Background to this inspection
Updated
30 December 2016
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.
The inspection was undertaken by one adult social care inspector. The inspection took place on 23 November 2016 and was announced. The provider was given 48 hours’ notice because the location was a domiciliary care agency and we needed to be sure that someone would be in. On the 9 December we followed up the inspection with phone calls to people who received a service and staff members.
We reviewed information we held about the service. This included any notifications we had received. A notification is information about important events which the service is required to send us by law. No PIR (Provider Information Request) was obtained in time for this inspection.
During the inspection we were supported by the registered provider. We contacted and spoke with three people via telephone about the care they received. We spoke with four staff members about the service.
Caremark (Rother) DCA supports adults in their own home. We looked at four records related to people’s individual care needs. These records included support plans, risk assessments and daily monitoring records. We also looked at four staff recruitment files and records associated with the management of the service, including quality audits.
Updated
30 December 2016
The inspection took place on 23 November 2016 and was announced. The provider was given notice because the location was a domiciliary care agency (DCA) and we needed to be sure that someone would be in. After the office visit we followed this up with phone calls on the 9 December 2016 to people and staff to ask them about the service.
Caremark (Rother) DCA provides a personal care service to people living in their own home. On the day of the inspection 16 people were supported by the agency with their personal care needs. Caremark (Rother) is a franchise to Caremark Ltd.
The service had a registered provider in post who is currently in the process of applying to be the registered manager. 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 said; “Very, very, happy with the service.” Another person said; “They are so kind to me and really look after me. Staff said; “Great company to work for.”
People’s individual care records contained personalised information which described what staff needed to do to provide care and support. Staff responded quickly to people’s change in needs. When required, relatives and health and social care professionals were involved in identifying people’s needs. People’s preferences, life histories, disabilities and abilities were taken into account, communicated and well documented.
People’s risks were monitored and well managed. The agency had policies and procedures in place which were understood by staff to help protect people and keep them safe.
People were kept safe and protected from discrimination. Staff had completed safeguarding from abuse training. Staff displayed good knowledge on how to report any concerns and described what action they would take to protect people against harm.
People who required assistance with meals were supported and encouraged to maintain a varied and healthy balanced diet.
People’s medicines were managed safely and people told us they were given the prompts required to help ensure they received their medicines as prescribed.
People and staff were encouraged to be involved and help drive continuous improvements in the way the service was provided. This helped ensure positive progress was made in the delivery of care and support provided by the service.
The registered provider sought feedback from people and encouraged individuals to share their concerns and complaints. The registered provider confirmed they would investigate any complaints or concerns thoroughly and used the outcome as an opportunity for learning to take place.
The registered provider had an ethos of honesty and transparency. This reflected the requirements of the duty of candour. The duty of candour is a legal obligation to act in an open and transparent way in relation to care and treatment.
The registered provider and staff had completed training on the Mental Capacity Act. They understood the requirements of the act, and knew how to put this into practice should the need arise.
There were sufficient staff to meet people’s needs. Staff were trained and had the correct skills to carry out their roles effectively. For example staff had completed infection control training. The registered provider followed safe recruitment practices to help ensure staff were suitable to work with vulnerable adults. Staff described the management as open, supportive and approachable. Staff spoke positively about their jobs and felt motivated to provide good quality care.
There were effective quality assurance systems in place to help drive improvements and ensure positive progress was made in the delivery of care and support provided by the service.