Somerset Care Community Services (Wiltshire)

Updated 27 October 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

This inspection was carried out by two inspectors and two Experts 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.

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. This was to enable the registered manager to prepare information and to seek consent from people for us to contact them as part of this inspection.

Inspection activity started on 13 September 2022 and ended on 29 September 2022. We visited the location’s office on 27 September 2022.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. The provider was not asked to complete a Provider Information Return (PIR) prior to this inspection. A PIR is information providers send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with 16 people and 11 relatives about their experiences of care received. We spoke with 10 members of staff, the registered manager and the provider’s head of community services.

We reviewed care and support plans for 15 people and reviewed multiple medication records, staff meeting minutes, staff observation records, training data, safeguarding logs, complaints logs, quality monitoring data including people’s quality calls and reviews, compliments log, medicines incidents analysis and policies and procedures. We also reviewed four staff files in relation to recruitment.

Updated 27 October 2022

About the service

Somerset Care Community Services (Wiltshire) is a domiciliary care agency and was providing personal care to 140 people at the time of the inspection.

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.

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

People had their medicines as prescribed. Staff used an electronic medicine recording system which meant office staff had an overview of medicines administration. We found people with ‘as required’ medicines did not always have a protocol for their medicines. We have made a recommendation about ‘as required’ protocols.

People’s risks had been identified and risk management plans were in place to support people safely. Staff had reviewed them regularly and updated plans when people’s needs changed. People had their own care plan which was personalised and detailed. There was guidance in place for staff to know what people’s likes, dislikes and preferences were.

People were supported by sufficient numbers of staff. Due to short notice sickness or other staffing challenges there were times when staff levels were impacted. There was a team of office staff available to visit people where needed and a risk management system was in place. People’s needs were reviewed, and calls rated to make sure vulnerable people got their essential visits. The registered manager was trying different ways to recruit new staff and had experienced some success. Staff had been recruited safely.

Staff had supplies of personal protective equipment and had been trained on how to use it safely. Staff had also received training on a range of topics such as moving and handling, safeguarding and medicines management. Refreshers were provided when needed and staff had observations and assessments carried out for competence.

New staff received an induction and given support to learn their role. All staff had regular supervisions and an annual appraisal to discuss training and development 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.

Staff carried out assessments for a range of areas and updated information regularly. People had life history information recorded which helped staff understand people’s needs and preferences. Staff worked with local healthcare professionals when needed and made timely referrals.

Systems were in place to make sure there was good communication amongst the staff. Staff told us they thought there was good teamwork and they were supported by managers.

Quality monitoring systems were in place to help identify any improvement. The provider had good oversight of the service and carried out regular checks of key areas such as accidents, incidents and safeguarding. There was a registered manager in place who was supported by a team of managers and senior workers. People and staff told us they felt able to raise concerns and knew how to do this.

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 19 March 2021 and this is the first inspection. The last rating for the service at the previous premises was good (published 15 May 2018).

Why we inspected

This was the first inspection of the service since the provider made changes to their registration.

Recommendations

We have made one recommendation with regards to ‘as required’ protocols.

Follow up

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