Background to this inspection
Updated
6 January 2022
The inspection
We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act) as part of our regulatory functions. We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act. We looked at the overall quality of the service and provided a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.
Inspection team
The inspection was undertaken by one inspector.
Service and service type
This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats.
The provider was also the manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. This means they are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.
Notice of inspection
This inspection was unannounced.
Inspection activity started on 15 December and ended on 20 December 2021. We visited the office location on 15 December 2021 and made calls to people using the service and spoke further with the provider on 17th and 20th December.
What we did before the inspection
We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return. This is information providers are required to send us with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. This information helps support our inspections. We also used information we had received from the Local Authority. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.
During the inspection
We spoke with two people who used the service about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with three members of staff including the provider.
We reviewed a range of records. This included four people’s care records and medicine administration records. Four staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. A variety of records relating to the management and oversight of the service, including policies and procedures.
After the inspection
We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. We spoke with another provider who formed part of the contingency plan for the service.
Updated
6 January 2022
About the service
Carebank Healthcare Northampton is a domiciliary care agency providing personal care to people in their own homes. At the time of inspection, the service was supporting four people.
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
Systems in place to monitor the quality, safety and performance of the service needed to be embedded before we could fully assess their effectiveness.
Risks to people’s care were assessed but there was a lack of detailed information for new staff to follow to mitigate the risk identified. We have made a recommendation about risk management planning.
People were cared for safely. Safe recruitment practices were in place and staff understood their responsibilities to keep people safe from harm or abuse. People received their medicines safely and there were effective practices in place to protect people from infection.
People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.
The provider was open and honest and listened to people, taking action when necessary. They liaised with other health and social care professionals and were committed to providing person-centred care.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
Rating at last inspection (and update) The last rating for this service was requires improvement (published 8 June 2021) and there were two breaches of regulation. The provider completed an action plan after the last inspection to show what they would do and by when to improve. At this inspection we found improvements had been made and the provider was no longer in breach of regulations.
Why we inspected
We undertook this inspection to follow up on the Warning Notice we previously served in relation to Regulation 17(Good governance).
This report only covers our findings in relation to the Key Questions Safe and Well-led which contain those requirements.
The ratings from the previous comprehensive inspection for those key questions not looked at on this occasion were used in calculating the overall rating at this inspection. The overall rating for the service has remained as requires improvement. This is based on the findings at this inspection.
You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Carebank Healthcare Northampton on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.
Follow up
We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.