Background to this inspection
Updated
10 August 2016
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 was 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.
The inspection was carried out on 13 and 14 July 2016 and was done by one inspector. The provider was given 48 hours’ notice because the location provides a domiciliary care service and we wanted to make sure someone would be available to speak with us.
Before we visited the service we checked the information that we held about it, including any notifications sent to us informing us of significant events that had occurred at the service. Notifications are for certain changes, events and incidents affecting the service or the people who use it that providers are required to notify us about. We also contacted the local authority for feedback. 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 the inspection we viewed a variety of records including recruitment and training details for four staff, care records for four people using the service, medicines administration record charts for three people using the service, monitoring records, staff allocation rotas, the business continuity plan and other documentation relevant to the inspection. We also viewed a selection of the provider’s policies and procedures.
We spoke with the director, the registered manager, the care coordinator, two team leaders (who also provided care and support to people) and four care workers. We have referred to the last two groups as staff in our report. After the inspection we contacted three people using the service and six relatives of people using the service to get feedback about the service people received.
Updated
10 August 2016
The inspection was carried out on 13 and 14 July 2016 and the inspection was announced. The service was given 48 hours’ notice because the location provides a domiciliary care service and we wanted to make sure someone would be available to speak with us. Telephone calls to gain feedback about the service from people and relatives were made on 15 July 2016. This was the first inspection under the current registration with the Care Quality Commission.
Right at Home (Ealing and Hounslow) provides a domiciliary care service for adults with a range of needs. The service offers support to people who require help with day to day routines including personal care, meal preparation, light housework, shopping and companionship. At the time of our inspection there were 22 people receiving personal care. Right at Home (Ealing and Hounslow) is a franchised branch of the Right at Home company and there is a director who owns the franchise and runs the operations.
Procedures were in place to safeguard people against the risk of abuse. Staff understood the importance of keeping people safe and reporting any concerns.
Risks were assessed and where required action plans put in place to minimise them.
Staff recruitment procedures were in place and being followed. There were enough staff to meet the needs of people using the service.
Staff understood medicines administration procedures and provided people with the support they needed to take their medicines safely.
Infection control procedures were in place and being followed to minimise any infection risks to people and staff.
Staff received the training and supervision they needed to provide them with the knowledge and skills to care and support each person effectively.
Staff respected people’s rights to make choices about their care and support and knew to act in their best interests.
People were supported to maintain their nutritional intake and assisted with meals if required.
Staff knew the processes to follow to ensure input from healthcare professionals was obtained if people needed it. Staff understood the action to take if someone was unwell including summoning the emergency services if required.
People were happy with the service they received and said staff took the time they needed to give them the care and support they required. People said staff were kind and treated them with dignity and respect.
Care records were person centred and reflected people’s individual needs and wishes. Staff read and understood these and provided people with the care and support they needed.
People’s care and support was reviewed regularly and whenever any changes in their care were identified so people’s needs continued to be met.
Procedures for raising complaints were in place and people and relatives knew how to raise any concerns so they could be addressed.
People and relatives could contact the service easily and at any time they needed to and said the director and registered manager ran a good service. Staff said the director and registered manager were very supportive and accessible.
There were systems in place for monitoring the service so that any shortfalls were identified and then addressed in a timely way.