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Archived: Better Healthcare Services (Colchester)

Overall: Requires improvement read more about inspection ratings

145 High Street, Colchester, Essex, CO1 1PG (01206) 561999

Provided and run by:
Better Healthcare Services Ltd

Important: This service was previously registered at a different address - see old profile

Latest inspection summary

On this page

Background to this inspection

Updated 26 February 2020

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 one inspector.

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 did not have a registered manager employed at the service.

Notice of inspection

We gave a short period notice of the inspection to be sure the provider or manager would be in the office to support the inspection.

What we did before the inspection

Prior to our inspection we reviewed information we held about the service. This included safeguarding referrals, concerns and statutory notifications that had been sent to us. A notification is information about important events which the service is required to send us by law.

The provider was not requested to complete a provider information return (PIR). This is a form that asks the provider to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. As part of planning we sought feedback from other agencies such as the Local Authority and we used this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with nine staff including the director, manager, coordinator, field care supervisor in the office and had contact with care staff. We spoke with six people and three relatives of people who used the service about their views. We reviewed four care plans, medicine administration records, two recruitment files, and records relating to the quality and safety monitoring of the service.

After the inspection

We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. They sent us information as requested to help us make a judgement about the service.

Overall inspection

Requires improvement

Updated 26 February 2020

About the service

Better Healthcare Colchester is a domiciliary care agency. The service provides personal care to people living in their own homes in the community. At the time of this inspection, the service provided support to 132 people.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

People were not always safe using the service as missed and late calls meant people were being left without the care they needed. People were not always safeguarded from poor care as there were not enough staff to care for people using the service.

Risk assessments did not provide assurances people were receiving the care they required, and, in the way, they needed it. Risks to people’s safety had not been reviewed or care plans updated with their up to date needs.

People’s medicines were not always given at the time prescribed. The lack of available information, regular audits and analysis of errors meant we could not be assured people received their medicines safely to manage their physical and/or mental health needs.

The service had not been consistently managed and there had been lack of clear management oversight. The role and responsibilities of office-based staff were not robust and clear for them to carry out their roles well. Quality assurance processes were not in place for the safety of the service and the management of records was disorganised.

Systems to control and prevent the risk of infection were in place. The service worked in partnership with other agencies and professionals for the benefit of people they supported.

Rating at last inspection

The last rating for this service was good (published 21 December 2018).

Why we inspected

The inspection was prompted in part due to concerns received from members of the public, staff and the local authority about risks to people’s health and safety, late and missed calls and staffing issues. A decision was made for us to inspect and examine those risks.

We have found evidence the provider needed to make improvements. Due to the nature of the concerns, we only inspected the key questions of safe and well led. You can see what action we have asked the provider to take at the end of this full report.

Enforcement

We found three breaches of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 in relation to safe care and treatment, staffing and good governance.

Full information about CQC’s regulatory response to the more serious concerns found during inspections is added to reports after any representations and appeals have been concluded.

Follow up

We will request an action plan for the provider to understand what they will do to improve the standards of quality and safety. We will work alongside the provider and local authority to monitor progress. We will return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.