Archived: Caremark (Wolverhampton)

If you want to see the evidence supporting our summary please read the full report.

Is the service safe?

Most people we spoke with told us they felt safe using the service. One person told us that they had felt unsafe previously, but that the service had improved recently. They told us, 'It's completely changed. It's feels like a fog has lifted'.

Another person told us they did not always feel safe when being mobilised using equipment. We found that some risk assessments for assisting people to mobilise people did not always contain enough detail and one was out of date.

We found that there was no evidence that all staff had completed an appropriate Disclosure and Barring Scheme check. There was a lack of risk assessments in place where this was the case.

Staff told us that no-one who received personal care from the service was subject to a Deprivation of Liberty Safeguard and were able to refuse care should they wish to.

Is the service effective?

We saw that people were involved in the review of their care plan. Staff listened to people and reacted to matters raised within reviews to support people's interests. However, we found that some people's reviews were out of date.

Staff told us they could approach the management team with any issues they had. We found that some staff training was out of date and some staff had not completed the required practical training required to ensure they supported people safely.

Is the service caring?

We observed staff speaking with people on the telephone. We observed that these interactions were caring and staff sought to assist people with their enquiries. One person told us, 'Carers have a laugh with you. They talk everything through with me and make sure I'm alright'.

People were positive about staff members. One person told us their experience of staff had improved recently. We visited some people in their homes. We saw staff reacting to one person's immediate needs in a calm caring manner.

Is the service responsive?

We found that staff responded to people's choices and respected these. People we spoke with told us staff listened to them. Staff were able to accurately describe people's likes and dislikes and their changing needs.

We raised an issue concerning risks assessments in respect of new staff. We found that, when we visited the service approximately two weeks later, the risk assessments were still not in place.

Is the service well-led?

The service was led by a recently appointed care manager who demonstrated that they were in the process of applying for registered manager status. The provider and care manager assisted us during our inspection.

We saw that a number of audits were carried out in order to assess the quality of the care provided before the departure of the registered manager during the month prior to our inspection. We saw that the new care manager was undertaking a process of reassessing records, such as training records, to ensure the service was safe and effective. We found gaps in training and staff checks during our inspection. We have asked the provider to tell us what they are going to do to meet the regulations in relation to staff training and staff checks.

You can see what action we told the provider to take at the back of the full version of the report.

We found that before people received any care or treatment they were asked for their consent by staff who acted in accordance with their wishes. People told us: 'They ask me or let me know what's happening'.

People who used the service told us that the staff were friendly and provided good care. Comments included: 'They are (staff) excellent' and: 'So professional'. Staff we spoke with told us that they had received training and support before they started work at the service. One staff member told us: 'I worked alongside an experienced person (staff). I then felt confident on my own'.

The provider was able to demonstrate that they listened to people who used the service and regularly reviewed and monitored the care to make sure people received appropriate care.