10 April 2015
During a routine inspection
This inspection took place on the 10 April 2015.
Jark – Ipswich provides domiciliary, personal care support to people living in their own homes. On the day of our inspection there were 37 people receiving support from the service.
On the day of this inspection there was a manager in place who told us they were in the process of registering with the Care Quality Commission. 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.
Although people told us they felt safe when being supported by the agency they did not feel safe when staff arrived late or when they missed their call and they went without support to meet their assessed needs.
Not all risks to people’s health, safety and welfare had been assessed and monitored. Staff had not been provided with the guidance they needed to protect people at risk. For example, those people at risk of limited mobility and environmental risks.
Staff had received training in medicines administration during their induction training. However, staff had not been provided with the full range of training as described within the provider’s statement of purpose. Staff had not been provided with training in safeguarding adults. The provider’s policies and guidance to staff did not give them the information they needed should they need to report any concerns to the relevant safeguarding authorities.
Care plans had not been fully completed. This meant that staff did not have the guidance they required to meet people’s health, welfare and safety needs.
The training staff received was limited and did not provide them with skills and knowledge they needed to support people with their assessed needs. Staff did not receive the training as specified within the provider’s statement of purpose.
Staff did not receive regular, planned and recorded supervision but did however receive annual appraisals.
Staff sought people’s consent when supporting them with administration of their medicines and when providing support with personal care.
Staff were positive regarding the support they received from their manager. They had a good relationship with them and were confident that any concerns they had would be addressed.
The provider did not have adequate systems in place to monitor the quality and safety of the service and evidence action taken to measure and review the delivery of care against current guidance.
We found a number of breaches of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014. You can see what action we have told the provider to take at the back of the full version of this report.