Archived: Care Dynamics Yorkshire

We considered all the evidence we had gathered under the outcomes we inspected.

We used the information to answer the five key questions we always ask;

' Is the service safe?

' Is the service effective?

' Is the service caring?

' Is the service responsive?

' Is the service well led?

This is a summary of what we found. The summary describes what we observed, the records we looked at and what the relatives of people who used the service and staff told us.

Is the service safe -

The manager told us sufficient staff were employed for operational purposes and there was a good skill mix within the staff team.The support workers we spoke with confirmed they had attended an induction programme and received on-going training and support which ensured they had the skills they needed to support the people they cared for. This demonstrated to us the manager did not allow staff to work unsupervised until they felt confident they were competent to carry out their roles safely

We found the service had infection control policies in place which included guidance to support workers on the control and prevention of health care associated infections and correct hand washing procedures. This demonstrated to us there were effective systems in place to reduce the risk and spread of infection..

The relatives we spoke with told us support workers were professional in their approach to providing care and support and always appeared competent and well trained. We found the support workers we spoke with had a good understanding of people's need and encouraged people to remain as independent as possible within a risk management framework.

Is the service effective -

The relatives we spoke with told us they were involved in planning people's care and support and were pleased with the standard of support they received. They also told us the management team were very approachable and they could contact them at any time if they had a problem.

We saw support plans were in place for all people who used the service and they were generated from the initial needs assessment. We saw people who used the service or their relatives had signed their support plans which showed that the plan had been explained to them and they had agreed and understood the content. We looked at four support care plans and found they were person centred and provided support workers with the information they needed to carry out their roles effectively and in people's best interest.

Is the service caring -

The relatives we spoke with told us they were involved in the planning of people's care and support and were pleased with the standard of care they received. They also told us both the manager and senior management team listened to them regarding how they wanted their care and support to be delivered and all the support workers were kind, caring and friendly.

The manager told us to make sure support workers were suitably matched to the people they supported people were always sent a personal profile of the support workers they considered had the skills and experience to meet their needs. We saw the profiles provided information about the support workers background, interests and qualifications. This meant people who used the service were able to choose who they wanted to provide their care and support. We were also told support workers were always introduced to people before any service started.

One relative told us "The support workers are excellent, they never let me down and are always pleasant and cheerful." Another relative told us "The support workers are very caring and the fact you are provided with their profiles and meet the person before they start to provide a service is an excellent idea."

Is the service responsive -

The relatives of people who used the service told us the initial assessment process was thorough and the manager had listened to them regarding how they wanted their care and support to be delivered. They also told us they were encouraged to ask questions during the initial assessment visit and this had helped them to make an informed decision about whether or not the agency could meet their needs.

One relative told us the agency had a flexible approach to providing care and support and had acted on their request to change their support package at short notice. Another relative said "The care and support people receive is tailored to their individual needs which can change quickly. From my own experience I know that if I contact the manager they are always willing to accommodate any changes requested."

Is the service well led -

We saw there was a quality assurance monitoring system in place that was designed to continually monitor and identify shortfalls in the service and any non-compliance with the essential standards of quality and safety.

We saw as part of the quality assurance monitoring process the agency sent out annual survey questionnaires to people who used the service and/or their relatives to seek their views and opinions of the care and support they received. In addition, we found the agency also sent out survey questionnaires to the support workers which gave them opportunity to air their views and opinions of the service and measured how well they thought the agency was managed. This showed us the provider had appropriate systems in place to obtain the feedback of people who used and were employed by the service.

The relatives of people who used the service told us they had confidence in the manager and management team. They said they were approachable and were in contact with them on a regular basis. One person said "I have the contact details for the manager and management team and have always been able to contact them if I have a problem or concern." Another relative said "Although I have had in the past had some concerns about the service things have improved recently and I am now contacted on a regular basis by the manager or a senior member of staff which is reassuring."

The support workers we spoke with confirmed they were well supported by the manager and senior management team. They said they could contact them at any time if they had concerns. All the support workers we spoke with told us the communication between management and staff was excellent. This ensured the needs of people who used the service were met in line with their agreed support plan.

We spoke with seven relatives of people who used the service. They all told us staff treated their relative with dignity and respect. Overall people told us they were happy with the care and support their relatives' received. One person said they were 'very happy with the service provided'. Another said 'staff are always calm, they know my relative and how to react to their moods'. Most people told us staff usually arrived on time and felt the service was flexible if they needed to alter the times or level of support.

All seven relatives told us they had no concerns when they left their relative in the care of Care Dynamics Yorkshire staff. One person said 'I have full trust and confidence in staff'.

Everyone we spoke with told us if there were any problems they felt able to raise these with staff and were confident they would be listened to.