Right at Home Billericay, Brentwood & Havering

People’s experience of using this service:

Staff had a good knowledge of how to keep people safe from avoidable harm.

People were supported to take their medicines in a safe way.

Staff were recruited safely, and appropriate checks were carried out before they started work at the service.

Where lessons were learned, feedback was provided to staff to ensure continuous improvement took place throughout the service.

Quality assurance processes were in place to ensure the safety of the service and these supported the safe running of the service.

The manager ensured that staff received specialist training based on people’s individual needs.

People received care and support based on their individual assessment, needs and preferences.

Staff continued to have a good understanding of key pieces of legislation and when they should be applied.

People were supported by staff who understood the need to ensure person centred care and to respect and listen to people.

People told us they felt well cared for by staff who treated them with respect and dignity.

Systems were in place for people to raise complaints and concerns.

Staff liaised with other health care professionals to ensure people's safety and meet their health needs.

Staff spoke positively about working for the provider. They felt well supported and could talk to management at any time, feeling confident any concerns would be acted on promptly.

Rating at last inspection: Good (report published 2 November 2016.)

Why we inspected: This was a planned inspection based on the rating at the last inspection. The service remained good overall.

Follow up: We will continue to monitor intelligence we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any information of concern, we may inspect sooner.

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

There was a registered manager in post at the time of our inspection. 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 provider had values and a clear vision for the service that was person centred and focussed on enabling people to live at home. All staff demonstrated a commitment to providing a service for people that met their individual needs. People had positive relationships with staff.

People were actively involved in decisions about their care and support needs. There were formal systems in place to assess people’s capacity for decision making under the Mental Capacity Act 2005. Staff provided people with information to enable them to make an informed decision and encouraged people to make their own choices.

People received safe care and support. Staff understood their role in safeguarding people and they knew how to report concerns. There were enough staff with the right skills and attitudes to meet people’s needs.

Staff had a full understanding of people’s support needs and had the skills and knowledge to meet them. Training records were up to date and staff received regular supervisions and appraisals. Staff were clear about their roles and responsibilities in caring for people and received regular support from the provider.

People’s care records contained risk assessments and risk management plans to mitigate the risks to people. They gave information for staff on the identified risk and informed staff on the measures required to minimise any risks. Staff were vigilant regarding people’s changing health needs and sought guidance from relevant healthcare professionals.

People could be assured that their complaints would be managed appropriately. Staff were aware of the importance of managing complaints promptly and in line with the provider’s policy. Where complaints had been made these were taken seriously by the provider and responded to promptly.

The provider and registered manager monitored the quality and safety of the service. People and staff were encouraged to provide feedback about the service and it was used to drive continuous improvement.