Archived: My Homecare Camden

Updated 12 March 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 team consisted of one inspector.

Service and service type: My Homecare Camden provides personal care and support to people in their own homes. Not everyone using My Homecare Camden receives regulated activity; the Care Quality Commission (CQC) only inspects the service being received by people provided with ‘personal care’; help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do we also take into account any wider social care provided.

The service had a manager registered with the CQC. 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 2 working days’ notice of the inspection visit because the service provides care to people in their own homes and we wanted to make sure that the provider was available on the day of the inspection.

We visited the office location on 30 January 2019 to see the registered manager and office staff; and to review care records, policies and procedures.

What we did:

Before the inspection we looked at information we held about the service. This information included any statutory notifications that the provider had sent to the CQC. Statutory notifications include information about important events which the provider is required to send us by law. The provider had completed a Provider Information Return [PIR] in 2017. Due to a change in the date of this inspection we had not asked for a more recent PIR. The PIR is a form that asks the provider to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We used all this information and the previous inspection report to plan our inspection.

During the inspection at the office we spoke with the provider who is also the registered manager and an office administrator/supervisor and two care staff. Following the inspection, we spoke with three people using the service, three people’s relatives, the agency’s care coordinator, and two social care professionals.

We reviewed a variety of records which related to people's individual care and the running of the service. These records included care files of six people using the service, four staff employment records and a range of other records including the service user guide.

Updated 12 March 2019

About the service:

My Homecare Camden is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care services to people in their own homes. The service provides care to people with a range of care needs including those living with dementia. At the time of this inspection there were 14 people receiving support from the service with their personal care. The service is part of the national My Homecare franchise.

People’s experience of using this service:

People received a service which was personalised and met their individual needs and preferences. People told us that their independence was supported by the service.

People spoke highly of the staff who provided their care. They told us that they were cared for by regular staff who understood their needs and were competent in providing personalised care.

People told us that staff were kind, listened to them and respected the choices that they made about their care. Staff understood the importance of respecting people's privacy, dignity and equality characteristics.

People’s care was planned with the involvement of people using the service and, when applicable, their relatives. The service was flexible and responsive to changes in their needs.

Staff received information about people’s needs so that they provided people with the care that they required and wanted. Staff told us that they worked well as a team and would always report any changes in people’s needs to senior staff.

The service assessed and managed risks to ensure that people received personal care and support safely.

Systems were in place to assess and monitor the quality and delivery of care to people. Improvements to the service were made when needed.

The provider had systems in place to resolve complaints appropriately. People had opportunities to provide feedback about the service, and action was taken to address any concerns.

The service was well led by the registered manager. People told us that the registered manager and other senior staff were approachable and could be contacted at any time. Staff told us that the registered manager and other senior staff provided them with the support and guidance that they needed to carry out their role and responsibilities.

Rating at last inspection: This was the service's first inspection.

Why we inspected: This was a planned comprehensive inspection as the service had not been rated before.

Follow up: We will continue to monitor the service through the information we receive.