Archived: Better Healthcare Services (London)

Updated 19 June 2019

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. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

Inspection team:

The inspection team consisted of two inspectors and an 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:

Better Healthcare Service (London) is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own homes, including live-in carers.

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:

Our inspection was announced. We gave the provider 48 hours’ notice because the location provides a domiciliary care service and we needed to be sure someone would in.

We visited the office location on 11 April 2019 to see the manager and office staff; and to review care records staff personnel files and policies and procedures. We spoke with people and their relatives on 11 and 12 April 2019 and spoke with staff on 12 April 2019.

What we did:

Before the inspection we reviewed evidence we already held about the service including any statutory notifications. A statutory notification is information about important events which the provider is required to send us by law. The provider had completed a Provider Information Return (PIR). 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 spoke with four people who used the service and five relatives.

We spoke with the registered manager, a director, senior care coordinator and three care staff.

We reviewed four people’s care records, including care plans, risk assessments and daily records.

We looked at personnel files for four members of staff, including supervision and training records and other records related to the management of regulated activity.

Following the inspection, the provider sent us additional information related to care records.

Updated 19 June 2019

About the service:

Better Healthcare Service (London) is a domiciliary care agency. The provider is Diamond Resourcing Plc.

It provides personal care and support to people living in their own homes with a mental health condition, physical disabilities, older people and sensory impairment.

At the time of our inspection the service was providing live-in care [staff living in people’s homes] to 31 people living in their own homes and four people received care provided for a specified time in their own home.

People’s experience of using this service:

People and relatives told us they felt safe with staff. Staff knew how to provide safe care and people were safeguarded against the risk of harm and abuse.

People were protected from the risk of infection because staff followed good infection control practices.

The provider ensured people were cared for by staff who were trained and supported to effectively carry out their role. Staff received regular supervision and told us they felt supported.

People’s needs were assessed before they joined the service by staff with the appropriate skills to do so.

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 had person-centred care plans and staff knew how to provide personalised care.

Staff treated people with dignity and respected their privacy. People were involved in the care planning process and their independence was encouraged.

People and relatives knew how to raise concerns.

Staff responded to people’s needs.

People and relatives said they would recommend the service and felt it was well managed.

The provider had effective systems and processes in place to ensure the quality and safety of the service was maintained.

Rating at last inspection:

At the last inspection the service was rated overall Good (report published 13 April 2016) .

Why we inspected:

This was a scheduled inspection based on the previous rating.

Follow up:

We will continue to monitor intelligence we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If any concerning information is received we may inspect sooner.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk