Just a Little Company

Updated 4 April 2019

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. This inspection was planned 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 was completed by a single inspector.

Service and service type: Just a Little Company is a domiciliary care service, providing personal care and support to people in their own homes. CQC regulates the personal care provided.

There had been a change of provider ownership and office location for Just a Little Company, since our last inspection. The registered manager had recently left their employment at the service. A registered manager is legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the provide. However, a new manager had been subsequently appointed and begun managing the service. They had submitted a registration application to us.

Notice of inspection: The inspection was announced. We gave the service two working days’ notice of the inspection site visit. This was because we needed to ensure the manager and care staff were available to speak with us; and people’s consent was obtained, for us to speak with them or their relative about their care experience.

What we did: We looked at information we held about the service to help us plan the inspection. This included written notifications the provider had sent to us when required, to tell us about any important events that happened at the service. On this occasion we did not ask the provider to complete a Provider Information Return (PIR) before our inspection. This is information we may ask the provider to send us, usually at least once annually to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and any improvements they plan to make. However, we gave the manager and provider opportunities during the inspection, to give us any relevant updates from this.

The inspection site visit activity started on 26 February 2019 and ended on 4 March 2019. We used a range of different methods to help us understand people’s experiences. We visited the office location on 26 February 2019 to speak with the provider, manager, deputy manager, a care coordinator and four care staff. We also reviewed three people’s care records to check whether they were accurately maintained. We spoke with six people and three relatives by telephone on 27 February 2019. We also received written feedback from another person, a relative and a solicitor, legally appointed to act on behalf of three people who used the service. We visited the office again on 4 March to look at a range of records relating to management of the service. This included management checks of the quality and safety of people’s care; staffing, medicines and complaints records.

Updated 4 April 2019

About the service: Just a Little Company is a domiciliary care service providing personal care to people living in their own homes. At the time of the inspection there were 34 people using the service.

People’s experience of using this service: The service continued to meet the characteristics of Good in all areas.

People continued to receive care that was safe. The provider’s arrangements for people’s care helped to protect people from the risk of harm or abuse. Staff were safely recruited and deployed to provide people’s care. Risks to people’s health, associated with their care and related safety needs, were effectively monitored and managed. Staff supported people to take their medicines safely when required. Relevant management checks of staff care practice and competency helped to ensure people’s safety when they received care.

People continued to received care that was effective. People’s care needs were effectively accounted for in consultation with them or their representative. Staff supported people to maintain or improve their health and nutrition when needed. People’s care was provided in the least restrictive way possible and to maximise people’s choice and control in their care. Staff were trained, informed, supported and worked closely with relevant agencies involved for people’s care. This helped to ensure people received consistent and informed care, agreed with them.

People continued to receive care from kind, caring staff. The provider promoted an inclusive culture of shared care values, where staff knew people well and what was important to them for their care. People were treated with respect by staff who ensured their dignity, choice, independence and rights when they provided care. People were informed, involved and supported to understand, agree and make ongoing decisions about their care.

People continued to receive personalised care that was timely, responsive and tailored to their individual needs and wishes. Care was agreed and provided in a way that helped to optimise people’s independence, autonomy and inclusion. People were confident and knew how, to raise a concern or make a complaint if they needed to. People’s views and feedback were regularly sought. Findings from this and any complaints received were used to help inform and ensure any service improvements needed. Work was in progress to ensure operational care policy met with nationally recognised standards concerned with end of life care.

The provider operated effective governance systems to ensure the quality and safety of people’s care and for sustained or timely service improvement when needed. Staff understood their role and responsibilities for people’s care. Operational management arrangements helped to ensure effective care and related communication and record keeping. The service worked in partnership with people, their representatives and relevant external educational, health and social care agencies when needed, to inform and optimise people’s care experience.

More information is in the full report.

Rating at last inspection: Good. Report published 4 August 2017.

Why we inspected: This was a scheduled inspection based on the previous rating.

Follow up: We will continue to monitor intelligence we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If any concerning information is received we may inspect sooner.

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