Caring People

This comprehensive inspection was carried out between 19 and 22 February 2019.

At our last inspection we rated the service good. At this inspection we found the evidence continued to support the rating of good and there was no evidence or information from our inspection and ongoing monitoring that demonstrated serious risks or concerns. This inspection report is written in a shorter format because our overall rating of the service has not changed since our last inspection.

People and their relatives felt the service provided by Caring People was safe. Staff understood how to report any safeguarding concerns and felt the registered manager would act on their concerns. The provider carried out recruitment checks to make sure only suitable staff were employed. Appropriate numbers of staff were in place to support people. People were supported with their medicines by staff who were appropriately trained and had their competency to administer medicines checked regularly.

Staff said they felt supported and received regular supervision and annual appraisals. Training was up to date and refreshed regularly. Staff assisted people with their eating and drinking needs where necessary. The service worked with other health and social care professionals where relevant. 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 supported this practice.

People felt staff were caring and gave positive comments about their relationships with staff who supported them. Staff treated people with dignity and respect. They helped people to maintain as much independence as possible.

People received personalised support and were involved in planning their support. People were provided with information about what to expect from the service, their rights and the complaints procedure.

People, relatives and staff said the management team were approachable. The provider had a system in place to gain the views and opinions of people who used the service. The registered manager carried out a number of checks to monitor the quality of the service.

The provider registered this service with us to provide personal care and support for people with a range of varying needs including dementia, who live in their own homes. At the time of our inspection 35 people received support with personal care.

There was a registered manager for this service. A registered provider is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Registered providers and registered managers 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.

People and their relatives said that staff and the management team met their support needs. They told us staff were knowledgeable and caring and treated them with dignity and respect. People we spoke with said that staff listened to them and were adaptable to their needs. People were supported to eat and drink well when this was identified as part of their care planning. Relatives we spoke with told us they felt included and listened to by the staff and the management team. People and their relatives said staff would support them with access health professionals when needed.

Staff we spoke with could explain the different types of abuse. The registered manager ensured there were systems in place to guide staff in reporting any concerns. Staff were knowledgeable about how to manage people’s individual risks, and were able to respond to peoples’ needs. People were supported to receive their medicines by staff that were trained and knowledgeable about the risks associated with them. Staff knew people well, and took people’s preferences into account and respected them. The management team were adaptable to changes in peoples’ needs and communicated changes to staff effectively.

Staff had the knowledge and training to support people. Staff were knowledgeable about ensuring people agreed to the support they received. They worked within the confines of the law to ensure they did not treat people unlawfully. There were no applications to the court of protection to deprive people of their liberty.

People and their relatives knew how to raise complaints. We saw the registered manager had arrangements in place to ensure people were listened to and action taken if required. Staff were supported by regular one to ones which enabled them to share their views and concerns about the people who used the service.

The management team monitored the quality of the service. The registered manager had identified concerns and had actioned them in a timely way. The management team asked for regular feedback from people who used the service and used this to plan improvements to the quality of the service people received.