Choices Care Ltd (Birmingham)

Choices Care Ltd is a service providing care and support to people in their own home. It provides a service to older adults and people with learning disabilities. At the time of the inspection the service was providing support to 21 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

Care plans and risk assessments were not always sufficiently detailed regarding the management of known risks. We identified an issue where records of the recruitment process followed for one new member of staff needed improvement. The provider reviewed and updated their procedures following our inspection.

Improvements were needed to the systems in place to assess and monitor the quality and safety of the service provided to people. Current systems had not identified issues we found at this inspection.

People told us they felt safe with the care staff who supported them. Staff told us they would report any safeguarding concerns. People told us they were supported by reliable staff who were usually on time. People were supported, when required, to receive their medicines as prescribed.

Staff were trained and well supported to meet people's assessed needs. Where required, people were supported to eat and drink sufficient amounts to remain healthy and were supported to access healthcare professionals when needed. People told us staff obtained their consent before supporting them with care and support. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

People praised staff and the service they received from them. People told us staff were kind, friendly and caring. Staff supported people to maintain their independence and to remain involved in decisions about their care. People told us they were involved in their care planning and staff made sure they respected people's dignity and privacy.

People received personalised care from staff. Staff and the provider were responsive to people's individual needs and tailored the service where possible to support people. People knew who to make complaints to and were confident they would be listened to.

People and staff told us that the registered manager was approachable and responsive. People were able to feedback their views of the service.

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 (published 26 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.

We also wanted the registered manager to ask people who use the service if we could contact them. The service is registered to provide personal care and support to people in their own homes. At the time of the inspection the service was providing support and personal care to 19 people who were living in their own homes.

There was a registered manager who was present during our inspection. 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 were supported by staff who had received training in how to recognise signs of abuse. Staff were aware of their responsibilities with regard to reporting any concerns and maintaining people's safety. Risks to people were assessed and updated on and the provider had systems in place to make sure staff had access to the most up to date information regarding people's needs.

For those people who were supported to take their medication, systems were in place to ensure this was done safely. Systems were in place to ensure people were supported by sufficient numbers of staff who had been recruited safely. Staff felt well supported in their role and benefitted from an induction that equipped them for their role.

Staff received regular training and specific training was sourced to ensure staff were equipped to meet people's particular health care needs. People had warm and caring relationships with the staff who supported them and described them as kind and caring. People were treated with dignity and respect, were involved in the planning of their care. People's care needs were regularly assessed and reviewed. People felt listened to and their views were sought on the quality of the care they received.

There was a system in place for investigation and recording complaints. People were confident that if they did raise concerns, they would be dealt with appropriately. People were complimentary about the registered manager and considered the service to be well led. Staff felt supported in their role and listened to. Audits were in place to assess the quality of the care and support people received.