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Archived: Simply Homecare

Overall: Requires improvement read more about inspection ratings

14 Margaret English Close, Sheringham, Norfolk, NR26 8UJ (01362) 289167

Provided and run by:
Simply Homecare LLP

Important: This service is now registered at a different address - see new profile
Important: The provider of this service changed. See old profile

Latest inspection summary

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Background to this inspection

Updated 18 October 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 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 22 August 2016 and was announced. The provider was given 48 hours’ notice because the location provides a domiciliary care service and we needed to be sure that someone would be available to assist us with the inspection. The inspection was carried out by one inspector.

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 reviewed information we held about the service.

During the inspection, we spoke with one person who used the service and relatives of two other service users. We also spoke with the registered manager who was a partner in the business, the second partner in the business and three care staff members.

We looked at the care records of three people and other information relating to their care and the recruitment records of two staff members. We also looked at records relating to how the quality of the service was monitored.

Overall inspection

Requires improvement

Updated 18 October 2016

This inspection took place on 22 August 2016 and was announced. Simply Homecare provides support and personal care to older people living in their own homes. At the time of our inspection there were eight people receiving personal care.

This inspection found that there were breaches of three regulations. These related to the management of medicines, governance of the service and the reporting of statutory notifications.

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. The registered manager was one of the two partners in the business.

There were no policies or procedures to guide staff on the safe management and administration of people’s medicines. Both partners were unaware of medicines guidance that the commissioning local authority would expect the service to adhere to. The level of assistance people needed with their medicines had not been assessed and senior staff were advised that they were able to give permission for staff to administer non-prescribed medicines. These shortfalls put people at risk of the unsafe administration of medicines.

The level of regulatory knowledge of both partners was not sufficient to ensure that the service was operated in accordance with legislatory requirements. The manager was unaware that they needed to report safeguarding concerns to CQC.

You can see what action we told the provider to take at the back of the full version of the report.

Some improvements were required to ensure that risks to people’s wellbeing were identified and some care plans required personalisation. This would help staff meet and understand people’s needs more effectively.

People and their relatives told us they felt safe with the staff who provided their care and support. Staff were aware of their responsibilities in protecting people from harm and knew how to report any concerns about people’s safety to the local authority’s safeguarding team.

People were supported by staff who they liked and who made them feel comfortable. People and their relatives described staff as caring and told us they received a high standard of care.

Everyone we spoke with expressed their confidence in the management of the service. People using the service, relatives and staff told us they were able to give feedback about the service and were confident they would be listened to.

The management team promoted strong organisational values. They promoted a caring culture that put the needs of people using the service uppermost. They were supportive of their staff and staff enjoyed working for the service.