Archived: Helping Hands & Co

Updated 13 December 2016

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check they are meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

We inspected Helping Hands and Company on 19 & 26 October 2016 which included visits to people in their own homes. This was an announced inspection and was carried out by one inspector.

Before the inspection, we reviewed all the information we held about the service including previous inspection reports and notifications received by the Care Quality Commission. A notification is when the provider tells us about important issues and events which have happened at the service. The provider also completed a Provider Information Return (PIR). This is a form that asks the provider to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We used this information to help us decide what areas to focus on during inspection.

We spoke with three care staff, the registered manager and the supervisor/administrator and visited three people who received a service in their own home. We reviewed three people’s care records and pathway tracked three people’s care to check that they had received the care they needed. (We did this by looking at care documents to show what actions staff had taken and the outcome for the person). We looked at four staff recruitment, training, supervision and appraisal records, and other records relating to the management of the service, such as quality assurance, medication records and policies and procedures. Following the inspection we spoke with two people by telephone to find out their views of the service they received.

Updated 13 December 2016

We inspected Helping Hands and Company (Helping Hands) on 19 & 26 October 2016. This was an announced inspection. We gave the provider 24 hours’ notice to ensure there would be staff available to facilitate the inspection.

Helping Hands is a domiciliary care agency providing personal care to people living in their own home. At the time of our inspection the agency was supporting 27 people. Most people fund their own care, although the agency also provides services to people funded by the Local Authority and Continuing Health Care when requested.

The service had a registered manager in place. 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 were some shortfalls in understanding of the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005. Whilst staff sought consent from people or relatives before providing any care or support this was not always from the appropriate person or legal representative. The registered manager had started to address this during the inspection.

People were protected from abuse. Staff were able to recognise different forms of abuse and knew how to identify when there was a risk it might happen. They received training and understood the provider’s safeguarding and whistle blowing procedures and who to contact if they had any concerns.

People were protected from harm. Individual risks in relation to people’s health were assessed and measures put in place to mitigate the risks. Environmental risk assessments were carried out in people’s homes which identified any safety risks to both the person and staff. Incidents and accidents were recorded and investigated appropriately and any learning shared with staff.

People received support to take their medicines, where required. Staff had a good knowledge of who required prompting or full assistance to take their medicines and how these should be administered and recorded when people had taken them.

The provider followed robust recruitment practices to ensure that only people suitable to work in social care were employed. These included criminal records checks, previous employment references and proof of identity.

There were sufficient staff who were deployed effectively to meet people’s needs in a timely way. People told us staff arrived on time and had time to sit and talk to them and they were not rushed. Staff told us the rotas were well managed and they had plenty of time to provide people’s care without rushing.

Staff received regular training, supervision and their practice was observed to check they continued to meet the required standard. Staff received an annual appraisal which provided them formal opportunities to discuss their performance and personal development.

Staff supported people to manage their health and make healthcare appointments where required.

Staff supported, encouraged or prompted people, depending on their needs, to eat and drink. Staff were aware of people’s likes, dislikes and any special dietary requirements.

Staff interacted positively with people and had a good rapport with them and their families. They were committed to the people they supported and were caring, compassionate and kind.

People told us that staff respected their privacy and dignity and treated them, and their homes, with respect. Staff promoted people’s independence and encouraged them to do things for themselves, where possible and safe to do so.

People and their families were involved in initial assessments of the care they needed. Care plans were detailed and gave guidance to staff about how their care should be provided. Staff knew people well, including their life histories and interests and had time to sit and talk with them.

People knew how to make a complaint. They told us they would contact the office and speak with the registered manager who they had all knew. People told us had no complaints about Helping Hands. Where concerns had been raised in the past, these had been dealt with appropriately and in a timely way.

The service was well led by an effective registered manager. The culture at the service was open, transparent and welcoming. Staff consistently told us they felt well supported and were kept informed.

The service had been recognised as one of the top ten agencies in the South East by the Homecare Awards in April 2016. These awards are based on over 4,000 reviews by people and their family and friends from 1st April 2014 to 1st April 2016.

Effective quality assurance systems and service audits were in place to assess and monitor the quality of care and drive improvements. People told us they were asked for their views about the care they received and confirmed they were every satisfied. The registered manager covered shifts if required, and visited people at home to check they were happy and find out if they wanted any changes to their care.

The registered manager understood their responsibilities and submitted notifications to the commission when required. Records relating to people’s care and to the management of the service were up to date and securely stored.

We last inspected the service in December 2013 when we found no concerns.