Unified Home Care Ltd

Unified Home Care Ltd is a domiciliary care service registered to provide personal care to people living in their own homes. The service supports older people some of whom were living with dementia and people with a physical disability. At the time of the inspection eight people were using the service, five of whom received personal care. Some people were also supported with live-in care. This is where staff stay in the person’s home for a large proportion of the day and were part of the person’s household.

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

Not all risks had been identified and this put people at risk of harm. Information for staff was limited in how to manage risks. People received their medicines as prescribed, although some records were not accurate or complete. This created a risk of harm.

Monitoring and oversight of the service was not effective. There were missed opportunities to improve the quality of service provided. Not all records had been completed or kept up to date. Staff did not always have accurate records they could rely on to provide good quality care.

Staff knew how to safeguard and support people to keep them safe. Enough suitably skilled staff had been safely recruited. People were supported by a consistent staff team who they felt comfortable with. Staff ensured they followed infection prevention guidance and good practise. The service and the staff team took on board learning when things went wrong.

People's needs were assessed before the service provided them with support. Staff knew people's needs well. Staff had received the required training and ongoing support to help them maintain and improve their skills to fulfil their role and responsibilities. Relatives and health professionals all confirmed staff had the skills necessary to care for people well.

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.

Relatives told us staff were caring and knew people's needs and preferences well. Staff gave people privacy, treated them with dignity and respect and helped promote their independence.

People said they were involved when reviewing their care and felt staff were responsive to their changing needs. Complaints were used to help drive positive improvements. Procedures and policies were in place should any person suddenly become unwell or need end of life care.

The registered manager led by example and had fostered an open and honest staff team culture. People's views were sought, and this enabled them to have a say in how the service was provided. The provider worked well with other organisations, to provide people with joined up care.

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

Rating

This service was registered with us on 18 January 2022 and this is the first inspection.

Why we inspected

This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service.

Enforcement and Recommendations

We are mindful of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our regulatory function. This meant we took account of the exceptional circumstances arising as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic when considering what enforcement action was necessary and proportionate to keep people safe as a result of this inspection. We will continue to monitor the service and will take further action if needed.

We have identified breaches in relation to safe care and treatment and governance at this inspection. Please see the action we have told the provider to take at the end of this report.

Follow up

We will request an action plan from the provider to understand what they will do to improve the standards of quality and safety. We will work alongside the provider and local authority to monitor progress. We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.