Hallmark Healthcare Service Limited Also known as Gem Corporations Limited

Hallmark Healthcare Services Ltd is a domiciliary care service providing personal care in people’s own homes. At the time of our inspection there were 4 people using the service. The service was supporting older people. 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.

At the time of the inspection, the location did not care or support for anyone with a learning disability or an autistic person. However, we assessed the care provision under Right Support, Right Care, Right Culture, as it is registered as a specialist service for this population group.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

We found some shortfalls with how the registered managers and provider assessed some aspects of the quality of the service provided. For example, in risk assessments, medicine prompting, care planning to assist people with their interests and social life, and care visit monitoring. But these issues did not have a negative impact on people, it had the potential to, so the registered managers will need to make improvements in these areas moving forward.

We made a recommendation to improve the management of medicines when staff were being asked to remind people to take their medicines.

People told us they felt safe and were happy with the care staff and the registered managers who supported them. One person told us, “I don’t know what we would do without [name of member of staff] it works so well.” Another person said, “They [staff] are so polite.” A person’s relative told us, “[Name of relative] is happy so I’m happy.”

People received regular care visits at times they had chosen. They saw regular staff who they were introduced to by another member of staff before they started visiting them.

There was enough staff to support people. Staff said they felt supported and listened to. The registered managers monitored staff practice to check people were being supported safely and were happy with their care.

Staff raised concerns about people’s health needs to them directly and the managers. They also sign posted people and their relatives to resources which they thought would help them.

People and their relatives said staff and the registered managers were kind and polite. They also said staff were respectful towards them and their homes.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice. But improvements were needed to ensure consent was always sought directly with those who had capacity rather than seek this from their relatives.

There was a positive open culture amongst the staff team and the registered managers.

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

Rating at last inspection and update

This service was registered with us on 15 February 2022, and this is the first inspection.

Why we inspected

This service had not previously been inspected and we wanted to check that people were receiving safe care and support.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.