Archived: Caring First Homecare Ltd (Norwich)

Caring First Homecare Limited is a domiciliary care agency that provides care and support to people living in their own homes. At the time of this inspection the service was providing support to 23 people.

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.

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

Outstanding management of the service had resulted in people receiving a high-quality service. An exceptionally open, caring and supportive culture had been nurtured which benefited those that used the service, their relatives and staff.

The management team lead by example, were knowledgeable, adaptable and especially kind and considerate. The controlled growth of the service meant staff had time to get to know people well and meet their needs in a person-centred and unhurried manner. All the people we spoke with told us they would recommend the service and were exceptionally happy with the level of care they received.

The robust quality monitoring system, and the responsive and open nature of the service, ensured any issues were identified and rectified swiftly. Complaints and incidents were seen as opportunities to better improve the service people received, an emphasis the registered manager was passionate about. All staff fully embodied the service’s values which put the people who used the service at its heart. The people who used the service, their relatives and staff were empowered to voice their opinions and contribute to the direction of the service.

Staff were robustly recruited and matched to those they supported. The service invested in its staff and understood the benefits for those people who used the service if they were cared for by staff who felt valued and cared for. Staff received a vigorous induction, ongoing training, very regular support in all forms and their competency to perform their role was regularly assessed by qualified and experienced staff.

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. People’s likes, preferences and wishes were met in an individualised manner and there was a strong focus on assisting people to remain as independent as possible. People told us staff were always professional, respectful and considerate of their dignity.

Risks had been identified and actions taken to minimise them. Incidents and accidents were analysed to help prevent future occurrences. Staff had good knowledge of safeguarding and policies helped protect people from avoidable harm. People received their medicines a prescribed and had support to access healthcare as required. Their nutritional needs were met and working practices helped to prevent and control infections. People’s needs were regularly reviewed, and care adapted to meet them.

People spoke very positively about the service and the staff that supported them. Staff felt incredibly supported and had confidence in the management team who they described as, “Wonderful”, “Fantastic” and, “Generous.” The registered manager demonstrated determination to ensure people received the very best care possible and that their staff felt encouraged, cared for and valued.

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 (report published 24 April 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.

Caring First Homecare Ltd (Norwich) registered with us in 2015. It is a service that provides personal care to people in their own homes. This was our first inspection of the service and eight people at the time were receiving care and support from the service.

There was a registered manager working for the service. They were also the sole director of the provider company. 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 and associated Regulations about how the home is run.

Through good training and leadership, people received care from staff who were kind, polite and compassionate. Staff were given the time by the provider to develop caring relationships with people.

People valued the visits from staff. They felt they mattered, were listened to and respected. The staff took action to reduce the risk of people experiencing social isolation and provided them with information and guidance in relation to organisations and places that people could join or attend.

People were treated with dignity and respect and felt in control of their own care. They could make their own decisions in relation to how they wanted to be cared for and these were respected and met by the staff. People’s preferences in how they wanted their care to be delivered were also being met.

The provider had ensured there were enough staff working for the service to meet the needs of the people they supported. These staff had received sufficient training and supervision to make sure that people were safe when staff were with them and that they received good quality care.

People who required help with their medicines received these when they needed them. The staff assessed risks to people’s safety and took actions to reduce these as much as possible. This included protecting people from the risk of abuse.

Where it was part of a person’s care package, the staff prepared food and drink to people’s preferences and likes. They also supported people with their healthcare needs.

The provider and staff regularly monitored and reviewed the quality of care being provided. People and staff’s feedback was often sought. Where any shortfalls had been identified or suggestions had been made for improvement, action had been taken. The provider was continually looking at ways to improve the quality of care they gave to people to enhance their wellbeing and quality of life.

Good leadership and direction was provided to the staff and there was an open, caring culture at the service. The provider had instilled this culture within their team which put people’s welfare and needs at the heart of the service. The staff were happy working for the service. They felt valued, supported and listened to.