29 August 2012
During a routine inspection
The service is now registered to provide accommodation for people who require nursing or personal care and personal care to people living in the community from the same location.
We visited the service because concerns had been raised with us about the care being provided to some people living in the community. We had been told that the service had taken on a contract to provide care to older people and to people who had a physical disability. The concerns were that there were not enough staff to provide the care and this meant that the 'home' element of the service was left short of staff. We were also told that staff had received no training in caring for the older people or those with a physical disability.
We visited the service on 29 August 2012 and spoke with five support staff and three senior members of staff. We visited three people receiving care at their own homes and spoke on the telephone with two other people who were also receiving care.
We found that people who use the service were not given appropriate information regarding their care. People told us that did not always know which staff would be visiting them. When we asked people if staff always stayed for the time they should we received mixed responses. One person told us that staff rarely stayed for the time they should. Another person told us staff arrived "more or less" on time and "mostly" stayed the time they should. Other people told us staff "always stayed for the time they should. One person did not know how long staff were supposed to stay with them.
Care and treatment was generally planned and delivered in a way that met people's needs.
One person told us that "They (staff) are good". Another told us "I get peace of mind from their visits". Three people we spoke with told us that staff did not help them with their personal care. These people said that staff made them drinks, helped with meals or just had a chat and checked they were OK.
Two staff that we spoke with told us that they didn't always know whether they would be working in the home or visiting people. Two other staff that we spoke with told us that they didn't mind where they worked or who they worked with as they enjoyed the variety.
Five of the staff that we spoke with told us that they felt they received enough training to help them meet the needs of the people they visited. They told us that they had received training in moving and handling, safeguarding vulnerable people and first aid. These staff also said they had also received specific training in using a hoist to help people transfer from one area to another.
However, the provider may wish to note that two staff told us that they had been asked to provide care to an individual who needed two carers. This individual also needed a hoist to help move them when personal care was being given. The staff said that they had not received any training in using the hoist and on occasions the second person they were working with had not received any training either. This means that the person receiving the care was at risk of receiving unsafe or inappropriate care.