Background to this inspection
Updated
20 April 2015
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 whether the provider is 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.
The inspection took place on 12 March 2015. The provider was given 48 hours’ notice because the location provides a domiciliary care service and the registered manager is often out during the day; we needed to be sure they would be in.
The inspection was completed by one inspector.
Before the inspection we reviewed the information we held about the service. This included notifications from the provider and speaking with the local authority contracts and safeguarding teams.
We usually send the provider a Provider Information Return (PIR) before the inspection to compete. 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 did not send a PIR to the provider before this inspection.
On the day of our visit we spoke with the registered manager and looked at records which included three care files, two care workers recruitment records and records relating to the management of the service. Following the visit we spoke with three people who were using the service, three relatives and three members of staff.
Updated
20 April 2015
We inspected Time2Care on 12 March 2015 and the visit was made at short notice to make sure the registered manager would be available.
Our last inspection took place on 12 June 2013 and, at that time, we found the regulations we looked at were being met.
Time2Care is a small domiciliary care agency. Time2Care offers a personal care service to people in their own homes. It was providing support to sixteen people who otherwise may not have been able to live independently at home. Only six people were receiving personal care. The agency can provide a service to older people, people with physical disabilities and people with sensory loss. The service covers the following areas in Calderdale: Brighouse, Hipperholme and Lightcliffe.
The service has a registered manager who is also the owner. 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 who used the service told us they felt safe with the care they were provided with. We found there were appropriate systems in place to protect people from risk of harm.
There were policies and procedures in place in relation to the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and Deprivations of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). The registered manager had completed training and knew the procedures to follow.
We found that people were provided with care and support by staff who had the appropriate knowledge and training to effectively meet their needs. The skill mix and staffing arrangements were also sufficient. Robust recruitment processes were in place and followed, with appropriate checks undertaken prior to staff working at the service. This included obtaining references from the person’s previous employer as well as checks to show that staff were safe to work with vulnerable adults.
Staff had opportunities for on-going development and the registered manager ensured that they received induction, supervision, annual appraisals and training relevant to their role.
People and relatives we spoke with told us they liked the staff and had confidence in them. They also told us staff were kind and caring, treated them with dignity and respected their choices.
People who used the service, relatives and staff all told us the management of the service was very good. They said the registered manager was hands on, approachable, responsive and available. We found there were appropriate systems in place for the management of complaints and effective systems to monitor and improve the quality of the service provided.