SunCare

Why we inspected: This was a scheduled inspection based on the previous rating.

People’s experience of using this service:

People continued to tell us they felt safe and well supported. Staff had a good understanding of how they protected people from harm and recognised different types of abuse and how to report it. Potential risks to people had been identified and people had been involved with decisions in how to reduce the risk of harm. There were enough staff on shifts to keep people safe and meet their needs. People’s medicines were managed and stored in a safe way. Safe practice was carried out to reduce the risk of infection.

People’s care continued to be assessed and reviewed with the person involved throughout. People were supported to have a healthy balanced diet and were given food they enjoyed. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service support this practice. Staff worked with external healthcare professionals and followed their guidance and advice about how to support people following best practice.

Staff treated people as individuals and respected the choices they made. People’s care was delivered in line with their preferences, with any changes in care being communicated clearly to the staff team. Staff supported people with their end of life care. People had access to information about how to raise a complaint.

The registered manager and management team were approachable and effective. The checks the registered manager made to ensure the service was meeting people’s needs focused upon people’s views and experiences.

Rating at last inspection: At the last inspection in November 2016 the service was rated Good.

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

SunCare is an agency that provides a domiciliary services to people living in and around the town of Kington and includes people residing in both Herefordshire and Powys.

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.

This service has not been previously inspected by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

People told us staff were caring and helpful and that they had no concerns about their safety.

People were safe as staff knew how to recognise different signs of abuse and what action to take if they had any concerns.

We found appropriate criminal records bureau (CRB) disclosures or Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks had been undertaken and suitable references obtained.

We looked at how the provider managed people’s medicines and found that suitable arrangements were in place to ensure the service was safe.

There were systems in place to ensure that risks to people’s safety and wellbeing were identified and addressed. Risk and needs assessments were undertaken to assess any risks to people and included information about what action was required to minimise the potential of harm occurring.

We found there were effective systems in place to schedule and pro-actively monitor visits.

The provider ensured that staff had a full understanding of people’s care needs and had the skills and knowledge to meet them.

People were supported to access to healthcare professionals to make sure they received effective treatment to meet their specific needs.

People were treated with kindness and said their privacy and dignity was always respected.

People’s care and support was planned in full consultation with them. We found people received care and support, which was personalised to their wishes and responsive to their needs.

Staff were knowledgeable about the people they supported, which enabled them to provide a personalised and responsive service.

We found the service had systems in place to routinely listen to people’s experiences, concerns and complaints.

People told us the service was well run.

Staff were well-led and valued by the provider, who operated an open and transparent culture.

The service undertook a comprehensive range of checks to monitor the quality of service delivery.