Background to this inspection
Updated
16 April 2020
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. We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act. We looked at the overall quality of the service and provided a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.
Inspection team
This inspection was carried out by one inspector and one Expert by Experience. An Expert by Experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.
Service and service type
This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own homes.
The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.
Notice of inspection
We gave the service 24 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because it is a small service and we needed to be sure that the provider or registered manager would be in the office to support the inspection.
The inspection activity started on 24 January 2020 and ended on 3 February 2020. We visited the office location on 24 and 30 January 2020.
What we did before the inspection
We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We sought feedback from the local authority and professionals who work with the service. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return. This is information providers are required to send us with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. This information helps support our inspections. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.
During the inspection
We spoke with 10 people who used the service and five family members about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with six members of care staff. We also spoke with the registered manager and care manager.
We reviewed a range of records. This included six people’s care records and multiple medication records. We looked at four staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures were reviewed.
After the inspection
We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. We spoke with two professionals who regularly worked with the service.
Updated
16 April 2020
About the service
Pier House is a domiciliary care service that provides support and personal care to adults in their own homes. 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. At the time of our inspection 90 people were receiving support with personal care.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
Everyone involved in the running of the service exuded passion for delivering care that was person-centred and gave people a meaningful life. All Pier House staff went above and beyond to provide people with positive outcomes and experiences; people were consistently placed at the heart of the service.
People told us their lives had greatly improved due to the consistent support they received from staff. Achieving desired outcomes and providing truly individualised care and support was central to care planning and delivery. Professionals spoke extremely highly of the person-centred care and innovative methods used by the service.
It was evident the values held by staff had been cascaded down from the registered manager who showed great passion for making a difference to people’s lives. There was a strong emphasis placed on empowering people and involving them in the running of the service. The registered manager was continuously looking at ways to improve the quality of care and had been highly praised by professionals for their collaborative working. Due to the excellent working relationships between staff and health and social care professionals, people received a package of care that was right for them.
People told us they felt safe with the staff who supported them. Staff knew how to recognise abuse and were confident reporting safeguarding concerns. Risks to people had been identified and plans were in place to manage these. There were enough staff with the right skills, knowledge and experience to meet people’s needs.
People’s needs had been holistically assessed and guidance was in place for staff to follow to ensure they delivered effective care and support. Staff received a detailed induction and on-going practical training to ensure they maintained the right skills to provide individualised care and support. Staff spoke highly of the training and support they received.
People were supported to live healthier lives. Staff educated people and family members about healthy eating and supported people with meals where needed. People were supported to access health care appointments and staff followed guidance from health and social care professionals.
People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.
People and family members spoke highly of staff and how kind and caring they were. Staff took time to chat and get to know them and it was evident positive relationships had been developed. People were treated with dignity and respect and staff understood the importance of keeping information private.
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 8 July 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.