Background to this inspection
Updated
8 June 2023
The inspection
We carried out this performance review and assessment under Section 46 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act). We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements of the regulations associated with the Act and looked at the quality of the service to provide a rating.
Unlike our standard approach to assessing performance, we did not physically visit the office of the location. This is a new approach we have introduced to reviewing and assessing performance of some care at home providers. Instead of visiting the office location we use technology such as electronic file sharing and video or phone calls to engage with people using the service and staff.
Inspection team
This inspection was carried out by 1 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.
Registered Manager
This provider is required to have a registered manager to oversee the delivery of regulated activities at this location. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Registered managers and providers are legally responsible for how the service is run, for the quality and safety of the care provided and compliance with regulations.
At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post.
Notice of inspection
We gave the service 24 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because the management team are often out of the office supporting staff or providing care. We needed to be sure that the provider or manager would be available to support the inspection.
Inspection activity started on 04 May 2023 and ended on 22 May 2023.
What we did before the inspection
We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return (PIR). This is information providers are required to send us annually with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. We reviewed information we had received about the service. We sought feedback from the local authority. We used all this information to plan our inspection.
During the inspection
This performance review and assessment was carried out without a visit to the location’s office. We used technology such as telephone and video calls to enable us to engage with people using the service and staff, and electronic file sharing to enable us to review documentation.
We spoke with 2 relatives. We spoke with 3 staff including the registered manager, care co-ordinator and care staff.
We reviewed a range of records. This included 2 people’s care records. We looked at 5 staff files in relation to recruitment, training, and supervision. A variety of records relating to the management of the service including audits, policies and procedures were reviewed.
Updated
8 June 2023
We expect health and social care providers to guarantee people with a learning disability and autistic people respect, equality, dignity, choices and independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. ‘Right support, right care, right culture’ is the guidance CQC follows to make assessments and judgements about services supporting people with a learning disability and autistic people and providers must have regard to it.
About the service
Edmar Recruitment Services is a domiciliary care agency providing personal care to people living in their own homes or flats. The domiciliary care agency is registered to provide a service to people over and under the age of 65 years old, people living with dementia, people living with physical disabilities, people living with a mental health condition, and people living with a learning disability or autistic spectrum disorder.
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 our inspection there were 2 people being supported with the regulated activity of personal care.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
Right Support:
Relatives shared positive comments about the care and support provided. These comments included, “All staff go above and beyond what is required, and nothing is too much bother. Staff take time to get to know people and their families. They are like a family friend.” Other comments included, “They are not just professionals but also caring human beings.”
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 were motivated and passionate about providing care which was person centred.
Right Care:
People received care which was kind, sensitive and dignified. Staff completed a robust induction which prepared them for their role. This included a blend of online and face to face training, a period of shadowing of experienced staff and time spent familiarising themselves with the service policies, processes, and procedures. People received care at the time which they required it.
Right Culture:
Relatives felt the registered manager was approachable and accessible at all times. People and relatives had been provided information informing them how to contact the service in an emergency and out of hours.
The complaints process was shared with all people, their families and staff when starting with the service. Relatives told us they were very happy with the service but felt confident should they have concerns these would be dealt with promptly.
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 12 February 2021 and this is the first inspection.
Why we inspected
This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service.
Follow up
We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.
This was an ‘inspection using remote technology’. This means we did not visit the office location and instead used technology such as electronic file sharing to gather information, and video and phone calls to engage with people using the service as part of this performance review and assessment.