Archived: First City Nursing Services Ltd Chippenham

We carried out a comprehensive inspection on 22 December 2016. The inspection was announced which meant the provider was informed in advance that we would be visiting. This was because the service is provided to people in their own homes and we wanted to make sure the registered manager, or someone acting on their behalf, was available to support the inspection.

There was a registered manager in place at the time of our inspection. 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’s needs were assessed before they started to receive support from the service. People and their relatives were involved in the planning and reviews of care, were supported to make decisions, and were given the opportunity to provide feedback on a regular basis.

Systems were in place to manage risks and protect people from abuse. Staff had received training, were aware of their responsibilities and knew what actions they needed to take to make sure people were protected.

Recruitment checks were in place to make sure staff were suitable for their role. Staff received training to make sure they had the appropriate skills, knowledge and experience to provide the care people needed.

Staff understood how to support people with personal care whilst maintaining their privacy, dignity and independence. One person told us, “I can’t fault the service at all, it’s perfect.”

People’s concerns were listened to and acted on. A complaints procedure was in place, and we were told that complaints would be investigated and responded to in accordance with the provider’s policy.

Robust systems were in place to assess, monitor and mitigate risks to people and to improve the quality of the service provided.

People told us they were involved in planning their care and were happy about the care they received. They each told us that their needs were being met and that they had no complaints. They added that staff them knew them well and treated them with kindness. One person told us "they always arrive with a smile". Another person said "they're so efficient, and do things so quickly, sometimes".

During our visit, we spoke to the registered manager, their deputy and three employees. Each of the employees said that they felt supported by the managers. They also told us they received a good amount of training. One employee told us "the training is very good and useful for the people we work with". Another told us about their induction, and said "this work was new to me, so I found the induction really useful".

There were systems in place that protected people from abuse. People we spoke to said they felt safe when the carers visited. One person told us "they're a lovely bunch and they make me feel nice and safe every time they come in".

The service sought out the views of people and their relatives regarding the quality of care, and looked to improve wherever possible.

The office staff cooperated during our inspection and the care staff we spoke with were happy to talk with us. They said they felt supported, appreciated the training opportunities available and appreciated the feedback they received.

People were given appropriate information about the service provided, were consulted and involved in planning thier care. People were happy about the care they received that was documented, evaluated and reviewed. Arrangements were in place to ensure that people were protected from abuse.

Staff were supported to carry out their work. There were training and development opportunities and careful monitoring of staff performance. the provider used this and other measures to monitor the quality of service including reviewing complaints as they were made.