Maria Care Services

Updated 14 July 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.

This inspection was announced. We gave the service 48 hours' notice of the inspection visit because the owner is sometimes out of the office supporting staff or providing care. We needed to be sure they would be in.

Before the inspection, we checked the information held regarding the service and provider. This included any statutory notifications sent to us by the service. A notification is information about important events, which the service is required to send to us by law.

We also reviewed the Provider Information Report. This is a form that asks the provider to give some key information about the service, what they do well and improvements they plan to make.

The inspection was carried out by one inspector and an expert by experience. An expert by experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.

During our inspection, we went to the Maria Care Services office. We spoke with the provider who is also the registered manager, the management team and three staff members. During the inspection, we made phone calls to eight people and two relatives who received care and support from the service and following the inspection, one member of staff.

We looked at seven people’s care and support records and six staff files. We also looked at records relating to the management of the service such as incident and accident records, meeting minutes, recruitment and training records, policies, audits and complaints.

Updated 14 July 2018

Maria Care Services is a domiciliary care service, which provides support to people who live in their own homes. The provider is registered to support people with a wide range of needs including dementia, older people, and people who have physical disabilities. Maria Care Services provides a combination of services to people in the North Somerset area. They provide personal care and support to older people in their own homes in the North Somerset area. At the time of our inspection there were 56 people receiving personal care and support from the service.

Not everyone using Maria Care Services receives regulated activity; 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 last inspection in March 2017, we rated the service as 'Requires Improvement'. You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection by selecting the 'all reports' link for Maria Care Services on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

At this inspection, we found the provider had made improvements and was no longer in breach of the Regulations.

The provider had systems in place to ensure people were protected from harm. Staff were knowledgeable about the actions to take if they suspected someone was being abused.

People had risk assessments and risk management plans to mitigate the risks they may face.

The registered manager had systems in place to record safeguarding concerns, accidents and incidents and take necessary action as required.

Staff had received safeguarding training and understood their responsibilities to report any incidents of alleged abuse.

There was a registered manager in post. 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 we spoke with told us staff that supported them were kind, patient and respectful. One person who received a service said, “I don’t know how I would manage without them.”

Risk assessments had been developed to minimise the potential risk of harm to people during the delivery of their care and staff visiting people's homes. These had been kept under review and updated when changes occurred to the person or environment

Staff had been recruited safely, appropriately trained and supported. They had skills, knowledge and experience required to support people in their own homes.

The management team deployed sufficient staffing levels to provide support people required in their own homes.

Staff responsible for assisting people with their medicines had received training to ensure they had the competency and skills required. People told us they received their medicines at the times they needed them.

Care plans were organised and had identified the care and support people required. We found they were personalised and informative about care people received. They had been kept under review and updated when necessary. They reflected any risks and people's changing needs.

Staff had received food and hygiene training to ensure they were confident when preparing meals in people's homes.

The staff provided care that respected people’s dignity and independence and people felt they had choice and control. They told us they were treated as individuals and received person centred care.

The registered manager knew every person supported by the service and would often visit people to deliver care.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff support them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service support this practice.

People who used the service and their relatives knew how to raise a complaint and who to speak with. The management team had kept a record of complaints received and these had been responded to in a timely manner.