16 July 2014
During a routine inspection
We carried out this announced 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 and to pilot a new inspection process being introduced by CQC which looks at the overall quality of the service.
St Luke’s Care provides domiciliary care services to adults of all ages within the Plymouth and South West Devon area. St Luke’s Care provides a home care service to meet people’s needs including physical disability, sensory impairments and mental health needs including people living with dementia. St Luke’s Care’s aim is to promote independence and maintain people’s quality of life. St Luke’s Care is part of a trading company established by St Luke’s hospice and is therefore governed by a board of directors of St Luke’s Ventures Ltd.
St Luke’s Care provides domiciliary care for 16 people at present and has a registered manager in place. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service and has the legal responsibility for meeting the requirements of the law; as does the provider.
On the day of the inspection staff within the office were relaxed and there was a calm and friendly atmosphere. Everybody had a clear role within the service. Information we requested was supplied promptly and records were clear, easy to follow and comprehensive.
People who used the service all spoke positively about the service they received, one person said “I sometimes think I don’t deserve how nice my carers are, if I could find a fault I would but I can’t.” Another stated: “I have been with a few care agencies around this area and St Luke’s is top of the tree, I feel very fortunate.”
People had their mental health and physical needs monitored. New care records had been designed and were in place. These were person centred and sought to give people who used the service a voice. Records were regularly reviewed to help the service respond quickly to people’s change in needs.
Staff described the management to be very open, supportive and approachable. Staff talked about their jobs in a strong positive manner. Comments included: “You can say anything you want to the management and be confident they will address it.”; “I get praised a lot and told how well I’m doing.”; “If I ever had to leave my job I would be very sad, I’m very proud to work for this company.” and “It’s amazing, I love it here, I have never worked in a place like it.”
New staff received a comprehensive induction programme. There were sufficient staff to meet needs and there was an emphasis on training to make sure their staff had the correct skills to carry out their roles effectively and efficiently.
All staff had undertaken training on safeguarding adults from abuse, they displayed good knowledge on how to report any concerns and described what action they would take to protect people against harm. Staff told us they felt confident any incidents or allegations would be fully investigated and the registered manager confirmed this. Staff and people who use the service all told us they felt safe whilst care was being delivered.
There were effective quality assurance systems in place. St Luke’s Care encouraged feedback from people, those who acted on their behalf and staff. A care satisfaction survey is conducted six monthly. This is used to help make improvements and ensure positive progress is made in the service they provide.