Background to this inspection
Updated
12 February 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
The inspection was carried out by an inspector and an Expert by Experience (ExE). 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 houses and flats.
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 72 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because it is a small service and we needed to be sure that the registered manager would be in the office to support the inspection.
Inspection activity started on 14 January 2020 and ended on 15 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 safeguarding team. The provider was not asked to complete a provider information return prior to this inspection. This is information we require providers to send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We took this into account when we inspected the service and made the judgements in this report.
We used all of this information to plan our inspection.
During the inspection
We spoke with eight people and three relatives of people who received a service. We also spoke with five staff members and the registered manager. We looked at four people’s care records, records of accidents, incidents, compliments and complaints and quality assurance records. We also looked at one staff recruitment file.
After the inspection
We reviewed staff training information and information relating to partnership working, which had been sent to us by the registered manager.
Updated
12 February 2020
About the service
Wolverhampton City Council HARP Team (Home Assisted Reablement Programme) is a short-term intensive support service for people requiring a period of home based reablement. At the time of the inspection 40 people were receiving a service.
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 felt safe when receiving support from staff. Staff were aware of how to identify and report concerns for people’s safety and well-being. Risks were assessed and managed to reduce the risk of avoidable harm. People received support from a consistent staff team who had been safely recruited. Where things had gone wrong, action had been taken to reduce the likelihood of reoccurrence.
People continued to receive support from staff who were trained and had the skills and knowledge to provide a good quality of care. People’s needs were assessed and reviewed to ensure their needs were met. Staff sought people’s consent and people were involved in decisions about their support. 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 spoke positively about the staff who supported them, describing them as kind and patient. Staff were enthusiastic about the service they provided and spoke about people with respect. People were actively supported to regain or maintain their independence during the short time they received support, and staff respected their privacy.
People received support from staff who understood their needs and preferences. Where people expressed a preference about who should support them, this was respected. People were confident to report any concerns to the registered manager who acted to ensure people received a quality service.
People, relatives and staff expressed confidence in the management of the service. Staff felt supported by the registered manager and were able to give feedback and contribute to the development of the service. The registered manager was aware of their regulatory responsibilities and worked in partnership with other agencies to ensure people’s care and support needs were met.
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 19 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.