8 September 2015
During a routine inspection
This inspection took place on 8 September 2015 and was announced. We told the provider two days before our visit that we would be coming because the service is small and they are often out of the office supporting staff or providing care to people. We needed to be sure that they would be available to speak with us.
Community Spirited is a care agency that provides a wide range of care and support to people living in their own homes. This inspection only looked at the service’s delivery of personal care to people, which they had been registered to provide since June 2014. Nine people were receiving this service at the time of our inspection. The service was run by the provider, who also acted as the manager.
The service had a caring culture which underpinned staff practices. One person told us, “I like the objectives of the service. They’re not in it for the money.” A family member said, “They are community spirited rather than self-centred.” Staff were well-motivated and enjoyed working at the service. There was a good team spirit and staff supported one another to provide high quality care to people.
People felt safe and comfortable with the staff because they knew them well. They were protected from the risk of abuse, including financial abuse as staff followed appropriate procedures when accounting for people’s money. Risks to people’s health and safety were assessed and managed effectively.
Enough staff were available to attend all visits to people. Travelling time was built in to the staff rota, so staff were able to spend the full amount of time with each person and were not rushed. People received copies of the rotas, so knew which staff member would be supporting them each day.
Appropriate arrangements were in place to support people to receive their medicines safely. All necessary checks were completed before staff started working at Community Spirited to make sure they were suitable to work with the people they supported.
Staff praised the range and quality of training they received to prepare them for their role. Most had gained vocational qualifications and were supported appropriately by the provider who they described as “supportive” and “approachable”. Staff sought consent from people before providing care and the provider took action to make sure they followed legislation designed to protect people’s rights.
Staff had formed positive, trusting, relationships with people, who they treated with great kindness and compassion. The provider prided themselves on the “personal touch” and getting to know people and their families well. Staff knew people as individuals and showed an interest in them and their lives. One person said of the staff, “Their heart is really in the work they’re doing.” Another person told us “I never knew there were such splendid people in the world”.
People were treated with dignity and respect and their privacy was protected at all times. They and their families (where appropriate) were involved on planning the care and support they received. People were encouraged to remain as independent as possible.
Staff understood and met people’s needs in a personalised way according to their individual needs. They were well-informed about how each person wished to be cared for. They recognised that some people’s mobility could vary from day to day and responded to this accordingly, taking more time with people when needed.
The provider sought regular feedback from people, which showed they were highly satisfied with the service. They had no complaints, but knew how to raise concerns and were confident they would be addressed promptly.
The service was well-led and people said they would recommend the service to others. Systems were in place to assess and monitor the quality of care provided. There was a development plan in place to further enhance the service and the provider understood the responsibilities of their registration with CQC.