Drury Healthcare Limited

Drury Healthcare Limited is a domiciliary care agency providing personal care to people living in their own homes. At the time of our inspection there were 42 people using the service.

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

There were systems in place to monitor, maintain and improve the quality of the service. People and relative’s, spoke positively about the leadership of the service. However, whilst staff spoke about their passion and commitment for the work they do, their feedback was not always positive in relation to the registered manager and office staff’s support, communication, and response to concerns they raised.

People’s risks had been identified, reviewed, and updated where required. We have made a recommendation about the management of risk assessments.

People received safe care from staff who knew them well. There was a safeguarding policy in place and the registered manager and staff knew how to identify and report any concerns.

Staff had been safely recruited and pre-employment checks carried out, and the service had enough staff currently to meet the needs of the people using the service.

Staff had received an induction and training to enable them to meet people’s needs. We saw that supervisions, spot checks, competency checks and meetings for staff were carried out. People were supported with their medicines by trained members of staff where required.

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.

Staff told us they had access to personal protective equipment (PPE) and there were effective infection control measures in place. People confirmed appropriate PPE was worn by staff when being provided with care and support.

Rating at last inspection

The last rating for this service was good (published 01 October 2018)

Why we inspected

This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service. We also received concerns in relation to staffing and poor management of the service. As a result, we undertook a focused inspection to review the key questions of safe and well-led only.

For those key questions not inspected, we used the ratings awarded at the last inspection to calculate the overall rating. The overall rating for the service remains good based on the findings of this inspection.

Recommendations

We have made a recommendation for the provider to seek support and guidance in relation to people's risks assessments for catheter care and anticoagulant medicines.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Drury Healthcare Limited on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.

There was a registered manager in place who was present at the inspection. 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.

Risk assessments were carried out to identify any risks to people when providing care and management plans were in place, which set out the actions staff should take to reduce the likelihood of harm.

There were sufficient staff employed and people told us that they received care from a consistent team of staff who knew them well. There were systems in place to ensure that newly recruited staff had been checked to ensure their suitability.

There were systems in place to guide staff in the administration of medicines and regular audits to check that people were receiving their medicines as prescribed.

Staff had received training which provided them with the necessary knowledge and skills. Staff performance was monitored to ensure that they were working to the required standards. Staff told us that they were well supported and the management of the service was approachable and helpful.

People were supported by staff who were described as being kind and caring. Staff enabled people to make choices and remain in control of the decisions around their care.

People were supported to eat and drink in line with their preferences and needs. People had good access to health care support when they needed it.

The support provided by Drury Healthcare was person-centred and flexible, and considered peoples' preferences and individual circumstances. Care plans were informative and provided clear guidance to staff. People's care needs were regularly reviewed and plans amended as required

There was a complaints policy in place and people’s concerns were taken seriously and investigated. People told us that they felt comfortable raising concerns.

The service had a clear vision and strategy to deliver high quality care to people. There was a positive culture which was open and empowering.

Quality assurance systems were in place to drive continuous improvement at the service. People, relatives and staff were provided with opportunities to provide feedback to the management of the service through meetings and surveys. The results showed that people had confidence in the service and the quality of care provided.

Management information was collected and analysed. For example, when incidents took place, the registered manager reflected on what happened to ensure that any learning was identified, and where appropriate information was shared with staff and people who used the service.