We carried out a review of the data available to us about Sandwell Multi-Care on 6 July 2023. We have not found evidence that we need to carry out an inspection or reassess our rating at this stage.
This could change at any time if we receive new information. We will continue to monitor data about this service.
If you have concerns about Sandwell Multi-Care, you can give feedback on this service.
Sandwell Multi-Care is registered to provide personal care to adults and children living in their own homes and offers respite support to relatives. On the day of the inspection, 43 people were receiving support.
People’s experience of using this service:
People received safe care. People received support that kept them safe and there were enough care staff to keep them safe. There were recruitment systems in place to ensure only appropriate staff could support people. Where people were administered medicines, this was carried out as it was prescribed. Care staff had access to appropriate equipment in line with the provider’s infection control procedures. Trends were monitored to reduce the amount of accidents and incidents.
People received effective care. Care staff had the knowledge and skills to support people how they wanted. We identified a small number of gaps in care staff training, however this did not impact negatively on people currently using the service. The registered manager assured us action would be taken to address this. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and care staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible. Care staff supported people to make choices as to what they had to eat and drink. People accessed health care professionals when needed with the support of care staff.
People received support that was caring, kind and compassionate. People decided how they were supported and when. Care staff were respectful of people’s privacy, dignity and independence.
People received support that was responsive to their needs. People were involved in the assessments and care planning process to ensure the support they received was what they wanted. There was a complaints process in place and the provider acted promptly to deal with concerns.
The registered manager told us the provider visited the service regularly however records of their visits were not kept. The registered manager told us they would ensure a form was completed in future to show the outcome of such visits. The registered manager understood the service well and had plans in place for further improvements. Audits and spot checks were carried out to ensure the service people received was of a good quality. Questionnaires were used to engage with people and the information gathered was analysed, shared with people and used to make improvements to the service.
Rating at last inspection:
Rated Good (Report published 29/10/2016).
Why we inspected:
This was a planned comprehensive inspection.
Follow up:
We will continue to monitor the service through the information we receive until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If any concerning information is received, we may inspect sooner.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
The service is registered to provide personal care and support to people in their own homes. People who use the service may need support or care due to a learning disability or a physical disability and the service predominantly provides care and support to adults, young people, children and their families. At the time of the inspection the service was providing support and personal care to 69 people in their own homes.
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 in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.
People were supported by staff who had been trained to recognise the signs of abuse in children and adults. Staff were aware of their roles and responsibilities regarding maintaining people’s safety and helping them manage the risks to them on daily basis.
For those people who were supported to take their medicines, systems were in place to ensure this was done safely. Additional training was sought for staff in order to administer particular medications in an emergency situation.
Systems were in place to ensure people were supported by staff who had been recruited safely.
People were supported by staff who had received specific training to meet their particular needs. Additional training was sought to provide staff with the specialist skills they required in order to support people effectively and maintain good health.
Staff felt supported by the registered manager and the management team and benefitted from an induction and ongoing training that equipped them for their role.
Staff routinely obtained people’s consent prior to offering support and demonstrated a good working knowledge of the Mental Capacity Act 2005.
People were supported by staff who were aware of their healthcare needs and who had been trained to respond appropriately to particular healthcare issues.
People were supported by staff who were described as kind and caring and who treated them with dignity and respect. People told us that staff went ‘above and beyond’ in order to support them and meet their needs. Staff spoke warmly of the people they supported and took pride in their achievements.
People’s care needs were regularly assessed and any changes taken on board and responded to appropriately.
There was a system in place for investigating and recording complaints and people were confident that if they did raise concerns, they would be dealt with appropriately.
People were complimentary about the service they received, the care staff and the registered manager.
Staff felt supported in their role and were proud to work for the service. The registered manager had a number of links with other voluntary organisations in order to learn from and improve service delivery.
Efforts were made to regularly obtain feedback from people regarding the quality of the care and support they received. Audits were in place to assess the quality of the service and where errors were identified, they were acted on immediately and lessons were learnt.
People had individual care plans that detailed what care they needed so their care needs were known and met by staff. Staff told us they had the information they needed and encouraged people to make choices about their care. One person told us, 'Staff ask me even though they know what to do'.
Staff received a range of training so that they had up to date knowledge and skills in order to support people receiving a service. All staff confirmed training was updated regularly. This meant staff should have the skills to meet people needs.
The provider had clear procedures in place to identify and respond to suspicions of abuse to ensure people were protected against abuse. All staff spoken with were clear about how they reported concerns.
There were systems in place to monitor how the service was run and listen to the views of people who used the service to ensure people received a quality service.
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People told us they had clear information to help them make choices about whether or not they wanted to use the service. They told us that they were involved in agreeing their care and that the staff treated them with dignity and respect and observed their privacy.
We found that people received the care they needed and that procedures were in place to ensure the care was delivered safely and as agreed with the person using the service and their relatives.
We found that people who use the service were protected from the risk of abuse, because the provider had taken reasonable steps to identify the possibility of abuse and prevent abuse from happening. Two people using the service and four relatives told us they felt safe using the service and comfortable with the staff that assisted them. One person told us 'I have every confidence in the staff who look after my relative.' One person using the service told us I go shopping with staff and feel very safe in their company
We found that people received a service from staff who were trained and skilled and supported people to ensure people's needs were met.. Staff we spoke with were confident about their roles and told us they received regular training, advice and support from the provider.