30 June and 16 July 2015
During a routine inspection
This inspection took place on 30 June 2015 and 16 July 2015 and was announced. This was the first time we had inspected this service, which was registered with CQC in January 2014.
G&P Healthcare Ltd provides nurse-led care in people’s own homes. Nurses assess people’s needs, plan people’s care and carry out regular visits to monitor people’s needs and the care provided. Delivery of care is provided by care workers. At the time of our inspection the service was caring for 12 people, including three children.
At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in place. 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.
All of the people we spoke with and their relatives were overwhelmingly positive when talking about the staff from the service. People told us they had built strong bonds with the staff who cared for them. More than one person we spoke with described staff as ‘like a member of the family’. People described examples of how they felt staff attitude and actions showed they genuinely cared about them and their families.
People were fully involved with planning their care. Care records contained detailed information about people’s wishes. Staff shadowed relatives to understand how people liked to be cared for and wrote care plans to reflect this personalised care. People and their relatives told us staff listened to them.
One of the owners, who was involved in the day to day running of the service, had experience working as a specialised end of life nurse. She told us she was passionate about providing excellent care to people at the end of their lives. Considerations had been made about staff training, approach and experience when selecting the team to support people at the end of their lives.
People told us they felt safe with staff from the service. Staff had undertaken training in recognising the signs of potential abuse and how to respond. Detailed safeguarding policies were in place for vulnerable adults and for children. Safeguarding records showed staff and the manager had been proactive in referring any concerns to the local safeguarding team.
Risks had been assessed and accidents and incidents had been monitored to reduce the likelihood of them reoccurring.
There were enough staff to meet people’s needs. The manager told us the service had never missed a planned visit to a person’s home. The people and relatives we spoke with confirmed this. Robust recruitment procedures had been followed.
Staff had undertaken training in a range of subjects through both online E learning and face to face practical training. Staff training dates were recorded and monitored to ensure any required updates or refresher training was received on time so staff skill and knowledge remained up to date. Staff received additional training in relation to people’s specific needs and their skills were assessed to determine if they were competent to deliver the task safely.
Staff met regularly with their manager in supervision and appraisal meetings to discuss their performance, the care they delivered and development needs.
The manager was aware of the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and was able to describe how these principles were adhered to in daily practice. Staff had undertaken training in MCA.
People’s nutritional needs had been assessed and specific information provided about how to meet these needs. Food and fluids were monitored where necessary. Staff had undertaken training in food hygiene and safety and people spoke highly of the food they prepared.
People, relatives and a commissioner we spoke with told us the service was very responsive to people’s needs.People’s needs were assessed and the care plans put in place to meet these needs were specific and detailed. Care was reassessed regularly to ensure it was meeting individual needs.
People were encouraged to share their feedback. We saw very positive responses had been received following a survey of people and their relatives in April 2015. The results had been collated and analysed and the responses indicated people were completely satisfied with the care they received.
The service had not received any formal complaints in the previous 12 months, but had recorded and responded to any feedback people had shared with them.
People and their relative’s told us the service was managed very well. The manager and provider shared with us their vision for the culture of the service, to create an open and transparent environment. All of the staff we spoke with told us they agreed this culture was in place.
A wide range of checks were carried out to monitor the quality of the service. These included audits, observations of staff conduct and gathering people and staff views on the service which was provided.
Staff told us they felt listened to and valued. Staff meetings were held regularly. Their feedback had been sought through a staff survey and the service fed back where staff had delivered good work through thank you cards and a recognition scheme.
The manager told us people’s views were integral to monitoring and improving the service. People had been invited to join a forum where they could comment on how the service was run and be involved in the future plans for it.
Care records were completed to a good standard and stored appropriately. People, relatives and staff told us they thought the service delivered on quality. The management of the service had been recognised with a Northumberland Business Award in November 2014.