Background to this inspection
Updated
22 April 2020
Inspection team
The inspection was carried out by one Inspector
Service and service type
This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats.
The provider was also the manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. This means they are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.
Notice of inspection
We gave the service four days’ notice of the inspection. This was because it is a small service and we needed to liaise with the provider to ensure they would be in the office to support the inspection.
What we did before the inspection
We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We sought feedback from the local authority and contacted Healthwatch Northamptonshire, Healthwatch is an independent consumer champion that gathers and represents the views of the public about health and social care services in England.
We did not ask the provider to complete a Provider Information Return prior to this inspection. This is information we require providers to send us annually following their first inspection to give us some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We took this into account when we inspected the service and made the judgements in this report.
We used all of this information to plan our inspection.
During the inspection
We spoke with one person who used the service and three relatives about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with five members of staff including, the provider, the branch nurse and three care assistants.
After the inspection
We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. We were given further information on a care plan, risk assessment and medicine protocols.
Updated
22 April 2020
About the service
DarSarno Care Services is a domiciliary care service providing personal care to older and younger adults, people living with dementia, sensory impairment, physical disability, learning disabilities and autistic spectrum disorder. People are supported in their own houses. At the time of our inspection there were 13 people using the service.
Not everyone who used the service received personal care. CQC only inspects where people receive personal care. This is help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do, we also consider any wider social care provided.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
People were safe. Systems and processes protected people from the risk of abuse. Regular risk assessment took place with measures in place to mitigate risk. Accidents and incidents were monitored and analysed for trends and patterns, learning was shared with the staff team.
Medicines were managed safely, and people received their medicines when they needed them. Staff were trained in medicine administration and regularly monitored for competence.
Staff were recruited safely and received regular training, support and supervision by the management team.
Staff worked in partnership with other healthcare professionals and ensured people had timely access to healthcare when they needed it. The provider had implemented an innovative approach to ensure a smooth transition between services.
People were supported where needed with enough food and drink. Choices and preferences around food were recorded. Specialist dietary requirements were well communicated and supported.
There was a positive culture and care was person centred with people’s choices and preferences assessed and planned in to care. End of life decisions were recorded appropriately and accessible to emergency healthcare teams.
Staff were kind, caring and respected privacy and dignity. People were encouraged to be as independent as possible. Staff were respectful of people’s and their family’s homes and personal space.
People knew how to make a complaint and complaints were managed in line with the providers policy and procedure.
Regular audits and subscriptions to professional support ensured that the provider maintained their knowledge and effective oversight of the safety and quality of the service.
People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.
The outcomes for people using the service reflected the principles and values of Registering the Right Support by promoting choice and control, independence and inclusion. People's support focused on them having as many opportunities as possible for them to gain new skills and become more independent.
For more information, please read the detailed findings section of this report. If you are reading this as a separate summary, the full report can be found on the Care Quality Commission (CQC) website at www.cqc.org.uk
Rating at last inspection
The last rating for this service was good (5 August 2017).
Why we inspected
This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.
What happens next
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.