Archived: 1st Class Care

People’s experience of using this service:

• The quality of care people received had significantly deteriorated since the last inspection.

• Poor risk assessment and management meant people had been placed at risk of avoidable harm.

• Staffing levels were not sufficient to support people to lead full and active lives.

• The provider had failed to escalate incidents or allegations of concern to relevant third parties.

• Some people had experienced harm because of poor practice and ineffective governance systems and processes.

• The service met the characteristics of inadequate in Safe, Well-Led and Caring.

• Please see more information in Detailed Findings below.

Rating at last inspection: The service was last inspected in April 2017 and was rated as Good.

Why we inspected: This inspection was brought forward in response to concerns received about the quality of care people received. We received concerns about a number of key care aspects, including staffing levels and people’s safety. At the time of the inspection we were aware of incidents being investigated by third parties.

Enforcement: Full information about CQC’s regulatory response to the more serious concerns found in inspections and appeals is added to reports after any representations and appeals have been concluded.

Follow up: The overall rating for this service is ‘Inadequate’ and the service is therefore in ‘special measures’. This means we will keep the service under review and, if we do not propose to cancel the provider’s registration, we will re-inspect within 6 months to check for significant improvements.

Following the inspection we referred our concerns to the local authority responsible for safeguarding. We also requested information from third parties to enable us to decide what regulatory action we should take to ensure people’s safety.

Shortly after the inspection the provider submitted an application to cancel their registration with us and advised they planned to close the service from May 2019.

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

1st Class Care is a domiciliary care agency which provides personal care to people living in their own home. At the time of the inspection there were four people using the service with a range of support needs. People receiving personal care from 1st Class Care may have learning disabilities, physical disabilities, medical conditions or they may be older people who also may be living with dementia. The service does not require a registered manager. The registered provider manages the service on a day to day basis.

People were protected by a staff team who understood how to recognise potential abuse and knew how to report any concerns. Staff understood the risks to people they supported and how to protect people from potential harm. People were supported by sufficient numbers of care staff who had been recruited to their roles safely. People received their medicines as prescribed.

People were cared for by a staff team who had the appropriate skills and training to support them effectively. People were supported to consent to the care they received. Staff understood how to make decisions in people’s best interests in line with the Mental Capacity Act 2005, where they lacked capacity.

People were supported to have sufficient amounts to eat and drink. Where people had special dietary needs these were understood and met by staff members. People’s day to day health needs were met and they were supported to see healthcare professionals where needed.

People were supported by a staff team who were kind and caring in their approach. People were supported to make choices about the care they received and to maintain their independence. People’s privacy and dignity was protected and promoted.

People were supported by a staff team who understood their needs and preferences. Care plans were in place that reflected the care delivered and were reviewed regularly. People were supported to maintain interests and to access the community. People were able to make complaints if necessary which would be responded to appropriately.

People were supported by an effective staff and management team. The provider had created an open and transparent culture within the service. Staff were encouraged to share any issues and feedback with the provider. The provider had quality assurance and audit systems in place to identify areas of improvement required within the service.