- Homecare service
Innovative Start Ltd
Assessment report published 9 July 2025
Contents
Ratings
Our view of the service
Date of assessment: 18 December 2024 to 18 January 2025. Innovative Start Ltd is registered to provide support with personal care to people in their own homes. At the time of assessment, the service supported 49 people.
The assessment was carried out following on-going concerns since our first assessment of the service. The previous assessment was not rated, as we did not assess enough quality statements. However, at that time we found four breaches of the legal regulations in relation to safeguarding, safe care and treatment, governance and informing CQC of events they were required to notify to us.
We undertook this assessment to check the provider had followed the action plan they completed after the previous inspection and to confirm they now met legal requirements. At this comprehensive assessment, we found the provider remained in breach of four legal regulations. In addition, we found two new breaches in relation to staffing and recruitment.
People were not safeguarded from potential abuse and risks were not always identified and mitigated.
Safe medicine practices were not promoted. Safe recruitment practice was not always followed and staff did not receive suitable support.
Records were not always accurate or well-maintained. Governance systems had not identified or addressed areas for improvement. The service failed to notify us of incidents which they are required to.
In instances where CQC has decided to take civil or criminal enforcement action against a provider, we will publish this information on our website after any representations and/or appeals have been concluded.
This service is being placed in special measures. The purpose of special measures is to ensure services providing inadequate care make significant improvements. Special measures provide a framework within which we use our enforcement powers in response to inadequate care and provide a timeframe within which providers must improve the quality of care they provide.
People's experience of this service
We received mixed feedback from people about the quality of their care although the majority of it was positive. Themes for improvement were concentrated on timing of care calls, both length and punctuality, and the need for improved communication from the office. Comments included “The times are not really good for her meds (medicines)”, “It’s just the timing problem that I have complained about but it does not ever change which can be annoying at times, especially when I have actually asked them to change it.”
Whilst the people we spoke with expressed they were generally happy with their care, our assessment found elements of care did not meet the expected standards.
People told us when they received support from regular care staff they were confident they supported them in a positive way. Comments from people included “It has worked out really well”, “We have no complaints at all, we are very well looked after” and “Staff treat me well, no problems 9 out of 10 times.” However, people who were less positive told us, “When it works the care is lovely but I don’t want to rely on one carer,” and “When it’s working well my privacy and dignity is respected.”
People told us they thought most staff had the right skills to do the job. However, records at the service did not support this feedback. Comments from people included, “They (staff) are well-trained and they hoist (family member),” “I feel they (staff) are trained well and would know what to do if necessary if I did fall” and “Staff are experienced and well-trained.” However, one person told us “Carers are not trained to use the lifting aid, can’t operate it.” Another person told us they wanted staff to be better trained in meeting their needs.
People told us they felt staff were kind and caring. Comments included “They are all nice and kind to me”, and “They’re kind and caring.” People told us staff treated them with dignity and respect.