Archived: Vicsheil Ltd

Updated 26 May 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 10 May 2017 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 in.

The inspection team consisted of one inspector. Before the inspection we reviewed the information we held about this service. This included details of its registration with the Care Quality Commission. We spoke with the local authority commissioning team with responsibility for the service, the local Healthwatch, and the local borough safeguarding team. 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 improvements they plan to make.

During our inspection we went to the provider’s office. We spoke with the registered manager and the nominated individual. The nominated individual was the main care worker and the registered manager provided care support as well because this was a small service. After the inspection we spoke with one person who used the service. We looked at one care file, daily records of care provided, recruitment information including training records, medicine records and policies and procedures for the service.

Updated 26 May 2017

The inspection took place on the 10 May 2017 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 in. The service first became operational in November 2016. It has been registered at its current location since January 2015. This was the first inspection of the service.

Vicsheil Ltd is a domiciliary care service providing personal care to people in their own homes. At the time of our inspection they were providing support to one person. As a result of this we were not able to provide a rating for this service due to the limited evidence available.

The service had a registered manager in place. 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.

Medicines were not always managed safely. The service was not always recording medicines for people. The service was not assessing the risks for people who were supported with medicines. Risk assessments were not robust. Risk assessments contained minimal information and did not always give clear guidance to staff how to support and protect people.

Staff told us they felt supported. Staff received training to ensure they had the knowledge and skills required to perform their roles and responsibilities. However formal supervision to provide staff support and development required to carry out their role was not being provided by the service. We have made a recommendation about staff receiving formal supervision.

People were supported to eat and drink enough and to maintain a balanced diet. Staff supported people to access health professionals to ensure that people's health needs were met.

Staff knew the details of how to support people according to their preferences and how to respond if their needs changed. However people’s changing needs were not always reviewed. We have made a recommendation about the service reviewing people’s care when their needs change.

Staff had undertaken training about safeguarding adults and had a good understanding of their responsibilities with regard to this. Staff described how they offered people choices and respected their decisions. The service was working within the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005.

The service had a robust complaints policy with clear timescales for action. The service had not received any complaints since being registered. People who used the service were confident how to make a complaint.

The registered manager was open and supportive. Staff and people who used the service felt able to speak with the registered manager. The registered manager did not record these contacts. We have made a recommendation about quality assurance mechanisms.

We found one breach of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014. You can see what action we asked the provider to take at the back of the full version of this report.