Background to this inspection
Updated
10 January 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 assistant inspector.
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 a short period of notice of the inspection visit. This was because it is a care at home service and we needed to be sure that the provider or registered manager would be in the office to support the inspection.
Inspection activity started on 18 October 2019 and ended on 22 November 2019. We visited the office location on 11 November 2019. Before the office visit we carried out telephone interviews with people who used the service and their relatives. After the office visit we carried out telephone interviews with staff.
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 all of this information to plan our inspection.
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.
During the inspection-
During the inspection period, we spoke with eight people who used the service and/or their relatives by telephone to get their views of the care provided by Firstcare (GB) Bedfordshire and MK. When we visited the office, we spoke with the registered manager and the director of finance, who are also the providers, the head of training, the quality and compliance manager and four care staff. We reviewed a range of records, including those related to staff employment, training, care, medicines administration, care visit monitoring and auditing systems.
After the inspection
We spoke with a further two staff by telephone.
Updated
10 January 2020
About the service
Firstcare (GB) Bedfordshire and MK is a care agency providing care and support to people living in their own homes. At the time of the inspection the service was providing personal care to 75 people.
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 and trusted staff. Staff had received training to recognise and report signs of abuse. Risks to people's health and safety were assessed and staff knew how to support people to help keep them safe.
Safe recruitment processes were in place and staff received a thorough induction to familiarise themselves with the expectations of their role and the values of the service. They received good quality training and supervision to help them to acquire the skills and knowledge to fulfil their role and responsibilities.
Where required, people were supported to have enough to eat and drink, and to take their medicines as prescribed.
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 told us staff were caring and treated them with dignity and respect. People's independence was promoted and encouraged by staff.
People’s needs were assessed before the service provided them with care or support. Care plans were developed from these assessments that gave guidance to staff about people’s needs and preferences. People and their relatives, where appropriate were involved in this process.
The registered manager was open and transparent and promoted a person-centred culture within the service.
Systems and processes were in place to monitor the quality of the service, and to seek the views of the people who used it.
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 (report published 20 April 2017). Since this rating was awarded the service has moved premises. We have used the previous rating to inform our planning and decisions about the rating at this inspection.
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.