Background to this inspection
Updated
1 April 2019
We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.
Prior to the inspection taking place, information from a variety of sources was gathered and analysed. We spoke with the Local Authority contracts and safeguarding teams. We used the information provided to inform our inspection plan.
We reviewed information held upon our database regarding the service. This included notifications submitted by the registered provider relating to incidents, accidents, health and safety and safeguarding concerns which affect the health and wellbeing of people.
We looked at information the provider sent us in the Provider Information Return. This is information we require providers to send us at least once annually to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We used this information to help us plan our inspection visit.
This inspection visit took place between 07 and 20 November 2018. The inspection was announced. We gave the service 48 hours’ notice of the inspection visit because we needed to be sure someone would be available at the office to assist us with the inspection process.
The inspection was carried out by one adult social care inspector.
Throughout the inspection process we gathered information. We spoke by telephone with five people, carried out home visits to three people and spoke with two people who visited the office to meet with us. In addition, we spoke with two relatives and four professionals to seek their views on how the service was managed.
To gather information, we looked at a variety of records. This included care plan files related to seven people who used the service. We also looked at other information which was relative to the service. This included health and safety certification, training records, team meeting minutes, policies and procedures, accidents and incidents records. We viewed recruitment files relating to four staff members and other documentation which was relevant to recruitment including Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) certificates.
Updated
1 April 2019
This announced inspection took place on 07, 13, 19 & 20 November 2018.
This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats in the community. Burrowbeck Community Care provides a service to older adults, people living with dementia and people experiencing mental health conditions in Lancaster and Morecambe and surrounding areas.
At the last inspection carried out in March 2016, we rated the service good overall. At this inspection visit carried out in November 2018, the service remained good.
Since the last inspection visit the registered provider had worked to develop a person-centred culture. Staff told us the service had improved and staff were committed to providing person-centred care. People and relatives confirmed staff were empathetic and motivated to provide compassionate care. There was a continued emphasis on privacy, dignity and human rights.
People, relatives and health professionals told us the care provided was effective and people experienced positive outcomes. People received care which was regularly reviewed and support was based around good practice evidence.
We saw evidence that people were treated with dignity, care and compassion at the end of life. Emotional support to families extended after people had passed.
People praised the positive relationships they had developed with staff. Staff were repeatedly referred to as friends who had a made a difference in their lives. They told us staff often went above and beyond what was expected of them.
The registered provider understood the importance of addressing social isolation. They had worked hard since the last inspection visit to improve social activities for people at risk of loneliness and isolation.
The registered provider had continued to implement systems required to keep people safe. This included processes for managing medicines, safeguarding concerns and behaviours that are challenging to others.
Although risks were identified and staff were aware of individual risk, risks were not always clearly documented. We highlighted this to the registered manager who took swift action to rectify this.
When people required support with eating and drinking their dietary needs were considered and met by the registered provider.
People told us that on the whole staff were suitably deployed to meet their needs. Six of ten people told us they had experienced times when staff had been late or not turned up. We were told however, staff apologised or staff were deployed to ensure people did not go without a visit. Statistical data submitted to the local authority showed the provider was exceeding their responsibilities in ensuring staff were suitably deployed.
Training for staff was responsive and tailored to people’s individual care needs. Staff told us they were supported with continuous learning to ensure they had the correct skills to provide effective care.
The registered provider was responsive in seeking feedback from people and relatives to ensure people were happy with the service provided. People said they were happy with the ways in which complaints were managed and addressed.
Professionals told us the service was well managed. They praised the skills of the management team and their ability to provide an effective person-centred service. We were told Burrowbeck Community Care promoted independence to enable people to remain within their own homes.
The registered manager showed commitment and dedication to improving the services provided to people. Improvements within the service were based upon good practice guidance.
People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice. Consent to care and treatment was actively sought.
Staff told us they enjoyed working at Burrowbeck Community Care. They told us communication and team morale was good.
The registered manager had auditing systems so they could ensure safe and effective care was provided. When areas for improvement were identified action was taken to improve the service.