Serenity Care Solent Limited

Updated 20 October 2021

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 carried out by on inspector and an Expert by Experience. An Expert by Experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.

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 service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.

Notice of inspection

We gave the service 48 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because it is a small service and we needed to be sure that the provider or registered manager would be in the office to support the inspection.

Inspection activity started on 23 September 2021 and ended on 06 October 2021. We visited the office location on 23 September 2021.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since registration. 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 sought feedback from the local authority and Healthwatch. Healthwatch is an independent consumer champion that gathers and represents the views of the public about health and social care services in England. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with the registered manager and reviewed a range of records. This included five people’s care records and multiple medicines records. We looked at four staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including quality assurance records were reviewed.

After the inspection

We spoke with six people using the service and one relative. We sought feedback from one further relative. We spoke with four members of staff who were care workers and received feedback from a professional who regularly works with the service. We reviewed the service’s policies and procedures.

Updated 20 October 2021

About the service

Serenity Care Solent Limited is a domiciliary care agency providing care to people in their own homes. The service is registered to support people who may be under or over 65 and who may be living with dementia, mental health conditions, physical disabilities or sensory impairments.

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. At the time of the inspection, the service was providing personal care to 27 people.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

People and their relatives felt the service was safe. Staff were recruited safely. Risks to people were assessed and measures identified to manage risks. Staff received safeguarding training and the management team responded appropriately to any concerns identified. People’s medicines were managed safely. The service had robust infection prevention and control measures in place.

People’s needs were assessed thoroughly in collaboration with people and their relatives. Staff were very positive about the training available to them and people told us staff had the right skills and experience to support them. The service worked closely with commissioners and health professionals to meet people’s needs. 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.

People and their relatives were consistently extremely positive about staff approach and told us they were at the centre of making decisions about their care. Staff spoke passionately about their work, promoted people’s independence and respected their privacy. The service’s policies and procedures supported this.

Staff knew people very well and people were able to communicate their preferences and choices. The service used a variety of tools and technology to support people’s communication. People and their relatives were aware of how to make a complaint and the service welcomed and acted upon any feedback received. The service routinely discussed end of life care wishes with people and their relatives.

People, their relatives and staff spoke extremely positively about the culture of the service. The management team was proactive and approachable, maintaining good communication with people, their relatives, staff and professionals. There were robust quality assurance systems in place, which the management team used to continuously drive improvements to the service.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

Rating at last inspection

This service was registered with us on 11 September 2019 and this is the first inspection.

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on the time since registration of the service.

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.