- Homecare service
Nupath Care Gateshead
Assessment report published 9 May 2025
Contents
Ratings
Our view of the service
Nupath Care - Gateshead is a domiciliary care service registered to provide personal care to individuals living in their own homes. They offer services to people with complex physical needs, people with learning disabilities and older people. The service is registered to support autistic people or people with a learning disability. The service worked in line with ‘Right support, right care, right culture’ to make sure people were treated with respect, equality, dignity, choices, independence and had good access to local communities. CQC only inspects where people receive personal care. Personal care is help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do provide personal care, we also consider any wider social care provided during our assessment.
This assessment took place between 26 February 2025 and 4 April 2025. At the last inspection published 8 March 2023, the service was rated requires improvement with a breach of regulation 18, due to the provider not having enough staff to safely care for people. At this inspection we found they had made improvements and were no longer in breach of regulation 18.
We gathered information from people who used the service, relatives, the registered manager, and care staff who have worked with the service.
We found people received reliable, timely and effective support from staff who understood their needs. Staff built up a good rapport with people and involved them or their advocates in care planning.
Staff arrived on time and contingency plans were in place to ensure unexpected absence was covered. Where people had complex needs, new staff always shadowed existing staff to get to know them and learn about people’s communication styles.The registered manager and provider had effective oversight of the service, with a robust electronic care system in place. Management used the electronic system to monitor and review the service, ensuring any issues were acted on swiftly.Staff said managers were approachable and supportive. Managers worked closely with staff and people who used the service to ensure care standards met their expectations.
People's experience of this service
People’s feedback was overwhelmingly positive. People said staff were always caring, kind and took things at the right pace for them. One person said, “I always know who is coming. I have the same two [staff members] every time. If there’s ever been an issue, [if there has, staff] have told who they need to tell straight away and dealt with it quickly.” Staff respected people choices and championed their independence. One person said, “[Staff] ask before they help me with anything and always respect my choices.” Whilst another person commented, “[Staff] support me to take care of myself as much as I can especially when I am really down,” and “[Staff] listen when I say something isn’t working. They try to fix it, the atmosphere is nice on the telephone and with the carer who comes to me.”
Relatives commented, “Timing is fine, never rushed, [person] never has to worry about whether someone will turn up, as calls are always covered,” and “[Staff] are good because they are very calm with [person], and it counteracts any insecurity [person] may have."