Background to this inspection
Updated
17 February 2018
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.
Inspection site visit activity started on 18 January and ended on the same date. We visited the office location on 18 January to see the registered manager and office staff; and to review care records and policies and procedures. We looked at paperwork for five people who receive a service. This included support plans, daily notes and other documentation, such as medication records. In addition we looked at records related to the running of the service. These included a sample of health and safety, quality assurance, staff and training records.
The service was given notice because the location provides a domiciliary care service. We needed to be sure that the appropriate staff would be available in the office to assist with the inspection. The inspection was completed by one inspector.
We used information the provider sent us in the Provider Information Return (PIR). This is information we require providers to send us to give us some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make.
We looked at all the information we have collected about the service. This included the previous inspection report and notifications the registered manager had sent us. A notification is information about important events which the service is required to tell us about by law.
We spoke with three staff members, the registered manager and the local manager on the day of the inspection. We received written comments from a further four staff after the inspection. We requested information from five professionals, including local authority representatives and received responses from three. All were positive. We spoke with and received comments from four (of eight) people who use the service.
Updated
17 February 2018
This was an announced inspection which took place on 18 January 2018.
Reading Crossroads is a domiciliary care service. The primary focus of this flexible and varied service is to assist carers so that they are able to continue to provide support to the people they care for. The service provides care workers for people living in Reading and the surrounding areas. Not everyone using the service receives regulated activity. Approximately 70 people currently receive a service. However, only eight of those are provided with a regulated activity. The Care Quality Commission only inspects the service being received by people provided with personal care, help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Reading Crossroads provide a service to people with a variety of needs when people's main carer is not available.
At the last inspection, on 21 December 2015, the service was rated as good in all domains and therefore overall good. At this inspection we found the service was still rated as overall good.
Why the service is rated good.
There was a registered manager running 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 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.
People, staff and visitors continued to be protected from harm. Care workers followed the medication procedure and accurately recorded medicines given. The registered manager followed a robust recruitment process and ensured care workers were safe and suitable to work with people. People benefitted from adequate staffing because the service did not accept a package of care unless they were able to provide staffing to meet the individual’s needs safely.
Safety was maintained by staff who had been trained in safeguarding vulnerable adults and health and safety policies and procedures. Staff understood how to protect the people in their care and knew what action to take if they identified any concerns. General risks and risks to individuals were identified and appropriate action was taken to reduce them, as far as possible.
Care workers continued to be appropriately trained and supported to make sure they could meet people’s varied needs. They were effective in meeting people’s needs as described in plans of care. The service worked closely with health and other professionals to ensure they were able to meet people’s needs, as appropriate.
People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and care workers provided care in the least restrictive way possible. The policies and systems in the service supported this practice. The service was not depriving anyone of their liberty and was fully aware of the action they would need to take should it become necessary.
Care workers remained kind, respectful and understanding. They built caring relationships with carers and the cared for to enable them to meet their needs in a sensitive and compassionate way. The service and care workers continued to be aware of people’s equality and diversity needs and endeavoured to meet them.
The service remained person centred and responsive to individual’s needs. It was exceptionally flexible and adapted care packages to meet people’s individualised and specific needs. People’s needs were regularly reviewed and up-dated to ensure the care provided was appropriate.
The registered manager and the management team ensured the service was well-led. The management team was described as approachable and supportive to people and care workers. The registered manager and care staff team were committed to ensuring there was no discrimination relating to staff or people in the service. The quality of care the service provided was assessed, reviewed and continually improved.
.