Background to this inspection
Updated
22 February 2018
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.
The inspection was a comprehensive inspection, which took place on 14 and 22 December 2017 and was announced. We gave the provider 48 hours’ notice because we needed to be sure someone would be available to meet with us.
The inspection team consisted of one inspector and two Experts 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.
We did not request a Provider Information Return (PIR), because the inspection was not a planned inspection. However, we reviewed other information we held about the service such as notifications, which are events which had happened in the service that the provider is required to tell us about, and information that had been sent to us by other agencies. This included the local authority who commissioned services from the provider.
During our visit we shadowed one member of staff and observed care and support being provided in people’s homes.
We spoke with 19 people who used the service and 10 relatives. We spoke with one senior carer, two care assistants, three care coordinators, the deputy manager and the registered manager.
We looked at all or parts of the care records for five people, the training and induction records for five staff and five people’s medicine records along with other records relevant to the running of the service. This included policies and procedures, records of staff training and records of associated quality assurance processes.
We also consulted other professionals and commissioners of the service who shared with us their views about the care provided.
Updated
22 February 2018
We carried out an announced inspection of the service on 14 and 22 December 2017
Caring Hands EM Limited is a domiciliary care agency and provides personal care and support to people living in their own homes. There were 132 people receiving care at the time of our visit. The service was last inspected 9 November 2015 and the rating for that inspection was Good.
We inspected the service due to concern raised by the Local Authority and East Midlands Ambulance Service. There was an on-going safeguarding, which we discussed with the registered manager during the inspection. The registered manager had reviewed the safeguarding issue as far as they were able to with the information available to them.
There was a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC). 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 told us they felt safe when staff supported them within their home. Systems were in place to monitor and report safeguarding concerns. Staff understood what constituted as abuse and that abuse should be reported. Risks were assessed and reviewed regularly and reflected people’s current needs.
There were sufficient numbers of suitably qualified and experienced staff in place to keep people safe. Safe recruitment processes were in place. There were processes in place to ensure medicines were handled and administered safely.
Staff received sufficient training, regular supervision and felt supported by the management team. The principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) were considered when supporting people. People were supported and encouraged to follow a healthy and balanced diet. People’s day to day health needs were met effectively by the staff.
People and their families continued to have a good relationship with the staff that cared and supported them. People were treated with respect and dignity by kind and compassionate staff. People received information if they wished to speak with an independent advocate.
Care was planned and reflected people’s needs. People knew how to raise concerns or complaints and were encouraged to do so if needed. The provider followed their procedures to ensure any complaints or concerns were dealt with in a timely manner.
People felt the service was run well, but the geographic of the care routes could be better organised. Staff felt supported by the manager of the service and the registered manager. There were systems in place to monitor the quality of the service. The service was open and transparent.
We have made a recommendation regarding people's call times and the consistency of the calls to people.