Background to this inspection
Updated
17 December 2022
The inspection
We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act) as part of our regulatory functions. We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act. We looked at the overall quality of the service and provided a rating for the service under the Health and Social Care Act 2008.
Inspection team
The inspection was completed by one inspector and one Expert by Experience. An Expert by Experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.
Service and service type.
This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats.
Registered Manager
This service is required to have a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.
At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post.
Notice of inspection
We gave a short period notice of the inspection so that people could consent to take part in the inspection by giving us feedback by phone.
Inspection activity started on 26 October and ended on 1 November 2022. We visited the location’s office on 1 November 2022.
What we did before the inspection
We reviewed information we had received about the service since their registration with CQC. The provider was not asked to complete a Provider Information Return (PIR) prior to this inspection. A PIR is information providers send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We used all this information to plan our inspection.
During the inspection
We spoke to 10 people and relatives via telephone to gain feedback about their care. We spoke to four staff including, the registered manager, office staff and care staff.
We reviewed records relating to people’s care and the running of the service. These included care records for 6 people, 2 staff recruitment files, audits, policies, incidents reports, quality assurance records and medicines administration records.
Updated
17 December 2022
About the service
The service was a domiciliary care agency which provides personal care services to people living in their own home. There were 13 people using the service at the time of the inspection.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
People told us they were happy with the quality of care they received. They said they received a consistent service from regular staff members and that care was delivered in line with their needs. There were systems in place to protect people from risks related to the delivery of care and from suffering abuse. The provider ensured staff were proactive in reporting concerns around people’s welfare and thorough investigations took place when incidents occurred to promote learning. Staff received appropriate training and support relevant to their role.
People’s needs were fully assessed before their care commenced and the provider ensured they worked with stakeholders to promote consistent care with good outcomes for people. People’s healthcare, nutritional and hydration needs were identified in their care plans with clear instructions for staff to follow. There were appropriate processes in place to gain people’s consent to care. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.
People told us staff were caring and provided them with welcome companionship. Staff were respectful of people’s home environment and promoted people's privacy, dignity and confidentiality. People were supported to maintain their independence through encouragement in undertaking tasks they were able to do for themselves. Staff enabled people to make choices about their daily living.
The provider was responsive to people’s needs by arranging care flexibly and efficiently to avoid delays in accessing care services. Care plans were developed with people’s consultation and reviewed on a regular basis. There were policies in place to handle complaints and concerns appropriately.
People told us the management staff were approachable and professional. They said the provider was proactive in promoting good communication and they were given opportunities to provide feedback about their care. The registered manager had effective systems in place to assess, monitor and improve the quality of care.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the Care Quality Commission (CQC) website at www.cqc.org.uk
Rating at last inspection
This service was registered with us on 1 December 2021 and this is the first inspection.
Why we inspected
This service had not previously been inspected and we wanted to check that people were receiving safe care and support.
Follow up
We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.