Background to this inspection
Updated
11 December 2018
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 comprehensive inspection took place on 15 October 2018 and was announced. We gave the manager two working days’ notice as the location provided a service to people in their own homes and we needed to confirm the registered manager would be available when we inspected.
The inspection was conducted by one inspector.
Prior to the inspection we looked at the information we held on the service including notifications of significant events and safeguarding. Notifications are for certain changes, events and incidents affecting the service or the people who use it that providers are required to notify us about. We also contacted the local authority’s safeguarding team and commissioning team and received their feedback about the service.
During the inspection we spoke with the manager covering the registered manager’s post, the service manager and seven care workers. We viewed the care records of 11 people using the service, the employment files for 10 care workers which included recruitment records, supervision and appraisals and we looked at training records for all staff members. We also viewed the service’s checks and audits to monitor the quality of the service provided to people. After the inspection visit we spoke with nine people using the service and one relative.
Updated
11 December 2018
This comprehensive inspection took place on 15 October 2018 and was announced. We gave the service manager two working days’ notice as the location provided a service to people in their own homes and we needed to confirm a manager would be available when we inspected. The last comprehensive inspection of the service was on 5 May 2016 when we rated it good.
Mayfair Homecare is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats. It provides a service to older adults, some living with the experience of dementia, people with learning disabilities and people with mental health needs. Most people funded their care through direct payments. At the time of our inspection 43 people were using the service. Mayfair Homecare Hounslow is a branch of Sevacare, a private organisation which has multiple domiciliary care agency locations around England.
The provider had been planning to close the Hounslow location in July 2018 as one of their contracts had ended. Due to a significant number of people using the service requesting to remain with Mayfair, in September 2018, they made the decision to continue providing a service and to remain open.
The service had a registered manager. 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. At the time of the inspection, the registered manager was on maternity leave and a colleague from within their team was covering the post in their absence.
During the inspection we found risk management plans did not always have clear guidance for staff to follow to minimise possible risks to people using the service. Audits did not effectively identify this.
The support plans did not record any information around people’s wishes, views and thoughts about end of life care but the service manager said this would be addressed.
Care workers had relevant training, were able to identify the types of abuse and knew how to respond to any safeguarding concerns.
There were enough care workers employed to meet the needs of the people using the service. They had the relevant training, supervision and appraisals to develop the necessary skills to support people. There were safe recruitment systems in place to ensure care workers were suitable to work with people using the service.
The provider had systems to ensure people received the medicines they needed safely and as prescribed.
Care workers had access to personal protective equipment and infection control training.
The provider assessed people’s care needs and recorded their preferences about how they received care and support.
When it was part of their support plan, care workers supported people to maintain a balanced diet.
People’s support plans included information about their health needs, and where required, people were supported to access appropriate healthcare services to maintain their health and wellbeing.
The principles of the Mental Capacity Act (2005) were followed. Care and support was provided with people’s consent or in their agreed best interests.
People using the service were happy with the care they received and were involved in making decisions about their care. People told us they had the same care workers and this provided consistency of care.
People told us care workers treated them with kindness and respect.
People using the service said they received personalised care that was responsive to their needs. Reviews were completed annually or as and when required.
The provider had a procedure for responding to any complaints they received. People had information on how to make a complaint and knew how to if they needed to.
The service had systems in place to monitor, manage and improve service delivery. This included a complaints system, audits and care worker observations
People using the service and care workers told us the managers were accessible and responded to any concerns raised.
We found one breach of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014 in relation to risk management. You can see what action we told the provider to take at the back of the full version of the report.