15, 26 April 2014
During a routine inspection
We spoke with two people and their relatives who we visited with their permission, and we spoke with the relative of another person on the phone. We also spoke with five of the eight care workers, and to the care co-ordinator and the Registered Manager.
Below is a summary of what we found. The summary describes what people using the service and the staff told us, what we observed and the records we looked at.
If you want to see the evidence that supports our summary please read the full report.
Is the service safe?
The provider was recruiting new care workers as the service grew, in order to meet the needs of people safely. Staff we spoke with confirmed that their schedules of visits allocated sufficient time for them to meet each person's needs.
We saw risk assessments for the environment of each person's house and for support needs such as with moving and handling and the risk of falls.
Staff who we spoke with said that they received the training and support that they needed to meet the needs of the people using the service. The training records showed that staff had induction training to ensure that they understood the policies and procedures of the service for maintaining the safety of people using the service.
Is the service effective?
All the people we spoke with who used the service praised their care workers and said that they had confidence in their skills and abilities. One person told us that the care worker helped them to become more independent, and they were confident that they had the training that they needed to support them. The relative of another person said, 'They are skilled in providing care and in using the equipment (my relative) needs.'
Care plans contained clear information on the support that people needed with their personal and daily living needs. However some care plans did not include full details of how each person preferred to be assisted, for example their preferred procedure for having a shower or a strip wash.
Is the service caring?
Everyone said that they were very happy with the care that they received. They said that they had regular care workers who knew them and their needs, and that they always arrived on time. One person said, '(The care worker) is happy natured and keeps (my relative) laughing.' A relative said, 'There is no problem with getting on with (my relative) as (the care worker) speaks their language.'
Assessments were carried out when people started to use the service, containing full details of each person's needs and preferences. We saw care plans that included people's wishes. People told us that a manager of the service visited them and contacted them regularly so that they were able to discuss any changes they needed.
Is the service responsive?
The care plans included details of the care that each person required and included their individual needs and wishes, for example for a Gujarati speaker. People told us that they had regular care workers who knew them and their needs. The relative of a person who used the service told us, 'The carer is very accommodating, and the support they provide is going very well.'
Is the service well-led?
The provider was developing a reablement service to provide short term rehabilitation for people who needed support to regain their independence.
They liaised with local authorities who commissioned this service before, during and after the reablement in order to ensure that people's on-going needs were addressed.
The provider had an effective system to regularly assess and monitor the quality of service that people received. They had installed an electronic system to check and monitor that visits took place at the scheduled times. There were no complaints recorded that care workers did not arrive.
The care workers we spoke with told us that they had an open relationship with the managers. One care worker said, "The team work and communication is really good. We have an emergency number to use if needed, and we can always call the office if we have any questions or concerns."