The Care Quality Commission
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Archived: Helping Caring Hands Ltd

Overall: Requires improvement read more about inspection ratings

38 Maple Street, Sheerness, Kent, ME12 1XH (01795) 667685

Provided and run by:
Helping Caring Hands Limited

All Inspections

25 April 2017

During a routine inspection

This inspection took place on 25 April 2017 and was announced.

Helping Caring Hands care agency provides care services to people in their own homes mainly on the Isle of Sheppey. The care they provided was tailored to people’s needs so that people could maintain or regain their independence. This included older people who had been discharged from hospital who needed help with day to day tasks like cooking, shopping, washing and dressing and help to maintain their health and wellbeing. At the time of our inspection, there was one privately funded person using the service. This person received a 24 hour care package and was mainly cared for in bed.

At the time of our inspection there had not been a registered manager employed at the service since 20 February 2015. 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 was a manager in day to day charge of the service but they had failed to register.

At the previous inspection on 19 and 23 November 2015, we identified one breach of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014 and one breach of the Health and Social Care Act 2009 (Registration) Regulations 2014. The breaches were in relation to full and robust recruitment checks not being carried out on some staff employed and that the registered person had not complied with the conditions of their registration by appointing a registered manager.

At this inspection, the regulated activity of personal care was only being delivered to one person. The staff working with this person had appropriate employment checks, for example they were checked against the disclosure and barring service records. However, the provider had not registered a manager and continued to be in breach of the Registration Regulations.

It is a legal requirement that a provider’s latest CQC inspection report rating is displayed on the provider's website. The provider had failed to display their rating.

Staff were recruited safely and had been through a selection process that ensured they were fit to work with people who needed safeguarding. Recruitment policies were in place that had been followed. Safe recruitment practices included background and criminal records checks prior to staff starting work.

The care was predominantly delivered by one member of staff as part of a small team of care staff, but two care staff were made available when moving and handling tasks were needed. A slide sheet was available and staff had been trained to use it.

The person receiving personal care and their representatives spoke about the staff in a positive light regarding their feelings of being safe and well cared for. They thought that staff were caring and compassionate. Staff were trusted and well thought of by the people they cared for.

The manager assessed people’s needs and planned people’s care to maintain their safety, health and wellbeing. Risks were assessed by staff to protect people. There were systems in place to monitor incidents and accidents.

Staff training covered both core training like first aid and more specialised training like catheter care. They also understood the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and how to support people’s best interest if they lacked capacity.

Staff had received training about protecting people from abuse. Procedures for reporting any concerns were in place. The manager knew how and when they should escalate concerns following the local authorities safeguarding protocols.

There was an up to date policy about the safe administration of medicines. Staff had been trained to administer medicines safely. Staff followed guidance about supporting people to eat and drink enough. Care plans were kept in people’s homes, they were reviewed and updated.

The manager had contact with people when delivering care and the person receiving personal care knew the manager and provider well. There were policies in place, which ensured people would be listened to and treated fairly if they complained.

We found a continuing breach and a new breach of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014. We are taking action against the provider.

19 and 23 November 2015.

During a routine inspection

This inspection took place on 19 and 23 November 2015 and was announced.

Helping Caring Hands provides care services to people in their own homes mainly on the Isle of Sheppey. The care they provided was tailored to people’s needs so that people could maintain or regain their independence. This included older people who had been discharged from hospital who needed help with day-to-day tasks like cooking, shopping, washing and dressing and help to maintain their health and wellbeing. There were six people using the service at the time of our inspection. People were assessed as low risk in terms of the care they needed.

A registered manager was not employed at the service. It was a condition of the providers registration to appoint 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.

New staff had been through a recruitment and selection process that ensured they were fit to work with people who needed safeguarding. Recruitment policies were in place, however the provider did not always follow the law or their recruitment policy by carrying out checks on all staff prior to staff starting work.

People spoke about the staff in a positive light regarding their feelings of being safe and well cared for. They thought that staff were caring and compassionate. Staff were trusted and well thought of by the people they cared for.

The manager assessed people’s needs and planned people’s care to maintain their safety, health and wellbeing. Risks were assessed by staff to protect people. There were systems in place to monitor incidents and accidents.

Staff had received training about protecting people from abuse and showed a good understanding of what their responsibilities were in preventing abuse. Procedures for reporting any concerns were in place. The manager knew how and when they should escalate concerns following the local authorities safeguarding protocols.

People who used the service had capacity to make day to day and more complex decisions about their health and wellbeing. However, the manager and staff had received awareness training about the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and understood when and how to support peoples best interest if they lacked capacity to make certain decisions about their care.

Working in community settings staff often had to work on their own, but the risk associated with this were well managed. The manager provided staff with support and an ‘Outside Office Hours’ number to call during evenings and at weekends if they had concerns about people. The service could continue to run in the event of emergencies arising so that people’s care would continue. For example, when there was heavy snow or if there was a power failure at the main office.

People felt that staff were well trained and understood their needs. They told us that staff looked at their care plans and followed the care as required. People told us that staff discussed their care with them so that they could decide how it would be delivered.

Staff had been trained to administer medicines safely. However, medicines were not administered by staff at the time of this inspection.

The manager gave staff guidance about supporting people to eat and drink enough. People were pleased that staff encouraged them to keep healthy through eating a balanced diet and drinking enough fluids. Care plans were kept reviewed and updated.

There were policies in place which ensured people would be listened to and treated fairly if they complained. The manager ensured that people’s care met their most up to date needs and any issues raised were dealt with to people’s satisfaction.

People were happy with the leadership and approachability of the service’s manager. Staff felt well supported. Audits were effective and risks were monitored by manager to keep people safe.

We found breaches of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014. You can see what action we have taken at the back of the full version of the report.