We carried out a review of the data available to us about Cera - Cumbria on 6 July 2023. We have not found evidence that we need to carry out an inspection or reassess our rating at this stage.
This could change at any time if we receive new information. We will continue to monitor data about this service.
If you have concerns about Cera - Cumbria, you can give feedback on this service.
home. The service provides support to people with a range of care needs and includes older people, people living with dementia and people with learning or physical disabilities.
At the time of our inspection Cera Cumbria provided services to 76 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.
We found the following examples of good practice.
People and relatives who used the service said staff followed good hygienic practices when they visited. They said staff wore PPE and wiped equipment before and after use.
Staff had all received infection prevention and control training. Staff said they had enough PPE and felt supported by the provider.
Staff were tested for COVID-19 at least weekly. They understood what to do if they felt unwell. There had been an isolated occasion when a staff member was given wrong advice, but lessons had been learnt from this.
The service had a business continuity plan in place. This included actions around the management of COVID-19.
The provider held frequent health and safety advice meetings with all its services about COVID-19. The provider’s infection prevention and control policy was up to date.
The organisation had established infection control champions to share learning and developments.
Mears Care Limited Carlisle is a domiciliary care agency providing care and support to people in their own home. This includes personal care, shopping, activities and appointments. The agency provide support to people with a range of care needs and includes older people, people living with dementia and people with learning or physical disabilities.
The organisation had recently moved location within Carlisle. At the time of our inspection Mears Care Limited Carlisle provided services to 101 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
People were safe and protected from abuse because staff assessed and managed risk. Everyone we spoke with told us staff consistently met their care and support needs. They said staff usually arrived around the time agreed and stayed the correct amount of time. However, a small number of people said staff were often late and rushed them so they could leave quickly. People received their medicines as they needed and staff were trained and their competency checked. Staff were recruited safely and had a thorough induction.
People were helped 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. Staff assessed people's capacity to make decisions and supported them with decision making. Staff had the training, skills and experience to provide good care. They supported people with meal preparation where needed. They liaised with health and social care professionals and sought advice quickly if people were ill or injured.
Staff provided care that met people’s different needs and preferences. People and where appropriate, their relatives were involved in planning their care and encouraged to make decisions. Almost all people said they were satisfied with their care. They told us staff were caring and respected their privacy and dignity.
Staff assessed people’s communication needs and were familiar with the ways people communicated. People said they knew how to complain. Where people had complained, these had been taken seriously and action taken to try to resolve these to the complainant’s satisfaction. Mears Care Limited Carlisle supported people at the end of life. Staff understood the importance of supporting people to make this as comfortable, pain free and peaceful as possible.
People said staff encouraged them to give their opinions about the service and to make decisions about their care. They told us staff usually listened to and acted on these. The registered manager worked in partnership with other services and organisations to assist them to follow good practice. The management team monitored and audited the service to check on the quality of care. They understood and acted on legal obligations, including conditions of CQC registration and those of other organisations.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the Care Quality Commission (CQC) website at www.cqc.org.uk
Rating at last inspection:
The last rating for this service was good (published 19 May 2017). Since this rating was awarded the service has moved premises. We have used the previous rating to inform our planning and decisions about the rating at this inspection.
Why we inspected
This was a planned inspection based on the rating at the last inspection.
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.
Mears Care - Carlisle provides care and support for people who live in their own homes. The office is located in Carlisle and it provides services in and around the local area. At the time of our inspection the service was supporting approximately 150 people.
The service had a 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.
Care plans were subject to regular review to ensure they met people’s needs. They were easy to read and based on assessment and reflected the preferences of people. Risk assessments were carried out and plans were put in place to reduce risks to people’ safety and welfare.
Where people were not able to make important decisions about their lives the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 were followed to protect their rights. Staff were aware of how to identify and report abuse. There were also policies in place that outlined what to do if staff had concerns about the practice of a colleague.
There were sufficient staff to meet people’s needs. They were trained to an appropriate standard and received regular supervision and appraisal. As part of their recruitment process the service carried out background checks on new staff.
The service managed medicines appropriately. People were supported to maintain their health and to access health services if needed. People who required support with eating and drinking received it and had their nutrition and hydration support needs regularly assessed.
Staff had developed good relationships with people and communicated in a warm and friendly manner. They demonstrated good communication skills in relation to the people they supported. They were aware of how to treat people with dignity and respect.
People were aware of how to raise a complaint and who to speak to about any concerns they had. The registered manager understood the importance of acknowledging and improving areas of poor practice identified in complaints.
The service was well led by a registered manager who had a clear idea about the high standards they expected. A quality assurance system was in place that was utilised to improve the service.