Archived: Homecare 24 Limited

Updated 21 August 2015

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.

We visited Homecare 24 Limited on 15 June 2015. The inspection team consisted of a single inspector. We reviewed records held by the service that included the care records for the three people using the service and three staff records, along with records relating to management of the service. We also spoke with the registered manager and a company director who were on site during our visit. In addition to this we made telephone contact with two staff members and, although we were unable to speak with any of the three people who used the service, we spoke with two family members.

Before our inspection we reviewed the information that we held about the service. This included notifications and other information that that we had received from the service and the Provider Information Return (PIR). This is a form that asks the provider to give key information about the service, what the service does well, and the improvements that they plan to make.

Updated 21 August 2015

The inspection took place on 15 June 2015 and was announced. 48 hours’ notice of the inspection was given because the service is small and the manager may be out of the office supporting staff or providing care. We needed to be sure that they would be available when the inspection took place.

Homecare 24 Limited is a domiciliary care agency that provides a range of care supports to adults living in their own homes. At the time of our inspection the service provided personal care to three people with a range of support needs including disability and age related conditions.

Homecare 24 was registered with The Care Quality Commission on 12 December 2014, and had started to provide support to people during march 2015. This was their first inspection.

The Service had a 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 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

The family members that we spoke with were positive about the care workers and the quality of support that was provided to their relatives by the service.

People were protected from the risk of abuse. The provider had taken reasonable steps to identify potential areas of concern and prevent abuse from happening. Staff members demonstrated that they understood how to safeguard the people whom they were supporting. Training and information about safeguarding was provided to staff.

The service had assessed any risks to people receiving care. Risk assessments were up to date and guidance for staff members in how to manage identified risks was contained within people’s care plans.

Information about people’s medicines was detailed and up-to-date. We saw that medicines administration records had been signed and dated. Guidance was included in people’s care plans to ensure that they were protected from any risk associated with administration of their medicines.

The provider had ensured that people received support from good quality staff members at the times that they required. Staff recruitment processes were in place to ensure that workers employed by the service were suitable. Staffing rotas met the current support needs of people, and access to management support was available at any time of day or night.

Staff members were well trained and supported. Training met national standards for staff working in social care organisations and the service was supporting staff members to achieve a qualification in health and social care. Staff members received regular supervision sessions with a manager.

Staff members that we spoke with understood the importance of capacity to consent, and we saw that information about consent was included in people’s care plans. The service had an up to date policy on the Mental Capacity Act and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards, and staff received training in relation to this.

Information regarding people’s dietary needs was included in their care plans, and guidance for staff was provided in order to ensure that they met individual requirements.

Staff members spoke positively and respectfully about their approaches to care, and the people that they provided care to.

Care plans were up to date and contained detailed information about people’s care needs and how these would be supported. Family members were positive about the quality of care that was provided and the information that they received. The quality of care was monitored regularly through contact with people who used the service and family members where appropriate.

People who used the service knew what to do if they had a concern or complaint.

The service was generally well managed. Staff and family members spoke positively about the registered manager. A range of processes were in place to monitor the quality of the service. However, the provider was not able to evidence how the quality assurance processes were evaluated and used to improve the service.

We found one breach of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014.