Retain Healthcare Bristol

Updated 20 August 2022

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 Health and Social Care Act 2008.

Inspection team

The inspection team consisted of one inspector and one Expert by Experience who made calls to people and their relatives. 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.

Registered Manager

This service is required to have a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. 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.

At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was announced.

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 10 May 2022 and ended on the 25 May 2022. We visited the location’s office on the 19 May 2022.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service and 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 used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with the registered manager, the provider, the home care manager and one office member of staff and four care staff. The Expert by Experience contacted 13 people and managed to gain views about the service from 11 people. They also spoke with three relatives.

We reviewed a range of records. This included two staff files in relation to their supervision and appraisals and two new staff in relation to their induction and recruitment. We looked at three people’s support plans and two people’s medicines records. We also reviewed incidents and accidents, safeguarding records, notifications, complaints, provider customer satisfaction surveys, the staff handbook and policies and procedures.

Updated 20 August 2022

About the service

Retain Healthcare Bristol is a domiciliary care service that provides support to people in their own home. At the time of our inspection there were 13 people using the service.

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

People received their medicines safely although improvements were required to the recording of external medicines including creams and patches that were applied by staff. People’s support plans contained important information relating to their life histories and medical conditions although some information such as where the person’s gas and water supply safety valves was not always recorded within the designated section of their support plan.

People were supported by staff who received training and spot checks to monitor their practices. Staff felt supported and had supervisions, which were an opportunity to discuss and address any areas of improvement. People felt supported by staff who gave them choice and control. People were supported by enough staff and by staff who had checks prior to working with vulnerable adults.

Staff had a good understanding of the different types of abuse and who they should raise any concerns with. People were supported by staff to access health care professionals when required. Feedback from health and social care professionals confirmed the service worked in partnership with them and communication was now much improved with regular twice a week meetings being undertaken.

Quality assurance systems had not always identified shortfalls found during our inspection. For example, in relation to the recording of topical creams and pain patches on body maps and notifications submitted under the wrong service details. People had their views sought when office staff undertook a review of their care. Following the inspection the registered manager confirmed three people had completed a customer satisfaction survey. All three people were happy with their care.

Rating at last inspection

This service was registered with us on the 25 February 2021 and this is the first inspection.

Why we inspected

This is a planned inspection to check whether the provider was meeting legal requirements and regulations, and to provide a rating for the service.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.

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