Home Comfort Care

Updated 13 July 2022

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

A single inspector carried out this inspection. They were supported by an Expert 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.

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 not a registered manager in post.

Notice of inspection

We gave the service 48 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because it is a small service and we needed to be sure the provider would be available to support the inspection.

What we did before inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service. We sought feedback from the local authority and professionals who work with the service. 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 took this into account when we inspected the service and made the judgements in this report. We used this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with two people using the service and nine relatives about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with four members of staff and the provider. We reviewed a range of records. These included four people’s care records and medication records. We looked at staff records in relation to recruitment, training, supervision and other records relating to the management of the service, including the electronic call monitoring system, policies and procedures and quality assurance records.

After the inspection

We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found.

Updated 13 July 2022

Home Comfort Care is a domiciliary care agency. At the time of the inspection there were twenty people receiving personal care from the service.

People’s experience of using this service

The providers quality monitoring systems were not always effective. They had not identified the shortfalls we found in relation to recruitment records, sufficient staffing levels and acting to reduce the number of late calls to people using the service.

There were safeguarding adults’ procedures in place. The provider and staff had a clear understanding of these procedures. Where required people received support from staff with their medicines. Staff were following government guidance in relation to infection prevention and control.

People’s care needs were assessed before they started using the service and care plans were in place to ensure staff could support them safely. Staff received training relevant to people’s needs. Where required people received support from staff to maintain a balanced diet. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service support this practice.

People told us they were treated in a caring and respectful manner and they had been consulted about their care needs. They knew how to make a complaint if they needed to. People had access to end of life care and support if it was required.

Staff said they received good support from the provider and care coordinator. The provider took people and their relatives views into account through spot checks and surveys. The provider and staff worked with health care providers to plan and deliver an effective service.

Rating at last inspection and update

This service was registered with us on 23 March 2021 and this is the first inspection.

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection to assess if the provider was complying with our regulations.

Enforcement

We have identified breaches in relation to staffing levels and the providers systems for monitoring the quality and safety of the service.

Please see the action we have told the provider to take at the end of this report.

Follow up

We will request an action plan from the provider to understand what they will do to improve the standards of quality and safety. We will work alongside the provider and local authority to monitor progress. We will return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.