Background to this inspection
Updated
5 July 2019
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. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.
Inspection team: The inspection was carried out by one inspector.
Service and service type: This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats. It provides a service to older and younger adults. At the time of our visit to the service office on 5 June 2019, there were 60 people using the service, 44 of these people using the regulated personal care service.
The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. 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.
Notice of inspection: We gave the service 48 hours’ notice of the inspection visit because we needed to be sure that someone would be available to provide the information we needed for our inspection.
What we did: Prior to the inspection we reviewed any notifications we had received from the service. A notification is information about important events which the service is required to tell us about by law.
We reviewed the Provider Information Return (PIR). This information we ask providers to send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We also reviewed any information about the service that we had received from members of the public and external agencies.
Inspection site visit activity started on 5 June 2019 and ended on 7 June 2019. On 5 June 2019 we visited the office location. We spoke with the registered manager, a senior care coordinator, a care coordinator and three care workers. We also spoke with the service’s trainer on the telephone. We reviewed feedback sent to the service on 3, 4 and 5 June 2019 for our attention, from two social care professionals and four people’s relatives.
We looked at records relating to eight people’s care including care plans, risk assessments and medicines records, and staff training records. We also looked at audits and systems in place to check on the quality of service provided.
On 6 June 2019 we spoke with eight people who used the service and six people’s relatives on the telephone. On 7 June 2019 we spoke with three people who used the service and two people’s relatives on the telephone.
Updated
5 July 2019
About the service:
This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats. It provides a service to older and younger adults. At the time of our visit to the service office on 5 June 2019, there were 44 people using the regulated personal care service.
People’s experience of using this service:
The service was led by a highly motivated and compassionate registered manager who continued to strive to continuously improve the service and provide high quality care to people at all times. This was evident in the improvements the service had made since our last inspection to ensure people received high quality care at all times.
There was an extremely open culture in the service. People using the service, their representatives and staff were asked for their views about the service and these were valued and used in the ongoing improvement in the service.
The service had systems to continuously monitor, assess and improve the service provided.
People who used the service told us they were happy with the service they received. People were central to the care they received and were always consulted about their care needs and encouraged to make their own decisions.
People received personalised care, which was tailored to meet their individual needs.
There was a system in place to support people at the end of their life, when this care and support was required.
People shared very good relationships with their care workers.
People were supported by care workers who were skilled, highly motivated and caring.
The service had a system to ensure all care visits were completed. The systems for recruiting staff were safe.
Care workers supported people to keep safe, and acted when necessary to prevent any harm or abuse. Where required, people received safe support with their medicines. There were systems to reduce the risks of cross infection.
Staff were responsive in identifying and reviewing changes to support good health. Where people required support with their dietary needs, there were systems in place to do this effectively.
There was a complaints procedure in place. People’s concerns were responded to promptly and used to drive improvement.
Rating at last inspection: The service was rated good at their previous inspection of 12 October 2016, which was published 6 December 2016.
Why we inspected: This inspection took place as part of our planned programme of comprehensive inspections.
Follow up: We will continue to monitor this service according to our inspection schedule.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk