Background to this inspection
Updated
30 November 2016
We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check 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 31 October and 1 November 2016 and was announced.
The provider was given 48 hours’ notice because the location provides a domiciliary care service and we needed to be sure that someone would be in.
The inspection team consisted of one inspector.
We reviewed information we held about the service. We looked at our own system to see if we had received any concerns or compliments about the provider. We analysed information on statutory notifications we had received from the provider. A statutory notification is information about important events which the provider is required to send us by law.
We asked the local authority and Healthwatch for any information they had which would aid our inspection. We included this information in our planning.
Before the inspection, the provider completed a Provider Information Return (PIR). This is a form that asks the provider to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We used this information to assist in our planning of the inspection.
We spoke with the registered manager, eight people receiving support, four relatives and four staff members. We looked at the care and support plans for three people and records of quality checks, incidents and accidents, medicines and details relating to staff recruitment.
Updated
30 November 2016
This inspection took place on 31 October and 1 November 2016 and was announced.
Ultimate Care Services Limited provides personal care for people in their own homes. At this inspection they were providing care and support for 145 people.
A registered manager was in post and present at this 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 were safe as staff had been trained and understood how to support people in a way that protected them from danger, harm and abuse. People had individual assessments of risk associated with their care and support. Staff members understood what to do to reduce the risk of harm to people.
The provider followed safe recruitment practices with staff before they started work to ensure they were safe to work with people. People received help with their medicines from staff who were trained to safely administer these.
People received care and support from staff that had the skills and knowledge to meet their needs. Staff members attended training that was relevant to the people they supported. Staff received support and guidance from a management team who they found approachable.
People had their rights upheld by staff members who knew the appropriate legislation which directed their roles.
People were involved in decisions about their care and had the information they needed in a way they understood. When people could not make decisions for themselves staff understood the steps they needed to follow to ensure people’s rights were upheld.
People had access to healthcare when needed and staff responded to any changes in their needs promptly and consistently. People were supported to maintain a healthy diet which promoted well-being.
People’s likes and dislikes were known by staff who supported them in a way which was personal to them. People had positive relationships with the staff members who supported them. People had their privacy and dignity respected and information personal to them was treated with confidence.
People were supported by a staff team who had shared values which were demonstrated in their interactions with people and their families.
People and staff members felt able to express their views and felt their opinions mattered. The provider engaged people and their families and encouraged feedback. The provider had systems in place to respond to any feedback they received.