Superior Homecare Services

Updated 16 June 2023

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 Health and Social Care Act 2008.

Inspection team

This inspection was carried out by 1 inspector and 1 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.

Service and service type

Superior Homecare Services is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own homes.

Registered Manager

This provider is required to have a registered manager to oversee the delivery of regulated activities at this location. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Registered managers and providers are legally responsible for how the service is run, for the quality and safety of the care provided and compliance with regulations.

At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post.

Notice of inspection

We gave the service 48 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because we needed to be sure the provider or registered manager would be in the office to support the inspection.

Inspection activity started on 30 May 2023 and ended on 01 June 2023. We visited the location’s office on 30 May 2023.

What we did before the inspection

In planning our inspection, we reviewed information we had received about the service. This included any notifications (events which happened in the service that the provider is required to tell us about) and any feedback about the service. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return (PIR). This is information providers are required to send us annually with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with 7 people using the service and 8 relatives. We spoke with 8 staff that included the deputy manager, rota coordinator, a care manager, business manager, 2 human resources coordinators and 2 care and support staff. We also spoke with the nominated individual who is also the registered manager. The nominated individual is responsible for supervising the management of the service on behalf of the provider.

We sent emails to 16 staff members for feedback, and we received 10 responses.

We reviewed a range of records. This included 6 people’s care records and risk assessments. We looked at staff recruitment checks and a variety of records relating to the management of the service including staff training and supervision records, quality assurance information and feedback from people and staff.

Updated 16 June 2023

About the service

Superior Homecare Services is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own homes.

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 this inspection 99 people were receiving support with personal care.

We expect health and social care providers to guarantee people with a learning disability and autistic people respect, equality, dignity, choices and independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. ‘Right support, right care, right culture’ is the guidance CQC follows to make assessments and judgements about services supporting people with a learning disability and autistic people and providers must have regard to it.

At the time of the inspection, the location provided care and support for 1 person with a learning disability. We assessed the care provision under Right Support, Right Care, Right Culture, as it is registered as a specialist service for this population group.

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

Right Support

There were systems and processes in place to safeguard people from potential harm. Staff completed training about safeguarding and knew how to report abuse. Risks to people using the service were assessed and strategies were put in place to reduce the risks. Staff supported people to access health and social care support, which included a regular review of their prescribed medicines.

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.

Effective systems were in place to closely monitor incidents and prompt action was taken to mitigate the risk of repeat incidents.

Right Care

People received care and support that was personalised and provided by a staff team who were well trained and supported. Reviews of people’s care were held regularly to ensure their care was regularly assessed and updated if changes were needed.

People felt well cared for by staff who were kind and considerate. People and relatives told us they had the time they required to communicate with staff and felt listened to. Care was personalised to people’s needs, and staff understood people’s likes and dislikes.

Right culture

Staff placed people’s wishes, needs and rights at the heart of everything they did. The service promoted a culture of inclusion, diversity and equality.

Staff supervision, staff meetings and spot checks were undertaken regularly and used to develop and motivate staff, review their practice, and focus on professional development.

People and those important to them, were involved in planning their care. There was good management oversight of the service. A range of quality assurance audits were in place and were effective at identifying concerns or areas for improvement. Records management was organised which made accessing and reviewing information easier.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

Rating at last inspection and update

The last rating for this service was Good (published 14 March 2018)

Why we inspected

This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.