Archived: Unity Care Solutions

Unity Care Solutions is a domiciliary care agency (DCA), based in Eastbourne. The office is close to the town centre and has parking spaces to the rear of the building and on local roads. It provides personal care and nursing care to people living in their own homes covering Eastbourne town and the surrounding areas. People receiving this care had varied care and support needs. This included help with personal hygiene, the administration of medicines and support in the preparation of food. Some people had memory loss and lived with dementia. Other people had mobility problems and needed assistance in moving, sometimes with the support of two staff and equipment. Some people in receipt of nursing care had complex care needs that required 24 hour nursing care.

This inspection was announced with the provider given 48 hours’ notice. The inspection took place on the 12 January 2016. At the time of this inspection the DCA was providing a service to 16 people.

The DCA had a registered manager who was also the provider of the service. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) 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.

All feedback from people regarding the service and the staff was positive. They told us they felt safe with the staff who they said were well trained to do their work. One person said "The carers are all lovely, they are very friendly and are almost like members of my family and I couldn't manage to be at home without them."

Despite this positive feedback we found some areas for improvement.

All staff had undertaken training on the MCA and had an understanding of consent and people’s individual rights. However we found when people lacked capacity it was not clear how consent was sought or how decisions were made in their best interest. For example capacity assessments were not recorded. The registered manager could not be assured that all people’s rights had been considered in the provision of care and treatment.

Some systems for quality monitoring and assurance were not fully developed to ensure best practice was followed. This included the lack of effective auditing systems to ensure organisational procedures were being followed.

The service had good systems in place to keep people safe. Assessments of risks to people had been developed and reviewed. The service employed enough, qualified and well trained staff, to meet people’s needs. Staff had a good knowledge and understanding of what constituted abuse and how to respond to any suspicion of abuse.

Staff received an induction, essential training and additional specialist training in areas where people had specialist care needs for example when people had artificial feeding or a tracheostomy.

Staff had group and one to one meetings were held regularly for staff, in order for them to discuss their role and share any information or concerns.

If needed, people were supported with their food and drink and this was monitored regularly.

The needs and choices of people had been clearly documented in their care plans. Where people’s needs changed or were complex other health care professionals were involved and worked with for the best outcomes for people.

People were looked after by staff who were caring and kind and took account of people’s privacy and dignity. People had their health care needs attended to with the support and guidance of additional health and social care professionals when required. People said they were happy with the care and support staff provided to them and that it met their individual needs.

The needs and choices of people had been clearly documented in their care plans. Where people’s needs changed people’s care and support plans were reviewed to ensure the person received the care and treatment they required.

There was an established complaints procedure that people were happy to use. Records identified that the investigation into complaints were completed in a thorough and robust way.

The registered manager and the office team provided sound leadership for staff, who found them approachable and willing to listen. The DCA had clear aims and objectives and strove to improve the service by using external resources and responding to internal and external investigations and feedback from other agencies.