Archived: Cathedral Homecare

Updated 6 November 2018

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. We undertook an announced inspection of Cathedral Homecare Ltd on the 28 September and 4 October 2018.

This inspection was carried out to check that the provider had taken action to make improvements, meet legal requirements and comply with regulations. The inspection was carried out by one inspector.

We gave the service notice of the inspection as we needed to ensure that staff were available to support the inspection. We visited the office location and we made telephone calls to people using the service, to staff and also to relatives.

Prior to the inspection we reviewed information received about the service such as notifications. A notification is information about important events, which the provider is required to send us by law.

Before the inspection we asked the provider to complete a Provider Information Return (PIR). This is a form that asks the provider to give some key information about the service, what it does well and improvements they plan to make.

We also contacted commissioners, responsible for funding some of the people using the service, to gain their views about the care provided.

During this inspection, we spoke with three people using the service and three relatives. We also spoke with members of staff, including the registered manager, a director and a trainer plus five support staff.

We looked at records relating to the personal care and support of four people using the service. We also looked at four staff recruitment records and other information related to the management oversight and governance of the service. This included quality assurance audits, staff training and supervision information, staff deployment schedules.

Updated 6 November 2018

We visited Cathedral Homecare Ltd on 28 September and 4 October 2018. The inspection was announced. We gave the provider notice of our visit, as we wanted to be sure that we had access to records and documentation that are stored at the office location.

When we last visited the service on 24 May 2017, we found there was a breach of Regulation 17 HSCA RA Regulations 2014 relating to good governance. Quality assurance systems had not been effective at identifying the shortfalls we found during our inspection. Staff feedback had not been acted upon or addressed. Following the last inspection we asked the provider to complete an action plan to show what they would do and by when to improve the key questions of Safe, Effective and Well Led.

At this inspection we found the provider was no longer in breach of this regulation, action had been taken to ensure they met with all required regulations.

This service is a domiciliary care agency. This service provides care at home to older adults living with a range of health conditions and needs to live independently in their own houses and flats in the community. CQC only inspects the service being received by people provided with 'personal care'; help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do, we also take into account any wider social care provided. At the time of our inspection, 49 people were receiving personal care and support as part of their care package.

Cathedral Homecare Ltd had a registered manager at the time of this inspection. 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.

People received safe care. Staff understood their responsibilities to keep people safe from harm. Safeguarding policies and procedures were in place and staff understood their duty to report potential risks to people’s safety.

People received their medicines as prescribed and risk assessments were in place to manage any risks. Guidance was in place for the service to take appropriate action when things went wrong. Lessons were learnt and then improvements made where needed to improve the service.

Staffing levels ensured that people's care and support needs were safely met and safe recruitment processes were in place.

Staff induction training and on-going training was provided, both internally and externally, to ensure staff had the skills and knowledge needed to undertake their roles. Staff were well supported by the provider and the registered manager, with regular supervision meetings taking place.

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. People made decisions about their care and staff helped them to understand the information they needed to make informed decisions. Staff sought people’s consent before they provided care and they were helped to make decisions which were in their best interests.

Staff supported people to access healthcare professionals when needed and supported them to maintain a healthy lifestyle. The service worked with other organisations to ensure people received person-centred care and support.

Staff treated people with kindness, dignity and respect and spent time getting to know individuals and their wishes.

The provider had systems in place to monitor the quality of the service and had a process in place that ensured people could raise any complaints or concerns.

The service was being well led by a staff team that supported each other to meet people’s needs. Senior staff, the registered manager and the provider were readily available to speak with people using the service, to relatives and also to members of staff.