24 & 30 June 2015
During a routine inspection
We undertook an announced inspection of Brighter Care over two days on 24 and 30 June 2015. We told the provider one day before our visit that we were coming to make sure that someone would be available to support the inspection and give us access to the agency’s records. Brighter Care provides personal care services to people in their own homes. At the time of our inspection 19 people were receiving a personal care service from the agency.
The agency 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 said that they felt safe and their relatives told us that they were confident that their family members were better protected with Brighter Care supporting them. The agency had good systems in place to ensure that people’s property was kept secure and that only those who needed access had the ability to do so.
People were safeguarded from abuse. Staff were knowledgeable about their individual roles and responsibilities in keeping people safe and protecting their rights in accordance with the Mental Capacity Act 2005.
The registered manager conducted a detailed assessment of people’s needs before offering them a service. This included a full assessment of all the risks associated with people, their environment and any equipment or specialist conditions. Healthcare professionals told us that they were confident that the agency only offered a service to people that they knew they could appropriately support. Care staff had a good understanding of the need to highlight any new risks to the office so that a review could be undertaken. People and staff felt protected by the agency’s proactive and enabling approach to risk assessment.
The agency had good recruitment systems in place to match people with care staff and ensure that people received the support they needed and expected. People told us that they received the right level of care, at the right time and that the agency had never missed a call. People said that they felt confident that they could rely on the agency.
Where people required assistance with their medicines, this was done appropriately and in accordance with the care plan. Care staff were trained in the administration of medicines and were knowledgeable about the practices in place to support people safely.
People benefitted from the support of skilled and experienced staff to meet their needs. People described care staff as “Competent” and “Totally fantastic”. Relatives and professionals alike had nothing but praise for the way the registered manager and care staff supported people. The agency had links with other healthcare professionals and worked collaboratively with them to promote people’s good health and wellbeing.
People were supported to maintain adequate nutrition and hydration in accordance with their assessed needs. Where required, staff provided practical support or prompting and were aware of the need to report any concerns swiftly.
People and their relatives were impressed with the quality of care and motivation of staff. The registered manager and staff were continuously praised for the kindness and compassion they showed people who used the service. We were given many examples of how staff had “Gone the extra mile” to do the “little things that really make a difference.” Staff provided people with a truly personalised service that focused on them as individuals and not just a list of tasks. People’s privacy and dignity were promoted and upheld at all times.
People told us that they received a totally “Responsive service” which was flexible and adapted to their needs. People appreciated the ability to adjust their service according to their needs or activities. People described how they had been enabled to be as independent as possible, but knowing that back-up support was always there if they needed it.
The agency operated with an open and inclusive culture in which feedback was ongoing and regularly sought. Due to the small nature of the agency, the registered manager had a relationship with each person who received a service. People and their relatives were confident that if they had any concerns, they would be listened to and resolved quickly.