Homestead Care Service Limited

Homestead Care Service Limited provides care and support to people living in their own home. Not everyone using Homestead Care Service Limited receives regulated activity; the CQC only inspects the service being received by people provided with ‘personal care’; help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do we also take into account any wider social care provided. At the time of this inspection there were 230 people using the service.

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.

The provider had policies and procedures in relation to safeguarding adults. The registered manager and staff were aware of procedures to follow to safeguard people. Potential risks to people were assessed to ensure they remained safe.

System was in place to manage accidents and incidents and learn from them so they were less likely to happen again.

There were sufficient numbers of skilled and experienced staff to meet people’s needs. Checks had been carried out on staff before they started to work to make sure they were suitable to work with people who used the service.

There were systems were in place to ensure people received their medicines safely. People were supported to have a healthy and nutritious diet.

People’s needs were assessed and care and support was planned and delivered in line with their individual care plan. The management team worked with other professionals and this helped to ensure people received the support they needed to maintain their health.

Staff were knowledgeable about people they supported. People commented that staff had good relationships with them. They were encouraged to make informed decisions about their care and support. Before people received any care or support they were routinely asked for their consent. The provider had systems in place to support people who lacked capacity to make decisions for themselves.

People were supported by staff that promoted independence, respected their dignity and maintained their privacy. They were encouraged to participate in activities that were meaningful to them.

Staff were supported to maintain and develop their skills through training and development opportunities.

People and their relatives felt the service was well run and they could discuss any issues with the registered manager. Confidentiality of people’s personal information was maintained.

There were systems in place to gain the views of people and their relatives about the service. People and relatives told us they were satisfied with the care and support provided by staff. They knew who to speak to if they were unhappy or had any concerns. The provider always welcomed suggestions on how they could develop the service and make improvements.

Homestead Care Service Limited is an agency that provides care and support to people living in their own home. At the time of this inspection there were around 270 people using the service.

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.

People told us they felt safe because of the service provided by the agency. Staff knew what actions to take if they thought a person might be at risk. They also had received training in how to recognise and report abuse and were confident any allegations would be taken seriously. Appropriate risk assessments had taken place to ensure people were cared for in a safe environment.

There were sufficient staff employed to ensure people’s visit plans were followed in the way they wanted. Effective systems for the safe recruitment of staff were in place. Staff were positive about the training they received which they said enabled them to support people in the way they wanted.

People received support from staff who knew them well, and had the knowledge and skills to meet their needs. Staff were aware of what actions to take if people needed medical or emergency support. Where the service supported people with taking their medicines, staff were trained in how to do this.

Staff were aware of the importance of ensuring people’s privacy and their confidentiality was protected. People were supported to make informed choices and staff had awareness of the Mental Capacity (MCA) Act 2005.

People and families were involved in decisions relating to peoples care and support. Care plans we saw contained information relevant to the person’s needs. The care plans were reviewed on a regular basis.

The registered manager and office staff monitored the quality of the service by regularly undertaking a range of regular audits and speaking with people to ensure they were happy with the service they received. Complaints and concerns were logged and monitored to ensure they were dealt with in a timely manner.

People, relatives and staff told us the management team were approachable. There was a management structure in the service which provided clear lines of responsibility and accountability. The management team worked well and supported staff accordingly.

People said that they felt safe with the carers and that they would know how to report any concerns. All staff we spoke with said they would report any concerns about abuse to the management, however members of staff were unsure or unaware of the service's safeguarding policy.

Staff told us that the induction programme was good. One new member of staff said "(on completing the programme) I felt very much prepared for the role." Ongoing training was arranged for all staff which was relevant to their role. Staff had regular appraisals and supervision.

The provider took account of complaints and comments to improve the service. The service sent surveys to all people who use the service and staff annually. This asked people who used the service and staff for their views about the service. A person who used the service said "I raised an issue (in the questionnaire) about the time one of the carers arriving being too early. They did change this eventually."

Care plans were comprehensive and person centred. People we spoke with made positive comments about the actual care they received. One person said 'the care is splendid. They are very kind to me and I have had no problems at all.' Another person said 'I can't find any faults with them at all and I have no complaints. I am so pleased with them.'

Staff told us that they had recently received training in safeguarding adults. Staff knew about safeguarding and protecting people they cared for.

The service followed robust recruitment practices which ensured that people were cared for by staff that had been appropriately vetted.

People who use the service did not always benefit from staff who were competent to deliver their care. We spoke with two people who felt that staff did not know what to do when visiting them. One person said 'we have had some carers who haven't got a clue about what to do. We have told the office and they are taken out.'

There was an annual quality assurance programme and a survey was last sent out in June 2012. The service was in the process of analysing the results.