Top Option Healthcare Limited

Updated 26 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

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.

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

We gave the service 72 hours' notice of the inspection. This was because it is a small service and we needed to be sure that the provider or registered manager would be in the office to support the inspection.

Inspection activity started on 3 October 2022 and ended on 7 October 2022. We visited the office on 6 October 2022.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since registering. We sought feedback from health professionals. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return (PIR). This is information providers are required to send us annually with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

During the inspection we spoke to three people and three relatives. We spoke with four members of staff including the registered manager. We also received feedback from one health professional.

We reviewed a range of records. This included four people's support plans. We reviewed four staff records in relation to training and supervision and a variety of records relating to the management of the service.

Updated 26 October 2022

About the service

Top Option provides personal care and support to people who require assistance in their own home. At the time of our inspection seven people were being supported by the service. 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

Effective processes were not in place to ensure the safe recruitment of staff. We found gaps in staff recruitment folders.

We have made a recommendation about staff recruitment.

Medication records needed as required protocols, to ensure staff had the information they needed to provide medicines safely.

Audits and quality assurance were in place but needed some improvement to ensure the service continually improved and provided positive outcomes for people.

We have made a recommendation about quality assurance processes.

We received positive feedback on the service. One person said, ''The registered manager is very kind, considerate and passionate about the service and the staff always go above and beyond for us.'' There were appropriate levels of staff to support people. People were safeguarded from the risk of abuse. Staff had received appropriate training to support people.

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.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

Rating at last inspection

The service was registered with us on 27 September 2021 and this is their first inspection.

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection of a newly registered service.

We have found evidence that the provider needs to make improvements. Please see the safe and well-led sections of this full report.

Follow up

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