We carried out a review of the data available to us about Nurseplus UK - Swindon on 6 July 2023. We have not found evidence that we need to carry out an inspection or reassess our rating at this stage.
This could change at any time if we receive new information. We will continue to monitor data about this service.
If you have concerns about Nurseplus UK - Swindon, you can give feedback on this service.
Nurseplus UK – Swindon provides a domiciliary care service to enable people living in Swindon and the surrounding areas to maintain their independence at home. There were 34 people using the service at the time of the inspection, who had a wide range of physical and health care needs. Not everyone who used the service received personal care. The CQC only inspects services where people receive personal care which is help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where services offer personal care, we also consider any wider social care provided.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
People and relatives were delighted with the kindness and thoughtfulness of staff, which exceeded their expectations of how they would be cared for and supported. People and their relatives told us the support they received significantly improved their well-being. We saw examples of staff going the extra mile for people, for instance taking extra steps to communicate with people in their native language or assisting people in a hospital environment. In the opinions that people and their relatives shared with us, both staff, and the care they provided to people were exceptional.
People were safe. There were enough staff to meet people’s needs. Staff were aware of their responsibilities to report concerns and understood how to keep people safe. Individual risks were identified, and staff had risk management guidelines to rely on and used these to inform the support they provided to people. People received their medicines as prescribed.
People had their needs assessed prior to receiving care to ensure staff were able to meet people’s needs. Staff worked with various local social and health care professionals. We saw that referrals for specialist advice were submitted in a timely manner.
Systems and processes were put in place to help ensure people were safe and the care they received was delivered by suitably trained staff, and based on best practice.
People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and acted in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice. People were supported to access health professionals and maintain a good diet.
People were treated with respect and their dignity was maintained. People were also supported to maintain their independence. The provider had an equality and diversity policy which stated their commitment to equal opportunities and diversity.
Care records contained clear information covering all aspects of people's individualised care and support. Information about people was written in a respectful and personalised way.
Regular checks were completed of records, and feedback was collected from people, their relatives and staff. These helped ensure the service was able to act on any need for improvement.
People, relatives and staff were complimentary about the management of the service. The registered manager had promoted a positive, transparent and open culture where staff worked well as a team. The provider had effective quality assurance systems in place which were used to drive improvement.
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 22 June 2016).
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.
Nurse Plus and Carer Plus (UK) Limited – Swindon provides a domiciliary care service to enable people living in Swindon and the surrounding areas to maintain their independence at home. There were 38 people using the service at the time of the inspection, who had a wide range of physical and health care needs.
There was a registered manager in post. 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.
We found that arrangements were in place to monitor staff attendance at work and to minimise the number of missed calls. However, people told us that staff had not always been available to attend a call and to provide care to people at the agreed time.
We looked at medication administration records (MAR) held within the agency office. We saw that apart from some gaps in MAR records, these had been completed appropriately. People were satisfied with the staff handling of their medicines and told us they received their medicines in a timely manner.
People told us they felt safe and trusted staff. Staff had completed safeguarding training and had access to the guidance and contact numbers of the local authority. Staff members were able to recognise if people were at risk and knew what action they should take to protect people from harm. People were kept safe as safeguarding incidents were reported and acted upon.
The provider operated safe recruitment practices. These included seeking references from previous employers and checks with the Disclosure and Barring Service. This helped to make sure that only suitable staff of good character were employed by the service.
Staff received comprehensive induction training and were knowledgeable about their roles and responsibilities. They had the skills, knowledge and experience required to support people with their care and support needs.
Staff had completed training on the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) 2005 and understood their responsibilities. The Mental Capacity Act 2005 legislation provides a legal framework that sets out how to support people who do not have capacity to make a specific decision. Where people lacked the capacity to consent to their care, legal requirements had been followed by staff when decisions were made on their behalf and in their best interests.
Records were stored securely, protecting people’s and staff’s confidential information from unauthorised persons, whilst remaining accessible to authorised staff. Relevant processes were in place to protect the confidential information.
People received a personalised service. When initial assessments were carried out, the level of support people required was identified. Care plans were in place detailing how people wished to be supported and people were involved in making decisions about their care.
Most of the people told us the management team responded promptly to their concerns. People were provided with opportunities to express their views regarding the quality of the service through satisfaction surveys and regular visits of coordinators to review their care.
The registered manager and the provider carried out a comprehensive programme of regular audits to monitor the quality of the service and plan improvements. The registered manager monitored people's support and took action to ensure they were safe and well. People’s welfare, safety and quality of life were scrutinized through regular checks on how people’s support was provided, recorded and updated. We found that accidents and incidents had been recorded appropriately. There was evidence that learning from the incidents and investigations was reflected on and appropriate changes were implemented to enhance the service.
The service promoted an open and inclusive culture. The registered manager was perceived as an open and approachable leader by staff, people and their relatives.