We carried out a review of the data available to us about Crossroads Caring For Life on 6 July 2023. We have not found evidence that we need to carry out an inspection or reassess our rating at this stage.
This could change at any time if we receive new information. We will continue to monitor data about this service.
If you have concerns about Crossroads Caring For Life, you can give feedback on this service.
Crossroads Care Hertfordshire North is a registered charity providing practical support to family carers and those they support. In addition, they provide a domiciliary care service to people to assist with personal care.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
People were positive with the care and support they received and felt safe. Staff knew how to keep people safe and how to report any concerns. There were enough staff to meet people’s needs. There were robust recruitment checks in place which were completed before new staff started work. People were assisted and prompted to take their medicines regularly. Staff completed medicine records when they administered people`s medicines. People were protected from the risk and spread of infection because staff used effective hygiene procedures and personal protective equipment.
People's consent was obtained before care was provided. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice. People were supported to maintain a healthy lifestyle and a varied and nutritious diet. People were assisted to access health care services and professionals when required.
People were positive about the service and in particular the staff who supported them. People told us that staff were kind, caring and respectful. People and their relatives told us the service helped them to achieve a better quality of life and improved outcomes for the carer and those being cared for. People were involved in planning their care. Staff respected people's privacy and maintained their dignity. Staff worked well as a team and shared a values-based ethos, enabling people and their loved ones to continue to live in their own homes with support.
People were aware of the providers complaint and concerns policy and also how to provide positive feedback. People were confident any feedback or concerns raised were addressed in a timely way and to their satisfaction People were encouraged to provide feedback about the service.
There were quality assurance processes in place which included various audits of all aspects of the service. The registered manager carried out audits to check the quality of the service. People, relatives and staff all felt supported and valued. The registered manager and team worked in partnership with other professionals and organisations to ensure good care outcomes for people.
The registered manger, chief executive office and the management team operated an open transparent and inclusive service. They were committed to improving the quality of people’s lives through continuous support, learning and improving. There was a clear focus on person centred care.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
Rating at last inspection
The last rating for this service was good (published 21 September 2016).
Why we inspected
This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.
Follow up
We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.
Crossroads Care Hertfordshire North is a domiciliary care agency. It offers a respite break service for carers by providing care and support to family members in their own home. At this inspection 54 people were being supported by the service.
The service has a manager who was registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC). A registered manager is a person who has registered with the CQC 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 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.
People were positive about the standard of care and support they received. Care and support plans gave staff clear information on how to support people safely. Individual risks were assessed and reviewed. Staff were given guidance on how to work safely and provided with a handbook which included the provider’s policies and values.
Staff were recruited through a robust recruitment process and received the appropriate training for their role. Staff told us they felt equipped and supported in their role. People told us there were enough staff to ensure that their visits were on time and not missed. There were plans in place to develop the staff team to ensure that any visits that needed to be covered would be done so more easily. The management team were also developing champions in key areas such as dementia care and dignity.
People were involved in planning their care and were given choices. Staff ensured they had people’s consent before providing support or care and worked in accordance with the Mental Capacity Act 2005.
People were asked for their views and their complaints were responded to appropriately. People, their relatives, staff and professionals were positive about how the service was run and the leadership shown by the management team.
We looked at records which showed that people's care and support needs had been assessed, documented and reviewed. They were personalised and gave staff clear guidance on how to meet people's individual needs and requirements. A relative of a person who used the service told us, 'The care is very good. I find the service excellent'.the care worker is excellent and really cares about [family member].'
Records showed that effective recruitment procedures were in place to ensure that staff were fit, able and properly trained to meet people's needs. This included carrying out appropriate checks before staff began work. Suitable arrangements were also in place to ensure staff had been appropriately supported to perform their roles. One member of staff commented, 'My manager is very good, passionate about care and I am absolutely well supported. They [the provider] have helped me to learn and develop new skills.'
We looked at records which showed that systems had been put in place to manage risks effectively and to regularly assess and monitor the quality of services provided.
People received care and treatment according to their own specific needs. One person said, "The service is excellent. I couldn't manage without them." Another person told us, "They provide me with comprehensive support and I get everything I need."
People told us they felt safe with the staff from the agency. We found that the staff and the management were knowledgeable about abuse and about safeguarding procedures.
The agency recruited sufficient staff based on the numbers and support needs of people using the service. Those staff were appropriately trained for their role.
The provider actively sought people's views in order to ensure that the quality of the service was maintained. We saw that people using the service, their relatives and staff had all been canvassed for their views within the six months preceding our visit.