We carried out a review of the data available to us about Salopian Care 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 Salopian Care, you can give feedback on this service.
Salopian Care is a domiciliary care agency which provides assistance with personal to people living in their own homes. At the time of this inspection 50 people were receiving support with personal care needs. 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.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
The service was effectively managed by a team who were committed to providing an exceptionally high standard of person-centred care. Comments from professionals, people who used the service and their relatives confirmed this. The provider and management team promoted an open and honest ethos and learned from mistakes. Staff were very motivated and well trained and there were effective systems to ensure staff remained competent in their role. People’s views about the service were valued and there were effective procedures in place to continually monitor and improve the quality of service people received. The service went to great lengths to provide people with opportunities to be part of the local community.
People received a service which was exceptionally responsive to their needs and preferences. Staff went above and beyond to ensure people’s needs and lifestyle choices were respected. Staff responded quickly to changes in people’s well-being and sought the advice of professionals which resulted in a positive outcome for people. People were fully involved in planning and reviewing the care they received. One person told us, “I have input with the care plan and the supervisor comes and goes through it with me. I have the care plan here with me in my house.” People’s communication needs were assessed and understood by staff. People were provided with information in a format which met their needs. People felt confident that any concerns would be taken seriously, and action would be taken to address them. There were systems in place to ensure people’s preferences during their final days and following death were understood and respected.
People felt safe with the staff who supported them. One person said, “I feel very safe. What I like is that they go around on the later call and make sure all the windows are closed and that we are safe and secure before they leave.” Risks to people were monitored and procedures were in place to help keep people safe. There were safe systems for administration of people's prescribed medicines. People were supported by adequate numbers of staff who were safe and competent to work with them. People were protected from the risks associated with the control and spread of infection.
People were supported by staff who were well trained and competent in their role. One person said, “They certainly are very skilled and trained well in my opinion. I don’t know what I would do without them now.” People were assessed before they used the service to ensure their needs and preferences could be met. Staff understood the importance of ensuring people's rights were understood and protected. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice. People's health care and nutritional needs were monitored and understood by staff.
People were supported by kind and compassionate staff who ensured they were fully involved in decisions about their care. People were treated with respect and their right to privacy was understood and respected by staff. People were supported to remain as independent as possible.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
Rating at last inspection
The service was rated good at our last inspection (report published October 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.
The service is registered to provide personal care to people within their own homes in the North Shropshire area. The office is located within the main shopping area in Market Drayton.
There was a registered manager in place. 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.
This service was last inspected in January 2014, when we did not identify any concerns with the care and support provided to people who used the service.
People and their relatives considered they or their loved ones were safe. They felt they and were attended to by staff that were professional, reliable and caring. caring.
People were safe as staff knew how to recognise different signs of abuse and what action to take if they had any concerns.
The provider ensured staff were safe to work with people who used the service. They obtained Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks and suitable references for new staff.
The provider had suitable arrangements in place to ensure people’s medicines were managed safely.
There were systems in place to ensure that risks to people’s safety and wellbeing were identified and addressed. A risk and needs assessments was undertaken to assess any risk to people who used the service.
People told us that scheduled visits were rarely late and that they had never experienced a missed call. We found there were effective systems in place to schedule and pro-actively monitor visits. Managers were able to anticipate late calls and take appropriate action either to notify the person who used the service or make alternative arrangements in respect of staff attending.
The provider ensured staff had a full understanding of people’s care needs and had the skills and knowledge to meet them. Training was comprehensive and effectively organised to meet the individual needs of staff.
People had access to healthcare professionals to make sure they received effective treatment to meet their specific needs.
People who used the service were treated with kindness and said their privacy and dignity was always respected.
People’s care and support was planned in full consultation with them. We found people received care and support, which was personalised to their wishes and responsive to their needs. Each person had support plans in place, which provided guidance for staff about how best to meet each person’s needs.
Staff were knowledgeable about the people they supported, which enabled them to provide a personalised and responsive service.
The provider had systems in place to routinely listen to people’s experiences, concerns and complaints.
The provider had clear visions and values that were person-centred and that ensured people, including staff were at the heart of the service. People told us the service was responsive and well managed.
Staff were very highly motivated and proud of the service they worked in. Staff told us the service was well-led and that they felt valued by the provider, which had an open and transparent culture.
The provider undertook a comprehensive range of checks to monitor the quality of service delivery. We saw records relating to unannounced ‘spots checks’ and ‘observations’ of staff practice. These were undertaken to ensure staff remained competent to deliver services at a high standard.
People told us that they were very happy with the care staff who supported them. One relative described the carer as "Excellent' and said the staff knew exactly how to support their family member. Other comments included, 'They are all very professional. Nothing is too much trouble' and 'Can't speak highly enough, we couldn't do without them'. Other people stated, "My carer couldn't be better" and 'I would give my carer a 1000%'. People told us the care staff were flexible and tried to fit in with their wishes. People received care from regular staff who knew their needs well. People told us they had been consulted with about their care plans and involved in regular reviews of their care.
We found that care was planned and delivered in line with people's assessed needs and care plans were updated on a regular basis. The provider trained staff in safeguarding vulnerable adults and other important issues and people told us they felt safe with the care staff. We saw that staff were supervised and their competency was monitored on a regular basis. Staff told us they felt supported in their work.
We found that the provider had systems in place to monitor the quality of the service. This ensured that the service was effective and well led.
People were very satisfied with the care and support they received from Salopian Care. They were involved and consulted with the way that care and support was given and reviewed. People were supported to retain their independence as much as possible. Staff and the service were described as "marvellous", "excellent" and "very helpful".
Care plans contained clear guidance for staff on people's needs and how these should be met. This was done in a way that reflected people's individuality and preferences.
People were protected from the risk of abuse because staff were trained to recognise and report any concerns.
Systems were in place to make sure that checks were made when new staff started working at the agency to make sure that they were suitable. Staff felt very well supported by the management team.
The agency supplied people with information about how to raise any concerns and complaints.
Appropriate equipment was provided and serviced by healthcare professionals. Staff were trained so that they could use it safely.