Background to this inspection
Updated
9 November 2019
The inspection
We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act) as part of our regulatory functions. We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act. We looked at the overall quality of the service and provided a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.
Inspection team
The inspection was carried out by two inspectors.
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 service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission who is also the provider. 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
This inspection was announced. We gave the service 48 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because it is a small service and we needed to be sure that the provider / registered manager would be in the office to support the inspection.
Inspection activity started on 18 September 2019 and ended on 15 October 2019. We visited the office location on 18 September 2019.
What we did before inspection
We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We sought feedback from the local authority and professionals who work with the service. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return. This is information providers are required to send us with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. This information helps support our inspections. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.
During the inspection-
We spoke with the provider/registered manager, senior care worker and two care workers. We visited two people, with their permission, in their own homes and contacted two relatives of people who use the service by telephone.
We reviewed a range of records this included four people’s care and medication records. We looked at four staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. We reviewed a variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures were reviewed.
After the inspection
We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. We also looked at training data.
Updated
9 November 2019
About the service
Private Personal Assistance is a domiciliary care agency providing personal care, support with domestic tasks and socialising in the small town of Sedbergh and surrounding rural areas.
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. At the time of our inspection 31 people were receiving the regulated activity.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
People were supported by a small team of regular staff who they knew well. The provider who is also the registered manager carried out checks on new staff to ensure they were suitable to work in people's homes.
People received the right level of support they needed to take their medicines. The staff were trained in how to provide people's care in a safe way. Staff told us their training was ‘good’ and they could ask for any support or specific training.
People received the help they needed to enjoy their meals and drinks. The senior care staff assessed the support people required on a regular basis to ensure the service provided was suitable to meet their needs.
The staff included people in decisions about their care and respected people's rights. 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.
Staff treated people in a kind and caring way. People valued the service and the support the staff provided. The staff treated people with respect and supported them to maintain their independence and dignity.
The service was responsive to people's needs. The agency was committed to providing the support people needed to stay in their own homes. Where people requested changes to their support the agency was flexible. People received care and support that was person-centred.
The staff knew people well and provided support to meet people's needs and respected their wishes. People knew how they could raise any concerns and were confident the provider would resolve any issues they raised. The service worked well with other agencies and provided the support people and their families needed as individuals reached the end of their lives.
This was a small service and the provider worked with the staff team to provide people's care. This gave the provider a good oversight of the safety and quality of the service. People knew the provider well and told us they were comfortable speaking to her. The provider used formal and informal ways to gather people's feedback and used this to improve the service they received.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
Rating at last inspection
The last rating for this service was good (published 17 March 2017).
Why we inspected
This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.
Follow up
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.