The inspection took place on 19 December 2016. We gave the provider 48 hours' notice because they provide a domiciliary service and we wanted to make sure someone would be available.
This was the first inspection of the service since it was registered in September 2014.
Divers Care was a domiciliary care agency providing personal care and support to people living in their own homes. The agency was located in the London Borough of Ealing. The majority of people receiving support at the time of our inspection lived in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. Two people lived in other London boroughs. The agency was not restricted to providing care in these boroughs alone. At the time of our inspection nine people were using the service. People using the service included adults with physical disabilities, adults with mental health needs, adults with long term health conditions and people over the age of 65 years. The agency started operating in 2015. They had links with a provider of mental health services and support, who made referrals to the agency when people they cared for needed additional support. At the time of the inspection there were six members of care staff, a field care supervisor (who was also a care worker) and the registered manager employed.
The agency was the only branch of Divers Support Services Limited. The provider supplied training to other care providers and had a training centre separate to the domiciliary care agency.
The person who set up the organisation was also the registered manager. 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.
There were appropriate procedures for the recruitment of the staff but these were not always being followed because the provider did not always obtain the required information about the staff. This meant there was a risk that the staff were not suitable. The provider talked to us about the difficulties they had experienced obtaining this information, such as references from other previous employers. However, they had not put in place additional checks to monitor new staff when they had been unable to obtain the necessary information about these staff.
We found a breach of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014. You can see what action we told the provider to take at the back of the full version of the report.
People who used the service and their relatives were happy with the care and support they received. They liked the staff who cared for them. They felt the agency had made a positive difference in their lives. They had regular contact with the registered manager and felt their care was monitored. People felt safe. They had been given information about how to make a complaint and safeguarding procedures. They told us they trusted the staff and the agency.
The staff were appropriately trained and supported. They liked working for the agency and found the registered manager supportive and approachable. Information was shared appropriately with the staff and they were able to contribute their views about the service.
There were systems to monitor how the service was being managed. People using the service and their representatives were asked to complete anonymous surveys stating how they felt about the service. These were all positive. The provider also carried out regular reviews of people's care when they met with people and asked for their feedback. The records used at the agency were clear, up to date and appropriately maintained.