Archived: Mears Homecare Limited - Maidstone

Updated 27 April 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 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 March 2016, was announced, and carried out by one inspector.

Before the inspection, the provider completed a Provider Information Return (PIR). The PIR 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. We looked at notifications about important events that had taken place at the service, which the provider is required to tell us by law.

We telephoned 27 people to ask about their experience of the service and we spoke with three relatives of people who used the service. We spoke with the registered manager, the lead trainer, one care coordinator, one team leader, the person responsible for recruitment of staff and ten care staff to gain their views about the service.

We spent time looking at records, policies and procedures, complaint and incident and accident monitoring systems. We looked at 19 people’s care files, ten staff record files, the staff training programme, the staff rota and medicine records.

This was the first inspection since registration as Mears Homecare Limited Maidstone, in February 2014.

Updated 27 April 2016

The inspection was carried out on 10 March 2016. We gave short notice of the inspection because the registered manager was often out of the office supporting staff and some of the people using the service were often out at their daily activities. We needed to be sure that they would be available to speak with us.

Mears Homecare Maidstone provides personal care and support to people who are living in their own home. At the time of the inspection the service was providing support to 320 people, in the Greenwich area, Thanet, Sittingbourne, Ashford Tenterden and Maidstone. The service is able to provide a range of visits to people, from one to two hours per week, up to several visits per day. Support is primarily given to older people, people with learning disabilities, people with sensory impairment, and people with mental health difficulties. The support provided aims to enable people to live as independently as possible.

The service provided care and support to people enabling them to live fulfilled and meaningful lives. Staff were skilled at ensuring people were safe whilst encouraging them to reach their potential and live independent lives. People and their relatives were overwhelmingly positive about the service they received. They said they would recommend the services of the agency to other people.

There was a registered manager at the service. 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 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

The service had suitable processes in place to safeguard people from different forms of abuse. Staff had been trained in safeguarding people and in the agency’s whistleblowing policy. Staff were confident that they could raise any matters of concern with the provider, the registered manager, or the local authority safeguarding team. Staff were trained in how to respond in an emergency (such as a fire, or if the person collapsed) to protect people from harm.

Staff were trained in the Mental Capacity Act 2005. Staff understood the processes to follow and knew who to contact, if they felt a person’s normal freedoms and rights were being significantly restricted.

Staff involved people in planning their care by assessing their needs on their first visit to the person, and then by asking people if they were happy with the care they received. There was a strong emphasis on person centred care. People were supported to plan their support and they received a service that was based on their personal needs and wishes. The service was flexible and responded positively to changes in people’s needs. People were able to express their opinions and views and they were encouraged and supported to have their voices heard within their local and wider community.

The registered manager or the team leader carried out risk assessments when they visited people for the first time. Other assessments identified people’s specific health and care needs, their mental health needs, medicines management, and any equipment needed. Care was planned and agreed between the staff and the individual person concerned. Some people were supported by their family members to discuss their care needs, if this was their choice to do so.

People were supported with meal planning, preparation and eating and drinking. People had positive relationships with staff who knew them well and used their shared interests to help people live interesting lives. There were enough staff available to meet people’s needs and people were busy and engaged with their communities. They were supported to make and maintain friendships and relationships that were important to them. Staff supported people, by contacting the office to alert the registered manager, to any identified health needs so that their doctor or nurse could be informed.

The service had robust recruitment practices in place. Applicants for post were assessed as suitable for their job roles. All staff received induction training which included essential subjects such as maintaining confidentiality, moving and handling, safeguarding people and infection control. They worked alongside experienced staff and had their competency assessed before they were allowed to work on their own. Refresher training was provided at regular intervals. Staff had been trained to administer medicines safely.

Staff followed an up to date medicines policy issued by the provider and they were checked against this by the training team. Staff were trained to meet people’s needs and were supported through regular supervision and an annual appraisal so they were supported to carry out their roles.

People said that they knew they could contact the registered manager or care co-ordinators at any time, and they felt confident about raising any concerns or other issues. Team Leaders carried out spot checks to assess care staff’s work and procedures, with people’s prior agreement. This enabled people to get to know the team leader responsible in the area where they lived.

The service had processes in place to monitor the delivery of the service. As well as talking to the registered manager and team leaders at spot checks, people could phone the office at any time, or speak to the senior person on duty for out of hours calls. People’s views were obtained through meetings with the person and meetings with families of people who used the service. The provider checked how well people felt the service was meeting their needs, by carrying out a yearly survey.

Incidents and accidents were recorded and checked by the provider or registered manager to see what steps could be taken to prevent these happening again. Risks were assessed and the steps taken to minimise them were understood by staff. The registered manager ensured that they had planned for foreseeable emergencies, so that should they happen, people’s care needs would continue to be met.

People felt that the service was well led. The provider and registered manager demonstrated strong values and a desire to learn about and implement best practice throughout the range of services provided. Staff were motivated and proud of the service. The service had developed and sustained effective links with organisations that helped them develop best practice in the service. The registered manager used effective systems to continually monitor the quality of the service and on-going plans for improving the services people received.