Archived: Reed Specialist Recruitment Limited - Community Care - London

Updated 21 September 2015

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

This inspection took place on 20 and 21 July 2015 and was announced. The provider was given 48 hours’ notice because the location provides a domiciliary care service and we needed to be sure that someone would be available at the service. The inspection was carried out by a single inspector.

Before we visited the service we checked the information that we held about it, including notifications sent to us informing us of significant events that had occurred at the service and the results of questionnaires sent out by CQC that had been completed and returned by seven care workers and one community professional. At the inspection we looked at four care records, three staff records, quality assurance records, accident and incident records, correspondence with people who used services, and policies and procedures.

During the inspection we met with the registered manager, the national development manager representing the provider, the business manager and two care workers. Because of their communication needs, people using the service were not able to provide us with feedback about the service. Following the inspection we telephoned three relatives of people receiving support from the service and spoke with them about their relatives’ experiences of using the service and also spoke with a third care worker. We also contacted three social care professionals to request feedback about the service but did not receive responses.

Updated 21 September 2015

This inspection was carried out on 20 and 21 July 2015 and was announced. The provider was given 48 hours’ notice because the location provides a domiciliary care service and we needed to be sure that someone would be available at the service.

There were nine people using the service at the time of the inspection. The service had moved location and was registered with the Care Quality Commission in December 2013 and this was their first inspection. The people using the service had complex needs and were not able to provide us with feedback about the service. We therefore contacted relatives to obtain feedback, plus a community professional had provided feedback prior to the inspection.

Reed Specialist Recruitment Limited - Community Care - London is a domiciliary care agency providing a range of services including personal care for people in their own homes. They specialise in providing care for people with complex needs and the care is commissioned by health and social care services. There was a registered manager in post. 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.

We received positive feedback from relatives, care workers and a community professional, who felt the service was well run and people’s needs were identified and being met with dignity and respect.

People were assessed prior to using the service and care records were comprehensive and person-centred, providing staff with the information they needed about people to care for them effectively.

The service employed enough staff to ensure people’s needs were being met. Staff recruitment procedures were in place and were being followed to ensure suitable staff were employed by the service. Staff received regular training and demonstrated a good understanding of people’s individual needs and wishes and how to meet them.

Risk assessments had been carried out to address each area of risk to individuals. Care workers knew how to respond to medical emergencies or significant changes in a person’s health. Systems were in place to manage emergencies and to provide continuity of care to people.

Staff received training in medicines management and people received their medicines safely. People’s nutritional needs were identified, met and monitored. People’s health was monitored and they received input from healthcare professionals.

Staff understood safeguarding and whistleblowing procedures and were clear about the process to follow to report concerns. Complaints procedures were in place and relatives said they would feel able to raise any issues so they could be addressed.

People’s capacity to make decisions about their care and support had been assessed and people were encouraged to maintain as much independence as they were able and to make decisions for themselves. The registered manager understood their responsibilities in line with the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) 2005.

Systems were in place for monitoring the service and these were being followed. The provider recognised the importance of monitoring and improving the service and accessed health and care organisations to keep up to date with good practice guidance and legislation.