Archived: Regents Care Services

Updated 13 February 2018

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection checked whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

This inspection took place on 16 and 23 November and 11 December 2017 and was announced. We gave the service 48 hours’ notice of the inspection visit because it is a small service and we needed to be sure that the registered manager would be in. The inspection site visit activity started on 16 November 2017 and ended on 11 December 2017. We visited the office location on 16 November 2017 to see the registered manager and office staff; and to review care records and policies and procedures. We spoke with staff on 23 November 2017 and spoke with relatives on 11 December 2017.

The inspection team consisted of one inspector.

We used information the provider sent us in the ‘Provider Information Return’. This is information we require providers to send us at least once annually to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We also reviewed other information that we hold about the service such as safeguarding information and notifications. Notifications are the events happening in the service that the provider is required to tell us about. We used this information to plan what areas we were going to focus on during our inspection.

We spoke with three relatives, four members of staff, the registered manager and care co-ordinator. We reviewed three people’s care files and three staff recruitment and support records. We also looked at the service’s quality assurance arrangements, the registered provider’s arrangements for managing medication, staff training records, staff duty rotas and complaints records.

Updated 13 February 2018

Regents Care Services is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats. It provides a service to older adults and for people with a learning disability and autism. The domiciliary care agency office is situated close to the main ferry terminal in Tilbury, Essex.

Following the last inspection on 8 and 9 September 2016, we asked the registered provider to take action to make improvements relating to their quality assurance arrangements, and this action has been completed.

This inspection was undertaken on 16 and 23 November 2017 and 11 December 2017. At the time of the inspection five people were receiving a domiciliary care service from Regents Care Services.

A registered manager was in post. 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.

Suitable arrangements were in place to keep people safe. Policies and procedures were followed by staff to safeguard people and staff understood these measures. Risks to people were identified and managed to prevent people from receiving unsafe care and support. The service was appropriately staffed to meet the needs of the people using the service. People received their medication as prescribed and in a safe way. Recruitment procedures were followed to ensure the right staff were employed. People were protected by the providers arrangements for the prevention and control of infection. Arrangements were in place for learning and when things go wrong.

Staff received an induction to carry out their role and responsibilities effectively. Staff had the right competencies and skills to meet people’s needs and received regular training opportunities. Suitable arrangements were in place for staff to receive regular formal supervision. People’s nutritional and hydration needs were met. People received appropriate healthcare support as and when needed and staff knew what to do to summon assistance. The service worked together with other organisations to ensure people received coordinated care and support. People were supported to have choice and control of their lives.

People were treated with care, kindness, dignity and respect. People received a good level of care and support that met their needs and preferences. Staff had a good knowledge and understanding of people’s specific care and support needs and how they wished to be cared for and supported.

Support plans were in place to reflect how people would like to receive their care and support, and covered all aspects of a person's individual circumstances. Social activities were available for people to enjoy and experience both ‘in house’ and within the local community. Information about how to make a complaint was available and people’s representatives told us they were confident to raise issues or concerns.

Suitable arrangements were in place to assess and monitor the quality of the service provided. There was a positive culture within the service that was person-centred, open and inclusive. The service sought people’s and others views about the quality of the service provided.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.