11 November 2015
During a routine inspection
The manager had not been reporting notifiable incidents to CQC. This was a breach of Regulation 16 of the Care Quality Commission (Registration) Regulations 2009. The manager said this was an oversight and that they would ensure we would be notified in the future.
Support Carers provides domiciliary care and support services to meet a range of individual needs, including older people, individuals with physical disabilities and dementia. At the time of our inspection 18 people were being supported by this service.
This inspection took place on 11 November 2015 and on the 10 and 12 November,we spoke with people who used the service, their relatives and staff. This was an announced inspection which meant the provider knew two days before we would be visiting. This was because the location provides a domiciliary care service. We wanted to make sure the manager would be available to support our inspection, or someone who could act on their behalf.
There was a manager in post at the service at the time of our inspection. The service is registered as an individual provider which means it does not require a registered manager to be in post at the service. The individual provider is responsible for the day to day running of the location, and has the legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated regulations about how the service is run. The manager was accessible and approachable. Staff, people who used the service and relatives felt able to speak with the manager and provided feedback on the service.
People and their relatives told us they had confidence that the service worked to keep them safe. Comments included “the reassurance that they are there is priceless”. The manager had systems in place to manage risk and protect people from abuse. Staff were aware of their responsibilities and knew how to identify if people were at risk of abuse and what actions they needed to take to ensure people were protected. The service ensured measures were in place to keep people and their staff safe.
Staff were knowledgeable of people’s preferences and support needs. People told us the regular staff they had, provided them with the support they needed and expected. Staff explained the importance of supporting people to make choices about their daily lives. Where necessary, staff contacted health and social care professionals for guidance and support.
The service had safe recruitment processes in place and the five staff files we looked at, showed the necessary checks to ensure new employees were safe to work with vulnerable adults had been completed. Staff had received regular training and were skilled in effectively meeting the needs of the people they supported. The management team carried out spot checks on staff and supervision of their performance regularly took place.
People and relatives were complimentary about the caring nature of staff. Staff were knowledgeable about people’s needs and we were told that care was provided with patience and kindness. People’s privacy and dignity was always respected. Staff explained the importance of supporting people to make choices about their daily lives. Comments included “the carers are very patient, very good, they go the extra mile” and “nothing is too much trouble, the staff interact with my relative lovely, I cannot praise them enough”.
All staff were clear about how to report any concerns they had. Staff were confident that any concerns raised would be fully investigated to ensure people were protected. All of the staff we spoke with were knowledgeable about the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act 2005.