Forget-Me-Not-Homecare Services

Updated 5 January 2019

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.

This announced inspection of Forget-Me-Not Homecare Services took place on 4 and 6 December 2018. The provider was given short notice because the location provides a domiciliary care service. We needed to be sure that someone would be available. The inspection was carried out by one adult social care inspector.

We reviewed the Provider Information Record (PIR) and previous inspection reports before the inspection. The PIR is a form that asks the provider to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and the improvements they plan to make. We also reviewed the information we held about the service and notifications of incidents we had received. A notification is information about important events which the service is required to send us by law.

During the inspection we went to the provider’s office and spoke with the registered manager, deputy manager, administrator and two care staff. We visited three people in their own homes and met another two care staff and a relative during those visits. We looked at three records relating to the care of people, three staff recruitment files, staff duty rosters, staff training records and records relating to the running of the service.

Following the visit to the provider’s office we spoke with a further six people and received feedback from three healthcare professionals.

Updated 5 January 2019

We carried out this announced inspection on 4 and 6 December 2018. At our last inspection, in June 2016, we rated the service Good. At this inspection we found the evidence continued to support the rating of Good and there was no evidence or information from our inspection and ongoing monitoring that demonstrated serious risks or concerns. This inspection report is written in a shorter format because our overall rating of the service has not changed since our last inspection.

Forget-Me-Not Homecare Services is a Domiciliary Care Agency that provides care and support to adults of all ages, in their own homes. The service provides help with people's personal care needs in St Austell and the surrounding areas. This includes people with physical disabilities and dementia care needs. The service mainly provides personal care for people in short visits at key times of the day to help people get up in the morning, go to bed at night and support with meals.

At the time of our inspection 34 people were receiving a personal care service. These services were funded either privately or through Cornwall Council or NHS funding.

Everyone told us they were satisfied with the quality of the service they received. People said they felt safe using the service and they trusted the staff who supported them. Comments included, “I am extremely happy with the service”, “I can’t fault them” and “They are wonderful people.”

People confirmed they received a reliable service provided by a stable staff team. They had agreed the times of their visits and were always kept informed of any changes. Staff told us travel times were sufficient, so they were not rushed. Staffing levels were managed in a way to ensure staff were available to provide a consistent service to meet the needs of people who used the service. Staff were knowledgeable about the people they cared for and responded appropriately as people's needs changed. Staff spoke positively about the people they supported and were motivated to provide an individualised service in line with people's needs and preferences.

Care plans provided staff with direction and guidance about how to meet people’s individual needs and wishes. These care plans were regularly reviewed and any changes in people’s needs were communicated to staff. People were aware of their care plans and had a copy in their homes. People who needed help taking their medicines were appropriately supported by staff.

Risk assessments clearly identified any risks and gave staff guidance on how to minimise the risk. This included any environmental risks in people’s homes and any risks in relation to the care and support needs of the person. They were designed to keep people and staff safe while allowing people to develop and maintain their independence.

People were supported by staff who knew how to recognise abuse and how to respond to concerns. The service held appropriate policies to support staff with current guidance. The service had robust recruitment practices, which meant staff were suitable to work with vulnerable people. Training records showed staff had been provided with all the necessary training, which had been refreshed regularly. Staff told us they found the training to be beneficial to their role and said they were encouraged to attend training to develop their skills and career.

Staff told us they enjoyed their work and received regular supervision, appraisals and team meetings. Staff were complimentary about the management team and how they were supported to carry out their work. The management team provided strong leadership and led by example. There was a positive staff culture and value system which placed people at the heart of the service.

Management and staff acted within the legal framework of the Mental Capacity Act 2005(MCA). Management and staff understood how to ensure people who did not have the mental capacity to make decisions for themselves had their legal rights protected.

There were effective quality assurance systems in place to help ensure any areas for improvement were identified and action taken to continuously improve the quality of the service provided. People told us they were regularly asked for their views about the quality of the service they received. People had details of how to raise a complaint and told us they would be happy to make a complaint if they needed to.