Background to this inspection
Updated
18 February 2020
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 Care Act 2014.
Inspection team
The inspection team consisted of one inspector.
Service and service type
This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats.
The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. 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.
Notice of inspection:
We gave the service 24 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because we needed to be sure the registered manager would be in the office to support the inspection.
Inspection activity started on 03 February 2020 and ended on 04 February 2020. We visited the office location on 04 February 2020 to see the registered manager; and to review care records and policies and procedures.
What we did before the inspection
We completed our planning tool and reviewed the information we held on the service. This included notifications we had received from the provider, about incidents that affect the health, safety and welfare of people supported by the service.
We checked to see if any information concerning the care and welfare of people supported by the service had been received. We also sought feedback from professionals who work with the agency.
The provider was not asked to complete a provider information return prior to this inspection. This is information we require providers to send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We took this into account when we inspected the service and made the judgements in this report.
We used all this information to plan our inspection.
During the inspection
We spoke with nine people who used the service and five relatives. We spoke with six members of staff including the registered manager, three senior support workers and two support workers.
We reviewed a range of records. These included the care records of three people, staff training records, arrangements for staff recruitment, supervision and appraisal, medication procedures and records relating to the management of the service.
Updated
18 February 2020
About the service
MasterStaff Healthcare (Preston) is a domiciliary care service providing personal care and support to 130 people living within their own homes at the time of inspection. Not everyone who used the service received personal care. CQC only inspects where people receive personal care. This is help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do we also consider any wider social care provided.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
People were protected from the risk of abuse and avoidable harm by staff who understood how to recognise and respond to concerns. Risks were well managed and people felt safe. Staff were recruited safely and there were enough staff deployed to meet people's needs. Medicines were managed safely, and staff worked with other healthcare professionals to meet people's health related needs. People were protected from the risk of infection as prevention and control measures were in place.
People's needs were assessed, and care and support had been planned proactively and in partnership with them. People were happy with the support they received with meal preparation. Staff received the training and support they needed to carry out their roles. 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.
People were treated with dignity and respect and their right to privacy was upheld. People were positive about the service and said staff were caring and attentive. The registered manager provided people with information about local advocacy services, to support them making decisions in their best interests.
The service was flexible and care packages were changed and adapted to meet people's changing needs and choices. People’s communication needs had been assessed and where support was required these had been met. The service listened to people's experiences, concerns and complaints.
The service was well led, the registered manager was knowledgeable and well informed. The registered manager worked in partnership with a variety of agencies to ensure people received coordinated care which met their needs. People were happy with how the service was managed. Staff felt well supported. Quality assurance systems were in place and were robust in all areas.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
Rating at last inspection
The last rating for this service was good (published 10 August 2017)
Why we inspected
This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.
Follow up:
We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.