Archived: Waveney Office

Updated 10 August 2018

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 comprehensive inspection was carried out by one inspector on 17 and 24 July 2018. We gave the service 24 hours’ notice of the inspection visit because we needed to be sure that someone would be available.

We used information the provider sent us in the Provider Information Return. This is information we require providers to send us at least once annually to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make.

We looked at information we held about the service including notifications they had made to us about important events. We also reviewed all other information sent to us from other stakeholders for example the local authority and members of the public.

On the first day of our inspection we visited the offices of the provider. On the second day of the inspection we visited three people who used the service in their homes where we also spoke with a relative. We spoke with the provider, the registered manager and three care workers. We reviewed three people’s care records, policies and procedures, records relating to the management of the service, training records and the recruitment records of three care workers.

Updated 10 August 2018

This inspection took place on 17 and 24 July 2018. The service received 24 hours’ notice of the inspection.

Our previous inspection in June 2017 had identified two breaches of Regulations of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014. This was because care plans were not person centred and did not contain sufficient information to ensure care was delivered safely. At this inspection we found that improvements had been made and the service was no longer in breach of the regulations.

Following the last inspection, we asked the provider to complete an action plan to show what they would do and by when to improve the key questions of Safe, Responsive and Well-led to at least achieve a rating of good. This was provided and has been completed by the service.

This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats in the community. It provides a service to older adults. CQC inspects the service being received by people provided with ‘personal care’; help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. We also take into account any wider social care provided. At the time of our inspection the service was supporting 16 people.

Since our last inspection the provider had re-written all the care plans for people using the service. This had been carried out with the involvement of people using the service and their relatives. Care plans were now person centred and provided staff with the information they required to provide care and support required. Care records showed that people's needs were assessed before they started using the service.

People told us they felt safe whilst receiving care and support. The registered manager and care staff understood their responsibilities with regard to safeguarding people. Staff had received training in the protection of vulnerable adults.

People were supported 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.

There was an effective recruitment and selection procedure in place. Staff attend care visits on time and stayed for the agreed length of time. If a member of care staff was delayed due to unforeseen circumstances people were contacted to inform them of the delay.

There was a safe system in place for the management of medicines and medicines administration records were completed accurately.

Staff told us they were supported by the provider and registered manager and were comfortable raising any concerns. People and family members told us the management and office staff were approachable and if they had any concerns the would feel confident to raise them with the registered manager.

There were processes and procedures in place to identify any shortfalls in the service provided and ensure that people received a good quality of care. The provider had recognised where improvements were needed and taken actions to address these.