Background to this inspection
Updated
28 March 2018
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.
We received information of concern from an external source during our inspection process and used the information received as intelligence which informed our approach to this inspection. However, we were unable to corroborate the concerns raised with us.
This inspection took place on 24 January 2018 and was announced. The provider was given 24 hours’ notice because the location provides a domiciliary care service and we needed to be sure someone would be able to support us with our inspection. The service provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats in the community.
The inspection team consisted of two adult social care inspectors and an expert-by-experience. An expert-by-experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service. The expert by experience on this occasion had experience in caring for older people, people who have a learning disability and people who use regulated services.
Prior to the inspection we reviewed all the information we had about the service including statutory notifications and other intelligence. We also contacted the local authority commissioning and contracts department, safeguarding, infection control, the fire and police services, environmental health, the clinical commissioning group, and Healthwatch Barnsley to assist us in planning the inspection. We reviewed all the information we had been provided with from third parties to fully inform our approach to inspecting this service.
We used information the provider sent us in the Provider Information Return (PIR). This is information we require providers to send us at least annually to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make.
During the inspection we met with the registered manager, and five other members of staff, including the office manager and four care workers. We also spoke over the telephone with 11 people who used the service and four of their relatives.
Updated
28 March 2018
The inspection of L H Social Care Ltd took place on 24 January 2018. We previously inspected the service on 22, 23 and 24 November 2016 and the service was rated as requires improvement in two of the five key questions and overall, and as good in three of the five key questions. On this visit, we checked to see if improvements had been made.
L H Social Care Limited is a domiciliary care and supported living service. It provides personal care for adults and children living in their own homes throughout Barnsley and the surrounding areas. People who use this service have a wide range of needs including younger and older people who are living with a learning disability, people living with dementia, as well as people with mental health needs and physical disabilities. At the time of our inspection 33 people were receiving support from this provider.
The service had 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.
There were risk assessments in place which covered the environment in which people were supported and person specific risk assessments which identified risks and the measures which were put in place to minimise the risks to people.
People who used the service and their relatives told us people were very safe with their care workers. They also said staff knew what they are doing and were kind and respectful. People were happy with the service they received from LH Social Care Limited.
People were supported with medication and told us they were confident their medication was administered and recorded properly. People with prescribed topical creams said these were applied properly and care workers took appropriate hygiene precautions. We found body maps were not always completed within care plans to show where creams needed to be applied.
Staff recruitment was robust and staffing levels were sufficient to meet people’s needs. People were supported by small teams of regular care workers.
Records showed staff had access to training and regular supervision. Staff we spoke with told us they felt supported.
People told us they were not routinely informed if care workers would be arriving later than the scheduled care visit time. The service was in the process of implementing a rota management system and we will check the effectiveness of the system at our next inspection.
People are supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff support them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service support this practice.
Staff had undertaken training on the Mental Capacity Act (2005) and deprivation of Liberty Safeguards. Staff were able to explain how this legislation related to the people they supported, which meant people’s rights were being protected.
People told us their care workers are kind and compassionate.
Care workers promoted and respected people’s confidentiality, dignity and privacy. Care workers took time to build a good rapport and got to know the people they supported.
People received support with their nutrition and dietary requirements.
People and their relatives were involved in their care planning and in agreeing the support they needed.
People were supported to retain their independence. People told us they were able to make their own decisions and their preferences were taken into consideration.
The service had a complaints policy and process in place. People told us they knew what to do if they had any concerns or complaints about the service.
Feedback regarding the registered manager was positive. People spoke highly about the management of the service.
A system of audits and checks was in place to monitor the safety and quality of the service.
The service worked in partnership with other organisations and local commissioners.