Background to this inspection
Updated
3 August 2023
We carried out this performance review and assessment under Section 46 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act). We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements of the regulations associated with the Act and looked at the quality of the service to provide a rating.
Unlike our standard approach to assessing performance, we did not physically visit the office of the location. This is a new approach we have introduced to reviewing and assessing performance of some care at home providers. Instead of visiting the office location we use technology such as electronic file sharing and video or phone calls to engage with people using the service and staff.
Inspection team
This inspection was carried out by 1 inspector and 1 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
This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats.
Registered Manager
This provider is required to have a registered manager to oversee the delivery of regulated activities at this location. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Registered managers and providers are legally responsible for how the service is run, for the quality and safety of the care provided and compliance with regulations.
At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post.
Notice of inspection
We gave the service 24 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because it is a small service and we needed to be sure that the provider or registered manager would be in the office to support the inspection.
Inspection activity started on 22 June 2023 and ended on 20 July 2023. We used remote technology during this period to speak to the registered manager and staff team, speak to people and their relatives and review various documentation. The inspection ended on 20 July 2023 when we gave formal feedback to the registered manager and managing director.
What we did before inspection
We reviewed information we had received about the service. We sought feedback from the local authority, Healthwatch England and professionals who work with the service. Healthwatch is an independent consumer champion that gathers and represents the views of the public about health and social care services in England.
We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return (PIR). This is information providers are required to send us annually with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. We used all this information to plan our inspection.
During the inspection
We spoke with 5 people and 3 relatives about their experience of the care delivered. We spoke with 4 professionals and 4 members of staff including the registered manager and care staff. We reviewed 4 people’s care records including medicines records, 2 staff members’ recruitment records and various quality assurance documents and policies.
This performance review and assessment was carried out without a visit to the location’s office. We used technology such as video calls to enable us to engage with people using the service and staff, and electronic file sharing to enable us to review documentation.
Updated
3 August 2023
About the service
In Home Care Dacorum is a domiciliary care agency providing personal care to younger and older people. Some people were living with dementia or had other health conditions they required support with. At the time of our inspection there were 17 people using the service.
Not everyone who used the service received personal care. 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. The service was supporting 12 people with personal care.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
People told us they felt safe and were well supported by staff. This was echoed by their relatives. People were safe as staff had received training in safeguarding adults and had a good understanding of the signs of abuse. Staff knew how to report concerns both internally and external to the organisation and were confident to do so.
People received their medicines correctly and on time. Staff worked with the local health professionals and pharmacies to ensure people had the right medicine, equipment and health support at the right times.
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. Staff had a good understanding of the Mental Capacity Act and how to support people to make decisions or report concerns of capacity where people's abilities had changed.
Staff supported people to have enough to eat and drink and to access a range of health professionals as they required it. People who needed specialist diets due to allergies or swallowing difficulties had risk assessments in place and this was clearly highlighted in their care plans.
People told us staff were kind and caring and never rushed them. People and relatives felt staff were well trained and efficient. Staff supported people to review their care needs regularly involving their relatives and health professionals as requested. People were supported to receive care that was in line with their preferred methods and needs, taking into account their abilities and cultural sensitivities.
People told us the registered manager responded to complaints quickly and effectively and ensured the same issues did not reoccur.
The registered manager encouraged people to give feedback on the service and suggest ideas for improvements. The registered manager had created an open, person centred culture and had a clear vision of high-quality personalised care that was shared by the staff team and experienced by people receiving care.
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 11 February 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.
Follow up
We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.
This was an ‘inspection using remote technology’. This means we did not visit the office location and instead used technology such as electronic file sharing to gather information, and video and phone calls to engage with people using the service as part of this performance review and assessment.