Background to this inspection
Updated
11 January 2017
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.
This inspection took place on 6 December 2016. This was an announced inspection. The provider was given 48 hours' notice because the service provides domiciliary care in people’s homes and we wanted to make sure the registered manager and other staff were available at the agency's office.
One inspector and an expert by experience completed the inspection. The expert by experience contacted healthcare professionals, people and/or their relatives by telephone to seek their views on the service. An expert-by-experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.
Before the inspection, the provider 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 any improvements they plan to make. We checked the information that we held about the service and the service provider. This included previous inspection reports and statutory notifications sent to us by the registered manager about incidents and events that had occurred at the service. A notification is information about important events, which the service is required to send to us by law. We used all this information to decide which areas to focus on during our inspection.
During our inspection, we went to the office and spoke to the operations director, the operations manager, the registered manager and two care co-ordinators. We reviewed the care records of 11 people. We looked at 10 staff files, supervision and training records and systems for monitoring the quality and safety of the service.
On the 6, 7 and 8 December, the expert by experience made phone calls to 10 people and their relatives to get their feedback about what it was like to receive care from the staff at Heath Lodge Care Services. They also made phone calls to seven staff and three healthcare professionals who worked with the service including a nurse, support brokerage (a support broker helps people to choose, plan and lead the lives of their choice) and one social worker.
Heath Lodge Care Services was registered by the Care Quality Commission on 8 June 2014. New services are assessed to check they are likely to be safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led. This was the first inspection of Heath Lodge Care Services since their registration.
Updated
11 January 2017
The inspection of Heath Lodge Care Services took place on 6 December 2016 and was announced. We gave the provider 48 hours' notice because this was a domiciliary care serviced and there were times when the registered manager was out of the office supporting staff or visiting people who used the service. We needed to be sure that someone would be in the office. The inspection involved a visit to the agency's office and telephone conversations with people who used the service.
Heath Lodge Care Services is based in Bognor Regis. They are registered to provide personal care. The service provides care and support for adults living in their own homes and includes support for people with physical disabilities, sensory impairment and dementia type conditions. At the time of the inspection, 75 people received personal care from the service.
A registered manager was in post. 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.
On the whole, risks to people's wellbeing and safety had been effectively mitigated. We found individual risks had been assessed and recorded in people’s care plans. Examples of risk assessments relating to personal care included moving and handling, nutrition and hydration, falls and continence information. However, for one person, we found that risks to staff and the person’s own safety as a result of their behaviour were not always assessed and planned for. The risks associated with these behaviours had not been planned and there was lack of guidance for staff to follow. This was an area requiring improvement.
People told us they felt safe receiving the care and support provided by the service. Staff understood and could recognise the signs of potential abuse and knew what to do if they needed to raise a safeguarding concern. Training schedules confirmed staff had received training in safeguarding adults at risk.
Robust recruitment and selection procedures were in place and appropriate checks had been made before staff began work at the service. There were sufficient levels of staff to protect people's health, safety and welfare consistently and reliably.
People said staff were caring and kind and their individual needs were met. Staff knew people well and demonstrated they had a good understanding of people’s needs and choices.
We looked at care records and found good standards of person centred care planning. Care plans represented people's needs, preferences and life stories to enable staff to fully understand people's needs and wishes. The good level of person centred care meant that people could lead independent lifestyles, maintain relationships and be fully involved in the local community.
Staff felt supported by management, they said they were well trained and understood what was expected of them. Staff were encouraged to provide feedback and report concerns to improve the service.
There was a complaints policy and information regarding the complaints procedure was available. Complaints were listened to, investigated in a timely manner, and used to improve the service.
Regular audits were in place to measure and monitor the quality of care and service provided. People and staff surveys were positive about Heath Lodge Care Services.