Gentle Folk Community Care

People’s experience of using this service:

People accessing care services from Gentle Folk Community Care were encouraged and supported to maintain social networks and access their local community. Staff showed empathy, kindness and compassion; they placed value on their caring roles and involvement in people’s lives.

People were supported to maintain good food and fluid intake, and staff were familiar with people’s preferences and any specialist dietary requirements. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

The service had good working relationships with the local GP practices and health and social care professionals. The service worked in partnership with people and their relatives and encouraged feedback on the care provided. Staff told us they enjoyed working for the service and spoke highly of the support and encouragement provided by the registered manager.

People had their care and support needs met by sufficient numbers of suitably trained staff. Staff had access to personal protective equipment and training to prevent the risk of the spread of infection. The registered manager and deputy manager completed quality audits including home visits to review people’s medicines management and staff performance.

We received consistently positive feedback about the standards of care provided, and the support given to people and their relatives by the staff.

Rating at last inspection: The last rating for this service was Good (last report published 12 October 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.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

Gentle Folk Community Care provides domiciliary care services to people in their own homes. At the time of the inspection, the service provided care and support to 22 people.

There was a registered manager working at the service. 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 and associated Regulations about how the service is run. The registered manager was on leave during our visit. We met with two directors of the company.

There were systems in place to minimise risks to people and to help keep them safe from harm. Staff knew what abuse was and they were also aware of how to report any concerns if they had them. There were enough staff to meet people's needs with a regular, consistent staff team and there were robust recruitment practices in place, which meant staff had been recruited safely.

Medicines were managed in a safe way and support was offered by staff when needed. Risks to people and staff had been assessed. People felt safe and when risks to people were identified action was taken to reduce these risks.

People received care in a manner which was in accordance with the principles of the Mental Capacity Act. People were given the information needed to make informed choices, and their choices were respected.

When needed, people were offered support to eat and drink and to participate in hobbies and pastimes they chose. Staff supported people to make and attend health appointments if requested.

Staff received on-going training which was relevant to the needs of the people they were supporting

People who used the service and the staff thought highly of the registered manager and the organisation. The staff team understood the visions and values of the organisation and said they followed them in their work.

Staff felt they were listened to and were given the opportunity to raise any concerns. Staff were knowledgeable about people's background histories, preferences and routines.

There was a quality assurance system in place to ensure the service was routinely audited and checked. The registered manager and directors used these checks to assess and review the quality of service people experienced. Where shortfalls or gaps were identified these were addressed promptly.