Background to this inspection
Updated
14 May 2021
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 planned this inspection to check whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.
Inspection team
The inspection team consisted of one inspector and one 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
Hertsmere Valley Care Limited is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own homes.
The service had a registered manager which means they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided. The registered manager was not available on the day of the inspection so we spoke to the deputy manager who was responsible for the day to day running of the service.
Notice of inspection
We carried out the inspection visit on 21 April 2021. We gave a short period notice of the inspection as we were mindful of the impact and added pressures of Covid-19 pandemic on the service. This meant we took account of the exceptional circumstances and requirements arising as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic
What we did
Before our inspection, we reviewed the information we held about the home which included statutory notifications and safeguarding alerts. During our inspection we went to the service's office and spoke with the deputy manager, the care coordinator and three care staff. We looked at four care records and three staff records; we also looked at various documents relating to the management of the service. After the inspection visit, we spoke to five relatives and six people who used the service.
Updated
14 May 2021
About the service
Hertsmere Valley Care Limited is a domiciliary care service which provides personal care and support to people in their own homes. The service was supporting 28 people at the time of our inspection.
People’s experience of using this service
People told us people they were happy with the care and support they received because they felt safe and all their needs were met by kind and caring staff.
People had access to healthcare services and were involved in decisions about their care. Partnerships with other agencies and health professionals enabled effective outcomes for people. Staff supported people to take medicines safely.
Risks to people were assessed and regularly reviewed. Staff understood the actions needed to minimise the risk of avoidable harm including the prevention of avoidable infection. Staff had completed safeguarding training and understood their role in identifying and reporting any concerns of potential abuse or poor
practice.
People praised the managers of the service and agreed that they were approachable, knowledgeable, fair and did their job well. The staff team worked well together and supported the registered manager.
The staff team was committed to providing a high-quality service. They had undertaken training so that they were skilled and knowledgeable to effectively meet people’s needs. Staff understood their responsibilities to report any concerns.
Staff encouraged people to be as independent as possible and respected people’s privacy and dignity. Staff knew people well.
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 were given choices about the way in which they were cared for. Staff listened to them and knew their needs well. Care plans contained information about each person’s individual support needs and preferences in relation to their care.
Recruitment practices were safe and relevant checks had been completed before staff worked at the service.
People told us that staff were able to meet their needs and were respectful of their individual preferences.
People confirmed the service did not miss any care calls and that staff were usually on time.
People received care and support from a small group of staff, which provided consistency.
The managers of the service actively sought the views of people and their relatives about the running of the service and they dealt promptly with any concerns that people raised.
The provider had systems in place to monitor and improve the quality and safety of the service provided.
Rating at last inspection
At the last inspection we rated this service Good. The report was published on 25 September 2017.
Why we inspected
We carried out a focused inspection of this service on 21 April 2021. This report only covers our findings in relation to the Key Questions Safe, Effective and Well led as we were mindful of the impact and added pressures of Covid-19 pandemic on the service. This report only covers our findings in relation to the Key Questions safe, effective and well led.
Follow up
We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information, we may inspect sooner
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk