The Care Quality Commission

Archived: First Choice Community Support Services Limited - Poole

54 Parkstone Road, Poole, Dorset, BH15 2PG (01202) 668864

Provided and run by:
First Choice Community Support Services Limited

All Inspections

21 January 2013

During an inspection looking at part of the service

This was an unannounced inspection to follow up on compliance actions set at the last inspection in August 2012.

The compliance actions related to care workers competency to carry out their role and timings of visits. Also, compliance actions related to the recording of medicines and handling of complaints.

We spoke with the manager and examined records related to the running of the agency.

People received support from a regular team of care workers. We found that work schedules had been refined to ensure there was continuity of care workers and travel time was minimised. Care workers were in the process of receiving updated moving and handling training and checks had been made of their practice.

Medication records were accurate and complete and additional training had been provided to ensure all care workers were competent. Checks of medication records were made and any issues highlighted were investigated and resolved.

The agency logged all calls made to and from the office to ensure that any concerns or complaints were recorded. We noted that when concerns were raised, these were dealt with and resolved.

14 August 2012

During an inspection in response to concerns

We received anonymous concerns about the quality of care and support provided by the agency and staffing levels.

We visited the agency office unannounced on 14 August 2012. We visited five people who use the service in their home. One relative was present during our visit.

Three of the five people we visited were satisfied with the service received. One person said, 'I couldn't be happier with the care, I am very fortunate'. Another person said they liked their new care worker but that agency 'had a lot to learn'. One relative told us 'some of the carers are very good and we are happy with the personal qualities of the carers. There has not been good planning recently with new carers'.

People we visited said that the agency sent them a weekly list of who was coming at each visit. However, one relative said that this was sometimes subject to changes that they were not informed of.

People told us that care workers were kind, polite and treated them with dignity and respect. They said that there had been a lot of changes in care workers recently and that this meant they did not have consistent care workers.

People told us that staff did not always stay for the time allocated to them. They said that that this was not an issue as they never left without completing all of the care and support they needed.

People knew how to raise any concerns or complaints. One relative told us that they had not always received a response from the agency when they telephoned.

We found that there were shortfalls in the some of the care provided to people, the medication administration and complaints.

27 March 2012

During an inspection looking at part of the service

We visited the agency unannounced on 27 March 2012. This was to follow up on concerns we found when we inspected on 8 November 2011.

We did not talk with people about their experiences of receiving care from the agency at this inspection. We talked with them at our last visit to the agency. Information about what they told us can be found in our last inspection report which was published in December 2011.

We found that the agency had made the improvements needed to address the concerns identified.

We could see from the staff schedules and the telephone consultation completed by the agency that people were satisfied with the timings of the visits.

The acting manager was clear as to what they needed to notify the commission about.

We saw on medication records that staff had in the main recorded when they gave eye drops or applied creams. Systems were in place to monitor any gaps in recording.

Staff were provided with moving and handling training, had their competency assessed and updates about the importance of removing hoist slings.

Staff did not start work until checks about their suitability to work with vulnerable people had been made.

8 November 2011

During an inspection in response to concerns

We received anonymous concerns about the quality of care and support provided by the agency, and staff recruitment.

We visited the agency office unannounced and spoke with the operations manager, the covering manager, the administrator and three other staff.

We visited four people who use the service in their home. One relative was present during our visit.

People we visited said that they know who was coming at each visit because the agency sent them a weekly list. They told us that they know all of the care workers that support them.

People told us that care workers were polite and treated them with dignity and respect. However, they did not always get their preferred gender of care worker for personal care.

People told us that staff did not always stay for the time allocated to them. They said that that this was not an issue as they never left without completing all of the care and support they needed.

The people we visited said they felt safe with care workers and were confident in their skills and ability to care, support and transfer them safely. However, we saw that one person was left in a hoist sling that needed to be removed once they had been transferred. This was so they did not develop pressure sores.

People knew how to raise any concerns or complaints and told us that they always received a response form the agency when they telephoned. They said that someone from the agency checks with them about the quality of the service and that the agency does spot checks on staff.