Archived: Crossroads Care East Midlands - South Leicestershire Office

Crossroads Care East Midlands provides personal care to people living in their own homes who have a variety of needs. These include older people, people who have a physical disability, people living with dementia and people who have a learning disability or Aspergers. At the time of our inspection 93 people were using the service.

The service had a registered manager. 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 and their relatives felt safe with the care offered. Staff understood their responsibilities to support people to keep safe and to protect them from abuse. They dealt with accidents and incidents appropriately. The provider had made sure that people were being protected from avoidable harm. Risk assessments were in place which set out how to support people in a safe manner.

People received support from staff who had been checked before they had started work. This had helped the provider to make safer recruitment decisions about the suitability of prospective staff.

People received their medicines as prescribed in a safe way. Staff were trained in how to administer people’s medicines and were checked for their competency to do so.

People were receiving support from staff who had the appropriate skills and knowledge. Staff received regular training. Care workers were supported through training and supervision to be able to meet the care needs of the people they supported. They undertook an induction programme when they started to work at the service.

People were being supported in line with the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) 2005. The provider had recorded where people had legal representatives to make decisions on their behalf. Staff understood their responsibilities under the Act and asked people’s consent before providing their care.

People were supported to maintain a balanced diet and had access to healthcare services when required. Staff knew how to monitor people’s health and to seek support when needed.

People received support from staff who showed kindness and compassion. Their dignity and privacy was being protected. Staff knew people’s communication preferences. People were being supported to be as independent as they wanted to be. People had been involved in decisions about their support.

People or their relatives had contributed to the planning and review of their support. People had care plans that were person-centred. This meant that the support people received was focused on them as individuals. Staff knew about the people they were supporting including their interests and hobbies.

People and their relatives knew how to make a complaint. The provider had a complaints policy in place and followed this when a complaint had been received.

People had opportunities to give feedback to the provider.

People and staff felt the service was well managed. The service was well organised and led by a registered manager who understood their responsibilities under the Care Quality Commission (Registration) Regulations 2009.

The provider carried out monitoring in relation to the quality of the service that people received.

People who used the services and relatives were complimentary about the service. They all valued that the service had provided care workers who understood the needs of the people they supported. They told us that care workers came at times they expected and the same care workers came most of the time. People told us that it was important to them the same care workers came as that had allowed them to build up a relationship with people and had fostered a continuity of care. One person who used the service described their care workers as "absolutely fantastic." Another told us, "The care is very good. I couldn't wish for anymore."

People who used the service and relatives told us that care workers had always carried out the personal care routines that had been expected of them. A relative told us, "The carers are absolutely brilliant. They have had the right training." Our review of training records confirmed that to be the case.

People and relatives had been involved in care planning. People told us that they knew how to contact the office to raise any concerns. A relative told us, "I'm comfortable approaching the office and I'm confident they listen."

We found that the service was caring, responsive and well led.

We looked at letters that had been received from relatives. All of the letters were complimentary about the service. Two letters which were representative of all the letters we looked at. One letter included, "your wonderful assistance has helped enormously to get us through a difficult time." Another letter said, "What a fantastic service you provide. Both my husband and I felt confident with the care provided."