Archived: Home Instead East Northants

Below is a summary of what we found. The summary is based on our observations during the inspection, speaking with people using the service, the staff supporting them and from looking at records.

This is a summary of what we found:

Is the service safe?

People told us they were informed which member of staff would be visiting them if their regular staff member was off or moved to another geographic area. This meant people's safety was promoted because they knew who would provide their care and therefore their personal security was protected.

We found that the service had effective systems in place to identify abuse or poor practice and respond appropriately. Staff told us they had received training in the safeguarding of vulnerable adults and understood their responsibilities. They knew who to report any concerns to. The people we spoke with told us they felt safe.

The manager said that there were person- centred risk assessments in place for each person who used the service. For example, we were told that risk assessments existed for moving and handling, the person's home environment and transporting people by car. This meant that the person, staff or others were protected and kept safe.

People told us they got the medication they needed on time. This meant people were supported to achieve health and well- being through receiving medication on time.

People told us they were always informed if staff were going to be late but that this rarely happened because they had a consistent group of carers. They told us that the service was very reliable and that communication from the office staff was effective. This demonstrated that people could be assured that there were enough staff to meet their needs.

Is the service effective?

Staff said they had undertaken significant amount of training in a variety of subjects, including ensuring the safety of people when moving them, by using equipment such as hoists. This was confirmed by the manager and evidenced in personal records. This meant staff had received training and had the skills to meet people's needs.

People we spoke with and the care plans we looked at, provided evidence that people who used the service or a relative had been involved in the assessment of their needs. People were involved in the assessment and associated plan to meet their individual needs.

When we looked at the care plans in the agency, we checked on whether people had made choices. We saw that choices had been recorded, and that people's care was provided in line with their written plans, which meant their quality of life was upheld.

Staff told us they were told if there were any changes in a person's health or requirements, which meant people could be assured staff were aware of their needs.

Is the service caring?

People were treated with kindness and compassion by staff that cared. One person told us: 'The staff are all so caring, always enquiring after me and how I have been. Couldn't ask for more.'

We saw that people were encouraged to remain as independent as possible, and their individual needs were met.

Is the service responsive?

People who used the service or their relatives were involved in their plan of care. Staff responded well to people's needs and people said they were easily able to communicate with the office staff when they needed. People were given the information they needed regarding which member of staff would provide the support they needed, which meant they were able to express their views about their support.

The service had an effective complaints system and people were aware of how to make a complaint about the service.

Is the service well- led?

There was a registered manager in post.

All staff said the management team had an open culture and were confident that their opinions were respected. Staff were aware of how to raise a concern about any poor practice, but none of them had needed to do so.

There were robust systems in place to monitor that there were sufficient number of staff to meet the needs of people and to ensure that the quality of service provision was of a good standard.

We spoke with two members of staff who told us training was excellent and gave them a good understanding of how to meet people's needs and what to do if there were any problems.

We also spoke to six of the people who used the service or their family members. Four of these people were very happy with the services provided, including one who had used the service for two and a half years who told us 'the quality of carers I have is very good.' Two of the people we spoke with provided some negative feedback about how their carers had been changed without prior notice. One of these people told us that they had been unhappy about 6 months previously with the conduct and behaviour of one carer who attended their relative. We asked the provider about this matter and found that the carer had been removed and replaced immediately following this incident, and had been disciplined by the provider

We found that care plans of the people who used the service were based on their assessed needs and requirements. Care plans were detailed and took account of people's individual needs and how this would be supported.

We saw that the Provider had a quality assurance system which sought to review service delivery on a regular basis. We looked at the way in which the Provider dealt with complaints and how they managed their records.

One person who used services we spoke with told us, "Life would be impossible without x (carer).'

Another person told us, 'They are excellent. The people who come to see me are very polite and cheerful.'

We also spoke with some of the carers who told us the training they received was excellent. Induction training and compulsory elements were completed before being allowed to start work.

We reviewed care plans of people who used the service and found them to be detailed and up-to-date. Initial assessments were supplemented by regular and recorded reviews. The people who used services and their family members were involved in all aspects of the service as appropriate.