The Care Quality Commission
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Archived: Sheffield Care at Home Service

Overall: Good read more about inspection ratings

1st Floor, Mickley Hall, Mickley Lane, Totley, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, S17 4HE (0114) 235 1400

Provided and run by:
Leonard Cheshire Disability

All Inspections

20 October 2015

During a routine inspection

An inspection took place on 21 October 2015. It was an announced inspection, which meant the provider knew we would be visiting. This was because we wanted to make sure that the registered manager would be available to support our inspection, or someone who could act on their behalf.

The service is run from an office in Sheffield and provides services to the people who live in the city and surrounding areas, on the day of our inspection the registered manager told us that they were supporting 44 people. At our previous inspection on 5 February 2014 we found that one of the regulations had not been complied with. This was in relation to assessing and monitoring the quality of service provision. Following that the provider sent us an action plan to tell us what improvements they were going to make. At this inspection we found that the actions we required had been completed and this regulation was now met.

Sheffield Care at Home Service provides care and support in the community. It provides a service to adults who have differing needs including: learning disabilities, physical disabilities, sensory impairment and dementia.

There was a registered manager in post. 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 of the Health and Social Care Act and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

People spoke positively about the service they received. They told us they felt safe and well cared for. They said they felt comfortable with the people who provided their support.

Staff were appropriately recruited and trained, however, the service was currently holding staff vacancies. They had all undergone a comprehensive induction programme and, where necessary, had received additional training specific to the needs of the people they were supporting. Staff understood their roles and responsibilities and spoke with compassion about the people they cared for and enthusiastically about the work they did. Staff demonstrated that they were aware of how to maintain the dignity of the people they were supporting.

The provider had detailed policies and procedures in place, including safeguarding, moving and handling and medicine management. This helped to ensure that people were supported in a safe manner.

Staff knew the people they were supporting and provided a personalised service. The service was flexible to people’s needs and additional visits to support people with hospital or doctors’ appointments were available. Individual care plans, based on a full assessment of need, were in place, which detailed how people wished to be supported. Risk assessments were in place to effectively identify and manage any potential risks to people. People were involved in decision making regarding the way their care and support was provided.

Quality monitoring systems were in place to effectively monitor the quality of service provision. People who used the service, their relatives and staff completed annual questionnaires to feed back any problems they had encountered and suggestions for improvements. The provider analysed the questionnaires and used that information to improve service provision.

5 February 2014

During a routine inspection

At the time of our inspection Sheffield Care at home were providing a service to 54 service users across south and west Sheffield. As part of our inspection we spoke with three service users and three members of staff, including the registered manager.

All of the service users we spoke with were happy with the service they were receiving. Their comments included; 'I wouldn't have anyone else, they're very good', 'I always get a letter telling me who is coming but there are so many of them' and, 'I only have to ask them and they'll help me with whatever I need, they're very willing and able.'

People's needs were generally assessed and care and support was planned and delivered in line with their individual care plan. We also found that service users health, safety and welfare was protected when more than one provider was in there care

There were enough qualified, skilled and experienced staff to meet people's needs. However we found that the provider did not have an effective system in place to regularly assess and monitor the quality of service that people received.

6 September 2012

During a routine inspection

We spoke with four people who receive a service from Sheffield Care at Home. All four said they were very happy with the service. They also said that the carers were flexible, and that the agency worked in a way to meet people's needs and accommodate any changes. Among the comments that we received were: "The staff are excellent." "I wouldn't want anyone else to provide my care because Leonard Cheshire are brilliant." "I've had experience of a number of different care agencies, but this one is head and shoulders above the rest, I really can't fault them."

We asked about people's specific care needs, and whether the agency was meeting them. We were told: "Yes, definitely, they respect me and they respect my different needs." "The thing I really like is there is continuity between the staff, they try hard to ensure I have the same carer, or group of carers, but they all know what's going on, and they communicate between themselves really well, which is absolutely brilliant for me."

We asked all four people if they felt safe. Each person told us that they had no concerns about their safety while in the care of Sheffield Care at Home's staff.