- Homecare service
31-32, Southernhay East
Assessment report published 2 May 2025
Contents
Ratings
Our view of the service
Date of assessment: 25 September to 18 October 2024. 31/32 Southernhay East is a domiciliary care agency providing personal care services to mainly older people in their own homes. There were 89 people receiving personal care. At this assessment we spent time with 2 people using the service and spoke with 13 people and 5 relatives on the telephone. We received feedback from 12 staff members and 5 external health professionals working with the service, to help us assess and understand how people’s care needs were being met. At this assessment, we rated this service as Good. People’s needs were assessed, they received care, support and treatment which reflected their needs. People felt they were being treated with kindness, empathy and compassion. Health and care needs of people were understood by staff and leaders. However, we identified a breach in the regulation relating to good governance. The service did not have an effective governance system to monitor and improve the quality of care and safety of the service. Although some training had been completed, there were gaps in staff learning and training oversight with a lack of staff competency checks. Leaders did not hold staff meetings and regular staff supervision to ensure staff were supported and able to discuss any issues. Policies did not include missed visits or self-neglect processes and complaints were not recorded or analysed in detail to prevent recurrence. There was no on call system to ensure staff were supported fairly when shifts required covering. Risks to people's care were well managed and appropriate actions taken however, staff did not always update documentation within care plans to ensure all required information was present and shared. Care plans were detailed about peoples’ needs and reviewed but there was no oversight of reviews. The service had enough staff to meet people’s needs however, the rotas did not take into account training, meetings and supervisions.
People's experience of this service
People and relatives told us they felt safe with the service provided. Feedback confirmed staff arrived on time, stayed for the full duration of the calls and were competent. People told us staff were kind and caring, and they were able to make everyday decisions about their care and support. People and relatives’ comments included, “The carers are very understanding and do their job well and are very caring and always very kind to [person’s name] and he gets on well with them. They all do what they are meant to do and follow the care plan” and “They do turn up on time and it is the same people that come and see me.” The service had systems to help protect people from the risk of harm with a person-centred approach taken with the management of risks. Care was planned and delivered in a way that ensured people’s safety and protected their welfare. Staff understood and responded to people’s individual needs. There was a culture which put people and their needs at the forefront of the service.