Archived: Complete Care Services Rossendale

At our last inspection on 2 March 2016 we rated the service good. At this inspection we found the evidence continued to support the rating of good and there was no evidence or information from our inspection and ongoing monitoring that demonstrated serious risks or concerns. This inspection report is written in a shorter format because our overall rating of the service has not changed since our last inspection

Complete Care Services (Rossendale) is a domiciliary care agency located in Rawtenstall, Lancashire. It provides personal care to people living in their own homes. It mainly provides a service to older adults. At the time of the inspection it provided care and support to 68 people.

The service had a registered manager in post. They knew the service well and were knowledgeable about their responsibilities with regard to the Health and Social Care Act 2014. They demonstrated good knowledge of the needs of the management and care staffing team.

All of the people we spoke with told us staff turned up on time to deliver care that they were scheduled to complete. We saw that staff at the office used a monitoring system so that they could see when staff had arrived at a person's home. Where staff were seen to be running late, they took action to reduce the likelihood of late calls.

The service had safeguarding and whistle-blowing procedures in place and staff had a clear understanding of these procedures. Appropriate recruitment checks took place before staff started work. Staff completed an induction when they started work and received training relevant to people’s needs.

There was enough staff available to meet people’s care and support needs. Risks to people had been assessed and reviewed regularly to ensure their needs were safely met. Medicines were managed appropriately and people were receiving their medicines as prescribed by health care professionals.

Assessments of people’s care and support needs were carried out before they started using the service. People’s care files included assessments relating to their dietary support needs. Senior staff and management staff had a good understanding of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and acted according to this legislation. People had access to health care professionals when they needed them.

Staff treated people in a caring, respectful and dignified manner. People had been consulted about their care and support needs. People were provided with appropriate information about the service. This ensured they were aware of the standard of care they should expect. People could communicate their needs effectively and could understand information in the current written format provided to them however information was available in different formats when it was required.

People received personalised care that met their needs. People were involved in planning for their care needs. They knew about the provider’s complaint's procedure and said they were confident their complaints would be listened to and acted on. Staff said they would support people according to their diverse needs. There were systems in place to provide people with end of life care and support if and when it was required. People's relatives praised the level of care that was provided to their loved ones at the end stages of their lives.

The provider recognised the importance of monitoring the quality of the service provided to people. They took people’s views into account through satisfaction surveys. Senior staff carried out spot checks to make sure people were being supported in line with their care plans. Staff said they enjoyed working at the service and they received good support from managers, the provider's representative and office staff. There was an out of hours on call system in operation that ensured management support and advice was always available for staff when they needed it.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.

Complete Care Services Rossendale is a domiciliary care service. The agency's office is located in the centre of Rossendale in Lancashire. The service provides flexible personalised care and support for people who require additional support to live independently within the community. Additional services are offered such as domestic support and carer support. At the time of the inspection 70 adults were using the service for personal care and or domestic support.

The service was last inspected in May 2013 and was found compliant in all areas inspected.

At the time of the inspection there was a registered manager at the service. However, the registered manager was not present over the two days of 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.

During this inspection people indicated that they were very happy with the service provided by the agency. Comments included, “I am very pleased with the service” and “I am never rushed, the girls will sit with me and have a natter. It’s lovely” and “If they are ever running late they always let me know”. The service manager told us she felt confident the care staff would go the extra mile for the people they cared for. The people we spoke with confirmed this and gave examples of when the weather had been bad due to snow and how the care staff still attended on foot. Staff expressed how happy they were working for the service and how supported they felt in their role.

We noted the service had robust processes and procedures in place to maintain a safe environment for people using the service and staff members. The service had detailed and up to date health and safety checks for each person’s house. These covered areas such as outside steps, and pathways, lighting, flags, floor space, slip and trip hazards, water temperature, electrical appliances and lifting aids. These were reviewed every six months. People also told us that staff would ensure their safety buy securing their property when leaving.

We noted robust safeguarding procedures were in place and staff showed a good understanding around recognising the signs of abuse. Staff had also undertaken safeguarding training. People who used the service showed a good understanding of how to raise any issues if needed.

At the time of inspection we found the service had adequate staffing levels. Staff told us they had adequate time to undertake the caring role effectively, but added that at times due to unforeseen circumstances the job could be “Hectic” however this would be managed effectively by the service manager. People told us visits were never missed and they did not feel rushed when the carers arrived. People told us how the carers would offer to do extra jobs such as prepare breakfast.

We found the service had a good recruitment system in place. We looked at four staff recruitment files. We noted in most cases relevant documentation was present however, two of the files had documents missing. The service manager told us she was aware of this and would source the documentation as a matter of priority.

The service had processes in place for the appropriate administration of medicines. Staff were adequately trained in medication administration. People told us they received their medication when required and on time. Care staff told us the service manager carried out ‘spot checks’ on medication management and the outcome of these checks was discussed at supervision.

Each person using the service had detailed individual risk assessments based on their need. The assessments we looked at reflected risks associated with the person's individual needs and preferences. Strategies had been drawn up to guide staff on how to manage and respond to identified risks. Risk assessment’s considered areas around manual handling, skin integrity, pressure relief, well-being, dietary requirements, family contact and the risk of social isolation.

We saw detailed care plans, which gave clear information about people’s needs, wishes, feelings and health conditions. Care plans considered areas around the person’s well-being, personal safety and risk taking, specialist input from other health care professionals, religious commitments and personal care requirements. Care plan review meetings involved the person, their family member when necessary and service manager. Changes to people’s needs and requirements were communicated well which meant staff were kept up to date with these changes.

We saw the service had detailed training programmes. This ensured care staff were equipped with the correct knowledge to support people effectively. All people spoken with were very positive about staff knowledge and skills and felt their needs were being met appropriately. We noted a robust training matrix system was in place. This enabled the manager to track when staff had received training and when training was due.

Staff spoken with were aware of the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and Court of Protection. These provided legal safeguards for people who may be unable to make their own decisions. The management team also demonstrated their knowledge about the process to follow should it be necessary to place any restrictions on a person who used the service in their best interests.

We had positive feedback from people using the service, relatives and staff about the management team. People told us they were happy to approach management with any concerns or questions. One family member told us they could call into the office at any time and the service manager would make herself available. We noted throughout the inspection that the service manager and area manager were very accommodating to us and open and honest about the service. They provided us with all the information we required at the time of the visit.