staff demonstrated an exceptional commitment to enabling people to live well with dementia and grow old with dignity. People received outstandingly high-quality care that met and exceeded their needs, and improved their wellbeing, independence and happiness. Staff treated people with respect, dignity and compassion. They were motivated, passionate and proud of their jobs and people had a regular team of care workers and felt they had become part of the extended family. People and their relatives felt respected, valued and listened to.
The service had built an outstanding model of care and support provided to people. People told us they thought the service was well managed and they received high quality care that met their needs and improved their wellbeing from dedicated and enthusiastic staff. A relative stated, “I have found Radfield Home Care to be outstanding in their care of my mother. All aspects of the company, management, support staff and carers have exceeded my expectations, which were high.” Innovative and practical technology was used to enhance peoples care, but also to entertain and teach people and staff new skills and increase their knowledge.
People told us they felt safe having carers support them in their own homes. People’s physical, mental health and emotional needs were assessed before they began using the service. Care plans were written with people and focused on their individual specific needs and preferences. The management team completed checks and audits on the quality and safety of the service to make sure they had good oversight.
People were supported by staff who had been safely recruited, and they were protected from the risks of discrimination, abuse and avoidable harm. Risks to people’s health, safety and welfare were monitored and reviewed. Measures were in place to reduce risks.
People told us staff always wore the appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE). Staff had access to PPE stock and completed training about how to use it appropriately.
People were 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.
People told us they knew how to complain but had no complaints about the service they received. They felt confident they would be listened to, should they need to complain. Complaints and compliments were shared with staff to address areas for improvement and to celebrate successes.
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 02 November 2018).
Why we inspected
We undertook this inspection as part of a random selection of services rated Good and Outstanding.
Follow up
We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.
Not everyone using Radfield Home Care received a regulated activity. CQC only inspects the service being received by people provided with ‘personal care’; help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do, we also take into account any wider social care provided. At the time of inspection, the service provided personal care support to ten people.
There was 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. The registered manager was on leave at the time of inspection but the owner and the field care supervisor were present during the inspection.
The organisation had effective systems to monitor and review the quality of the care provided. They were aware that as the service developed and increased in size the systems to monitor and review the service would also need to be developed further.
People told us they had continuity of carers. They said staff always arrived on time and stayed for their allocated time. They told us staff always completed the tasks required of them along with any additional requests. One person told us, they will do extras such as putting the washing out and bring it in on their next visit later in the day.”
People were supported by staff who demonstrated kindness and had a caring approach. Staff knew people well. They understood people’s physical, social and emotional needs. We received numerous positive comments. For example, “The staff are wonderful. I’m a very lucky person.” A relative told us, “The staff are marvellous, they keep us informed, phone daily and if we have concerns we can talk to the owner.”
People knew how to complain but everyone said they had no need to. They said they would have no hesitation in picking up the phone if needed as they were confident the office staff would address any issue brought to their attention.
Staff had a good understanding of safeguarding procedures and knew what actions to take if they believed people were at risk of abuse. There were thorough recruitment procedures that ensured as far as possible staff were suitable and safe to work with people. As part of the assessment process risk assessments were carried out in relation to people’s homes and to their individual needs and where necessary, actions were taken to mitigate risks to reduce the risk of accidents or injuries.
There were good systems for the management of medicines. These ensured people received support in a safe way. There was information in care plans about how people liked to take their medicines. Care staff had received training on medicines and there were systems to monitor their competency in this area.
Spot checks were carried out at regular intervals to monitor staff performance. Staff attended regular training to ensure they could meet people’s needs. There was a thorough induction to the service and staff felt confident to meet people’s needs before they worked independently. People told us they valued the fact that office staff came to check on staff as this meant they cared about their staff.
The owner and staff had a good understanding of their responsibilities in relation to the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA). The MCA are regulations that have to be followed to ensure people who cannot make decisions for themselves are protected. 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.
Care plans gave staff detailed advice and guidance on how to meet people’s needs. People told us they had been involved as part of the process. Care plans were reviewed regularly and as and when people’s needs changed. If professional advice and support was sought then this was included within the documentation. People had the equipment they needed to keep them safe.
The owner had worked hard to make the agency known within their local area. Feedback from professionals who had contact with the agency was very positive. Comments included, ‘From my dealings with Radfield Care and the staff in the Hastings and Rother area, I feel that this organisation is compliant and very well led.’ Another professional told us, ‘The management team are very strong and know what is required of them and their staff. We found the organisation to be well led.’